Tag Archives: play

Kitty Kick Stix Review

After seeing a couple of other bloggers write about the Kitty Kick Stix, I decided I wanted to buy a couple for our cats. While I procrastinated, my wife saw them on Facebook. She liked that the company donated part of the proceeds to shelters so she ordered a two pack.

They arrived on Saturday and I decided to take a video of our cats’ reaction to them. So it will be our cats who do the review today, not me. You should also know we did not receive compensation for this post, although I am an Amazon affiliate.

So without further ado, here is the opinion of our cats, Chris, Frankie, Puck, and Floki.

What do you think? Do your cats have a Kitty Kick Stix?

Floki Loves His Mouse

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Our kitten Floki just loves playing with his mouse. Actually, it isn’t even his mouse. Chris took a liking to it long ago and now Floki thinks it’s his. He plays with other toys to but this particular catnip mouse gets a lot of play time. It seems it is always in a different place when I see it.

Here’s a video from a few weeks ago of Floki playing with the mouse..

Playful Kitten

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When we first adopted Floki, the first thing he did was find this rope toy to play with. Kittens are just so fun to watch. Who needs television?

The Kitten Whisperer

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We went to my sister-in-law’s house for Thanksgiving this year. Felice works at a vet and has taken in several “unadoptable” cats with her husband, Jeff. She has also become an expert at bringing newborn kittens back from the brink of death. Felice saved one of our cats, Puck (see here), as well as Miss Luis (see here). Her ability to be such a great surrogate mother to so many tiny kittens makes me think of her as “The Kitten Whisperer.”

While she was raising Miss Luis, she was given two more little kittens to bottle feed (see here) and recently she was asked to help two more kittens. Here are some pictures and a video of the newest kittens, which, I believe, are about five weeks old. Enjoy.

Miss Luis the Kitten’s Last Day Before Adoption

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Back on the 26th of June, Rose and I were involved in rescuing a newborn kitten (read here if you missed it). We brought her to my sister-in-law, Felice, who is an experienced kitten rescuer. She worked hard to keep the kitten alive and now she is doing well.

Rose said she wanted to name the kitten Luis, if it was a boy, after her maintenence supervisor who found the kitten and called Rose for help. It was a girl and she ended up with the Name Lulu (see here and here) but that didn’t stick so now she is called Miss Luis, which we pronounce “Louie.”

We were at Felice’s house on Saturday to celebrate the birthday of Rose and Felice’s mother. While I was there I was able to get a few good pictures of Miss Luis along with two male kittens that Felice took in shortly after Miss Luis arrived.

Miss Luis

Makeshift kitten sanctuary.

The three kittens had fun playing together for awhile and then one fell asleep on the couch while Miss Luis hid behind the pillows. The third cat disappeared into the bathroom where he napped in a carrier that has become their bedroom.

Miss Luis eventually fell asleep with one of the boy kittens.

Later, the third kitten came out and joined Miss Luis in some play while his brother tried to nap.

Of course there are more than kittens at Felice’s house and I got plenty of attention from some of the locals.

The next day, Miss Luis went to her new home. A man adopted her so another female kitten he recently adopted could have company. I was told she cried all the way to her new home but then quickly became friends with resident kitten.

Bad Cat Chris: King of the Lizard Hunters

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Yesterday we broke with our new tradition of letting the cats outside on Sundays and let them out on Saturday. They all had a lot of fun running around, rolling in the dirt and chasing down lizards.

Frankie was good for the most part but, unlike last week, he ventured through the fence… twice. I didn’t worry about him though. I jut kept an eye on him and he came back before going too far. I did have to go through the gate and pick him up from the side of the property, both times, and bring him back to the back yard. He also used up a lot of energy and I saw him panting several times. I thought he was tired and would slow down, but I was wrong.

Last week both Chris and Puck caught a lizard but this week Chris was the only cat to bring home the prize. He did it by showing us he is still a bad cat. He wondered onto our neighbor’s patio and walked back out the door less than twenty seconds later with a lizard in his mouth, proving he is still the top lizard catcher in the family, despite his weight gain. I don’t totally blame Chris for going on her patio. If she would close the door that wouldn’t happen.

