We recently purchased a "Da Bird" cat toy, as it was recommended on the ASPCA website. We've had the toy for about 1 week and used it approximately a dozen times with our two 1.5 year old cats. We were initially very pleased with the toy our cats loved it and we were excited to find a simple and affordable toy that provided so much enjoyment and exercise.However, last night as I was using Da Bird with our cats, I felt some sharp fibrous needles on my hand where I was holding the wand. Upon closer inspection it was apparent that the wand, made of fiberglass, was splintering and had left hundreds of shards of fiberglass in the palm of my hand and fingertips. The shards are painful and tiny. Removal was only possible with tweezers and a flashlight, even then only the largest shards could be extracted from my hand.
Needless to say, we were quite alarmed by the hazard Da Bird was causing, not only to humans, but more seriously, to our cats. One of our cats is especially fond of playing with and chewing on the wand end of other `fishing pole' type cat toys we have had. Had he gotten a paw or his mouth on the splintering fiberglass wand, he would have been in serious danger.
Upon doing a simple Google search of "Da Bird fiberglass splinter" we came across several product review sites and online cat forums where people had suffered from the fiberglass splinters, however these warnings are not obvious when buying the item for the first time. Given that Da Bird's manufacturer, Go Cat, prides itself on "Quality interactive cat toys handcrafted in the USA", we highly recommend that they issue a warning to resellers of the toy, post a warning on their website and immediately change to a more safe and durable material to prevent serious injuries to cats and humans. We have also contacted the ASPCA and Go-Cat (the maker) in hopes that they will take steps to improve the safety of this product.
I recommend putting it away in the closet because the cats will destroy the bird attachment fairly quickly. They love tearing it to pieces on its own. I also recommend getting the value pack since I've already had to attach a replacement feather and it's only been about 2 months since my purchase. (This might be because I didn't put it in the closet.)
I have no regrets and I will be always purchasing this toy for my cats and any future cats that come into my life.We have a full house when it comes to felines, so we have purchased numerous Da Birds for at least the past 10 years. In May 2010, we purchased a new Da Bird and noticed the design is completely different from the Original Da Bird. In the original design, the feather was a ball-chain connect and the handle was one long, heavy piece of plastic. The new design uses what looks like a fishing lure (which is very sharp and I had to cover it with duct tape), and the handle is in two pieces, which separates, thin and flimsy. The feather no longer flutters like a bird, but merely soars through the air. It's obvious from my review that I am displeased with the design changes. I will now be on a mission to find a different bird toy that is sturdy and emulates a flying, fluttering bird. Sorry Da Bird, this feline lover has flown the coop...This item the "Da Bird" is the greatest. I am a cat breeder and have alot of cats and this is by far the best toy out there for cats. They never tire of this toy. When I pull it out to play the cats line up and wait for the toy to start moving. It is not like all the other feather toys out there. This is special and it twirls and makes a noise like a bird and the cats go nuts for it. They dive off furniture,will do flips jumping for it....very fun for both cat and owner. I have bought this for many friends, and they have all loved it! If you have a cat you have to get this....I just recd Da Bird in the mail today and my cats are going crazy for it. they never usually play together and they were today with Da Bird. The male cat doesn't like to play for more than a few minutes and he played until I got tired.
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