The Fun and Danger of Feather Cat Toys

All my cats seem to have unique tastes when it comes to their toys, except for one. The feather wand. Whether old and feeble, young and boisterous, or fat and lazy, the moment they even hear that I have opened the cupboard containing the wand, they are all at attention. One quick flip of the wrist to make the feathers swoosh and the dancing begins!

Play time with a feather wand can be some of the most amusing moments with your cat, while at the same time can bring them some much needed exercises and mental stimulation. I have come up with different techniques of using this toy to help satiate everyone's play style. Holding the wand about 6 inches from the feather base you can make very fast circular movements that turn the toy into a blur. My more agile cat loses herself in a flurry of paws as she tries to keep up, while the others sit back and watch with their head whipping back and forth like a spastic pendulum. I then slow it down and drag it across the floor bringing it almost into reach of my laziest, and right when his attention is most focused I quickly flip it up. The world's most unenergetic cat has now become an Olympic jumper! The young cannot be the only ones who have the fun, so I turn my attention to our feeble 16 year old, who still has that sly twinkle to his eye. I leisurely tickle his face and top of his head with the feathers while he relives his former glory days of bird catching. Ah, the fun to be had from a very simple and basic cat toy, but be warned there are dangers with this product.

I have owned several different cat wands throughout the years, and the reason is with hardly any abuse, some of them just seem to fall apart very quickly. Feathers and tinsel can come off with the tiniest of pulls creating dangerous choking hazards for your beloved pet. In one of my most recent play sessions, I happened to notice one of the cats stopped attacking the toy and was walking away chomping his mouth open and close like he was chewing something. Upon closer examination I found the quill part of a feather stuck between his front upper teeth. I reached down to pull it out of his mouth, and ended up pulling a 6 inch feather from his throat! It is for this reason you must pay attention when using the feather wand and immediately pick up any stray feathers as they fall. Also be sure when done playing, to put it away and out of reach of curious paws, this is not a toy to be used unattended.

Our cats all have a great time and have fully endorsed the use of the feather wand. They are hoping in the future it will become a requirement in cat shows, and as such recommend you go out and buy one from your local pet store as soon as possible so your cat can begin training today!