As I have a new kitten in order to help bond with my older cat I have special playtimes when both cats can play with the same toy and me. Usually for this I use wand toys as both can run at the toy and stalk it at the same time. But recently I found this Kong Snake teaser cat toy.
My older cat absolutely loves wand toys. And these sorts of toys are perfect for honing your cats stalk and catch prey skills. As they are indoor cats they do need to have stimulation and wand toys are perfect. Plus unlike other interactive toys I can actually take part as well. After all someone has to flick the wand.
Whilst I love wand toys the one thing I dislike about them is that usually they are too flimsy. More often than not you have a wooden stick handle with elastic and a toy dangling from the elastic. Great and lots of fun but as soon as Dyson my cat catches the toy she immediately tries to break the elastic.
Therefore wand toys end up with multiple knots in the elastic as I try and tie it back together again. And usually the toy on the end gets completely shredded.
Why Is the Kong Snake Teaser Cat Toy Different.
There is no elastic with this Kong toy. Instead you have a plush covered wand which is comfortable to hold. And the elastic is replaced by the full length of a velour covered red and black snake body. At the end of the snake body you have a weighted snake head (with large felt eyes) which contains a rattle.
This is great as there is no elastic for the cats to chew through. The snakes head is also topped with feathers and my cats love feathers. They start by licking them and then trying to rip them out. So far though the feathers have stood up to the onslaught.
You can flick the wand back and forth, run the toy along the ground or make the toy rise up so cats jump up to catch it. Further due to the weighting in the head you can make some pretty snake like movements.
Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating
So how did this fare with playing with two ragdoll (one of whom definitely likes to rip toys apart). Well so far very well. I have been trying to play with this for 20 to 30 minutes just before bed each night. This tires the kitten out a little so I can get some sleep.
It has also helped her and Dyson to start bonding a bit more. As soon as I go to the drawer where this is kept both cats start meowing and almost jumping up and down. I swear my cats get more dog like every day.
Then they run along side me as we walk down the hall to get to our play area in the lounge. For 20 to 30 minutes I then flick this around or make it go in circles or run it along the floor. Both cats run and chase it. When it gets caught by their teeth or claws they try to chew it but because of the thick velour material they do not break it.
After 20 to 30 minutes my arms are beginning to tire but it means the cats have had a good fun workout.
Pros
- No elastic to break
- You can get some great snake like movements
- The rattle sound attracts your cats
- Well made velour body which is nice and soft and plush.
Cons
- My arm gets tired after 30 minutes
- The cats would play with this all day.
Conclusion
This gets a paws up from us. It is very fun and well made. As with most Kong toys it withstands a lot of chewing. I have even given my mother the heads up to get one of these as her cat loves wand toys and also chews through the elastic.
Overall though this is a great fun toy which will entertain your cats and especially gives cats a chance to play together and with you. I did want to make a video of playtime with this but currently it is a little difficult to hold the camera, the toy and have two cats pouncing all over you.