SmartyKat LocoMotion Electronic Cat Toy

This is a sturdy toy, doesn't feel flimsy, stands solidly in place. It uses three AA batteries. So far it's been through about 10 cycles of 2-hour presets and it's still on the first set of batteries.

It's very easy to set up and "program." There is one button for on/off, and one button to program 15-minute presets for up to two hours, so you can set it and forget it if you wish. It also has a dial to let you set the rate of rotation for the feather wand. I set it on the lowest speed.

By design, the wand rotates at an erratic pace, and jumps back and forth a bit, to keep the cats on their toes so they don't get bored. My unit is, thankfully, absolutely silent. I can't hear it at all while it's on. The feathers are attached by a small metal loop.The design is well-done so the hanging part of the feather does not get entangled in the wand. It seems to be quite a simple matter to replace with something fresh if it becomes necessary. I don't know if the company sells replacements, but it looks like a very simple do-it-yourself project.

We had a similar toy from another well-known brand, in the same price range, and the difference in quality is noticeable. This product is much more sturdy, with feet that are fastened strongly and don't feel as if they will snap off, a base unit heavy enough to stay in place, quality materials for the wand and feathers so the feathers don't become tangled overall, it's a quality product.

And last, but most important of all: The cat loves it. We have two, and one of them, a former feral, has adopted it as her toy of choice, and has spent hours on her back catching and releasing and catching the feather. Both cats sit and stare at it going round and round, but it's the one cat who has not taken to any of the other toys that has really come alive for this one. She even plays with it when it's turned off. They are both absolutely mesmerized by it, as they would be by any feathered thing flying within their reach. The slow speed seems fine for them, and I'm pretty sure it's an economical way to use the batteries, too.

All in all, a very successful kitty toy. We've been happy with all the toys we've bought from this company. They are all well-made, and while very few cat toys last forever, these seem to last longer than other brands.

I'm about to purchase my third one of these not because they wear out easily but because I have one cat that's totally addicted to this toy. It has variable speeds so the old-man-cat and the kitten can take turns being entertained. It has a timer button that can be pressed up to 8 times which will set it to run from 15 minutes (one press) to 2 hours (if pressed all 8 times). Of course it also has the standard on/off switch. The feather that comes with the toy can be removed and a toy mouse or, my cat's favorite, a ribbon can be attached for variety.

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After seeing the reviews here and elsewhere on the Web, I thought I just had to get this for my cats. I set it up and would bring it out every day for about a week when I got home from work. At first, my cats (ages about 3 and 6) were curious about it, and sniffed it, etc., but they never played with it. After that, they just sat about 3 feet away and looked at it without interest. I was so disappointed! I ended up giving it to someone with two kittens.

I kind of feel bad writing a negative review, but I wanted to give a heads-up that maybe not all cats will like this.

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I like others have spent quite a bit of money on cat toys that usually or rarely get used. This one is different. My cat has not tired of it yet. He really takes it personal when the toy keeps knocking him in the head with the feather thing. Eventually my cat makes up his mind and battles this thing to a win. Usually when I walk back in the room he will have removed the plastic part of the arm and placed it right by the base showing me his victory kill. I don't let him play with it continually but I bring it out about once a day or every other day and he always likes it. The cat toy people are getting a little better making these things. This one is real sturdy and no matter how much my cat pins the arm the motor does not jam or stop. I think the area of most improvement is the timer. If it wasn't for this it might not be such a successful toy. The time allows you to let your cat start to play with it and if you leave the room you don't have to worry about the battery running down in an hour or two if you forget to check on it. This is a major problem with many battery operated cat toys. I have the toy with the mouse that goes around and around and if you turn it on and they start to play with it, then a phone call comes in, you get side tracked and once again you end up changing the batteries. The only reason I didn't give this Loco Motion Electronic Cat Toy a five star review is because the manufactures need to add a motion detector so that if a cat walks by it the game will start for a while and if he walks away it will stop after a certain amount of time. This I think will not only help even more with battery life but will also increase the amount of time they will play with it.

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My cat absolutely loves this toy. My favorite feature of the product is the 15 minute timer. It seems like the perfect amount of time for my cat's attention span. The downside of this product is she has broken 3 of them. While they DO stay standing 95% of the time, they do not seem to be able to take the force of a cat who loves this toy. Not only that, but the most recent one I purchased didn't randomly switch direction, which I noticed held my cats attention better. All in all I am a fan, but due to the price I can't justify continuing to purchase it when she's gone through 3 of them in the past year or so. If it were a more sturdy toy that didn't break so easily, it would be the perfect cat toy, in my opinion.

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