Cats Gone Wild

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Hunt, catch, kill, eat, groom and sleep. This is the philosophy of the ideal cat lifestyle according to Jackson Galaxy, renowned cat expert.

Most pet cats do not get the opportunity to kill. When this instinctual need is not being met, cats can act out in other ways such as scratching furniture and spraying. There are multiple toys to help cats fulfill these instinctual urges.

Peek Their Interest

Petmate has partnered with Jackson Galaxy to bring cat owners the toys that their feline friends so crave.

“Taking a page from the expert himself, Jackson Galaxy’s Air Prey Wand is a very popular cat toy,” said Ryan Wills, senior product manager for toys at Petmate.

According to Wills, the Air Prey Wand fuses insights from Jackson’s 20 years of experience as a trusted expert cat behaviorist with Petmate’s 50 years of knowledge and research in the pet industry.

“The Air Prey Wand focuses on cats as the heroes with features that offers a lot of interaction between the cat and cat’s owner, promoting the human-animal bond,” he said. “The Air Prey Wand has a telescoping feature and that allows for direct interactive play. The retractable cord with swivel connection prevents tangles and is best used for cats with air pursuit interests like birds and flies. The Air Prey line also includes interchangeable toys to keep cats engaged and satisfied.”

According to Wills, cats spend a majority of time sleeping so playtime is crucial when they are awake to keep them slim, energetic, healthy and happy.

“The Jackson Galaxy Air Prey wand is perfect for engaging cats when they are awake,” he said.

Another toy that encourages a cat’s need to stalk and attack prey is the Jackson Galaxy Twisted Kicker.

“They are available in two material choices: denim with sisal and velvet plush and contain catnip pods, one at each end, that add to the excitement,” said Wills. “These thicker kickers with extra stuffing allow for greater play satisfaction and are enhanced with made in the USA catnip!”

Along with the Jackson Galaxy collection, Petmate also has the JW brand Cataction line of cat toys that are filled with catnip.

“The JW Cataction line of cat toys are specifically designed and filled with high-quality, catnip for interactive and solo-play,” said Wills. “The Cataction Ball with Wand is a top selling toy with engaging danglers providing hours of interactive fun.”

Speaking of interaction, Vee Interprises has a multitude of products to thrill any feline.

According to Lorie Viner, president of Vee Enterprises, the PURRfect LeatherBouncer is the company’s most popular toy.

“The smell of the leather on this 18-inch wand toy stimulates them to chase it with the intent to catch it,” said Viner.

The LeatherBouncer is made in the U.S.A with naturally processed leather and faux fur on each end.

Feather products are also a big seller at Vee.

“Another one of our very popular toys is the PURRfect Feather Cat Toy for its 36 inch long wand with Noisemakers and long cord with its natural feather ends, plus it comes with a free extra feather attachment,” said Viner. The PURRFect Feather Cat Toy is made from all natural feathers and features no metal parts. It is sure to keep cats busy and fascinated.

“The natural feather ends encourage cats to run and chase,” said Viner.

According to Viner, Vee Enterprises also have new products in the works. The PURRfect Go Fur Curly Cat Toy is new and available to retailers.

“This new toy combines a 36-inch plastic wand with an 8-inch plastic spring allowing for wild springy movement, with an eight-inch curly end that bounces with ‘wire like’ movements,” she said.

Since approximately 50 percent of the pet population is overweight, cats now a days struggle against obesity and diabetes.

Quaker Pet Group’s Supercat brand offers a line of plush toys that promotes mental and physical stimulation. Through a patented catnip delivery system, each crinkly, brightly colored toy comes with a 1-ounce SuperCat Catnip spray for added enticement and stimulation. Pet owners can just spray it directly on the plush toy and watch the fun.

Coastal Pet offers several cat toys that stimulate cats both mentally and physically.

“Toys help pets stay active and healthy,” said Nicole Haefke, marketing specialist at Coastal Pet Products. “Different textures and materials combined encourage more play to relieve anxiety and boredom. Toys also build on the human animal bond, which provides a happy lifestyle for both the pet and owner.”

Coastal has just the thing.

“Coastal’s most popular [items] are toys that combine multiple textures such as Coastal’s new Rascals Handcrafted Wool Cat Toys,” said Haefke, “These toys are uniquely handmade with multiple textures and a wool scent that naturally attracts the cat.”

Retailers can easily set these toys up in their stores to serve cats, cat owners and the retailer himself.

“Cat toys such as mice, balls and feathers are good impulse buys and can be cross-merchandised in different sections of the store such as the cat and grooming sections, as well as at the register,” said Jen McEowen, merchandising manager at Coastal.

Needful Things

For scratchers, Petstages has a few popular products.

“The Easy Life Hammock & Scratcher has been a top seller since its launch in 2010 and the Fold Away Scratching Tunnel is also a cat favorite for scratching and resting,” said Jennifer Crotty, director of marketing at Petstages.

According to her, these help with multiple cat needs.

“These toys are successful because they satisfy multiple needs,” she said. “They offer cats a place to scratch and mark their territory, an instinctual need, as well as a place to rest and stretch. They also can be used by more than one cat, which makes them perfect for multiple cat households.”

Also, Petstages is introducing the invironment line of products for cats.

“These items address the needs of an indoor cat that instinctively is looking for the variety of activities found outside, in nature,” said Crotty. “The invironment products effectively mimic the natural elements that kitty craves, in the safe environment of home.”

According to her, some of the new items include the Grass Patch Hunting Box, Nature Track, the Kitty Camo Coil and the EmeryCat Scratcher. These items will be introduced at Global Pet Expo.

Ethical Products’ Skinneeez aren’t just for dogs. The company also features the popular toy for cats. With no stuffing, Skinneeez provide more room for catnip for hours of stimulation and play.

Ethical Products also features their Colorful Springs Cat Toy that has been just as popular as the Skinneeez.

“Colorful Springs are multi-colored spring type toys that cats love to roll and push as they skitter around the floor,” said Susan McCann, national marketing manager for Ethical Products, Inc. “Chasing the Colorful Springs provides exercise and entertainment for cats! The 10 piece multi-packs are available in 2-inch and 3-inch sizes.”

Keeping a cat mentally and physically fit has never been easier.