Review of Cat Christmas Gifts

Review of Cat Christmas Gifts

by Elisa Black-Taylor
(USA)

Good morning readers. Today I'd like to take a little time out and brag on a few products I've purchased for my cats. At the end of this article I'd like for everyone to join in and recommend products your cats enjoy.

The first product is the Bergan Turbo Scratcher. This ball in a circle chase toy has been out forever. It was the first commercial toy I ever purchased to entertain my cats. I LOVE it and so do my cats. I do admit kittens seem to have a better experience with the toy than do my older cats. I'll have one kitten playing on it and soon the others will join in. It teaches them team participation.

My older cats enjoy the cardboard scratching pad, but rarely play with the ball.

I also want to caution that the ball can be removed by your cat. I'm not sure how and my cats refuse to let me in on their secret. So keep check daily to be sure the ball hasn't been lost.

Overall, I give the Bergan Turbo Scratch a great rating for kittens. Not so much on the adult cats. That's just from my cat kingdom. You may have different results.

Here's a video of my babies playing. Lucky "got the ball rolling." You can read more on him under my second rescue story.

The Turbo Scratcher can be purchased for well under $20:

The second product I'd like to recommend is the Pet Thermal Cat Mat sold by Amazon. I purchased mine for under $13 and got free shipping when I combined an order. Here's the page with the customer reviews. Eleven customers five an overall 4.5 stars out of 5.

First let me say I was hesitant to order this. My daughter is leaving town for a few days, which means my heat will be off at night until I get home at midnight. I didn't want my cats to get cold, so I set up several boxes for them. In one box I put regular blanket and in another a fleece blanket. They like both of those, but they're not as warm as the Pet Thermal Cat Mat.

I was undecided whether I wanted this mat or a low wattage electric heating pad made especially for cats. Call me paranoid. I'm more than a little afraid to leave anything electrical on when no one is home. Plus I read up on the thermal mat and learned many cat owners put these in their garage for stray/outdoor cats. Since there's no electricity involved, they are totally safe.

My mat arrived on the day we brought home our latest rescues. Abby, the Maine Coon had to be quarantined off due to an upper respiratory infection. She chose the small bathroom (not my first choice, but how do you reason with a sick cat?) Abby jumped in the tub and refused to get out. So I put down a blanket and placed the thermal pad on top of the blanket. The only problem I have with the pad is I think it should be thicker. It does crinkle, but the cats don't have a problem with that.

Abby LOVES it. She only gets off of it long enough to eat and use the litter box. I felt her underside and I felt the mat while she was eating. Both were warm, so I feel the thermal mat is doing it's job. The mat is machine washable and cat be air dried in a matter of hours.

Abby is doing better now and we bring her into the living room to socialize. The mat is placed on a blanket in a quiet corner of the living room. When she decides it's bedtime, we follow her back to the bathroom with the mat.

Yes, we're spoiling her. The thermal mat is large enough for her and her son Lucky to stretch out on together.

I only wish she would move out of the bathtub.

Do any of you have a favorite toy to recommend as a Christmas gift for a cat? I think we make a better review committee between all of us than anything the internet has to say. What's your favorite cat toy? Or house, or scratcher or blanket? Please share with the rest of us.

Elisa

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