Chris showing off his lizard

Frankie tired and panting.

I uploaded a video of what I go through with these boy but it is fairly long. If you don’t have the time I recommend starting at around 6:45. In case you don’t watch the video, I should mention the lizard is alive and well, assuming some other creature hasn’t eaten it since yesterday.

The Conquest of Fort Box

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Recently I gave the cats a nice box that they liked to play in and then I took it away because we had to ship something and it was just the right size. I felt bad about it so when I came across another box at work I grabbed it.

I decided to make this one better than the last so I taped the top closed and cut two openings; one on the front and one on the side. I then cut a few peep holes in it so the box could feel like a little fort with spy holes to watch the “enemy.”

I named it “Fort Box” and the cats took to it right away, especially Colonel Chris who took over command of the fort.

I hereby assume command of Fort Box.

I know you’re there Frankie

Okay, Puck. Your turn to stand guard.

It’s scary in here. I’m shaking.

Puck! You’re supposed to be inside the fort.

Like this. I’ll show you.

I wonder if there is an attic?

I can see you guys so don’t try anything.

You can have your turn Frankie, when I am done lying here doing nothing.

Finally! What’s this?

Yuck! Tastes like cardboard.

C’mon Frankie! It’s my turn again.

Where did you go Frankie? I was just kidding. You can come back. I’ll share.

Why Do Cats Love Boxes?

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Everyone who is owned by a cat knows what happens when you bring a new box into the house. It is like Kitty Christmas. The first thing they have to do is get inside like a child with a new playhouse. But why are cats so fascinated by a simple empty box? I suppose there are a number of things at “play” here.

I think the main reason is that cats love to play. The reason that they have an instinct for play is probably because it helps them practice for survival. Attacking their housemates, assuming it is not for reasons of dominance or territory, is practice for the hunt. Playing in a box is just an extension of that.

A box offers something a wild cat is looking for: stealth. Nevermind that they are not wild cats, they don’t know that. From inside a box a cat can see but not be seen. It is a great place to lie in wait until their prey is close and then pounce. It also offers a bit of protection from other “wild” household pets that might want to attack them.

Finally, cats are great nappers. Curling up inside a box could feel very cozy for that afternoon nap and offer protection as well.

This is great. A box all to myself.

Okay Puck, We’ve waited long enough.

Ha, now I have the box.

Stretch…

Don’t even think about it, Frankie.

This is just my size.

I wonder if there is a trap door in this thing.

That’s weird that Chris just disappeared. Oh well, it’s my box now.

If anyone can shed more light on why cats love boxes, or if you just want to comment, I’d love to hear from you.

Chris’s Kitten is Back

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Chris is one of those cats that continued to play like a kitten well into adulthood. Lately, however, the kitten in him did not come out very often. That changed the other day when Rose found a mouse under the refrigerator. It was a small mouse that I had never seen before. It must have found its way under the fridge shortly after coming out of the package.

I don’t know what is different about this mouse than all his other mice but he plays with it like he is a kitten again, and after several days, he has not become bored with it. I still see him chasing that thing around several times a day. It’s nice to know my lovable “bad cat” has not fully grown up yet.

Sparring Partners

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Since the first day Chris graced our home with his presence, he has had a fighting spirit. He would attack the other cats, hoping to find someone willing to play with him but would instead just get growls and hisses.

That changed when we got Puck, who was a kitten at the time and is now about a year and a half old, still young enough to keep up with Chris. That may change when Puck matures and Chris doesn’t, but we shall see.

The other night the two of them got into a major fight, taking it from one room in the house to the next.

My box, stay away!

Oww! You’ll pay for that, Puck!

This should show you who is boss around here. (Chris will sometimes hold Puck down by the scruff to show dominance)

No, wait! That tickles.

Let’s dance.

Do you want a face full of this?

You can’t hide from me!

Who’s the boss now, Chris?

We are fortunate that our two cats, while they fight a lot, are also friends. By that I mean Puck is able to tolerate Chris’s behavior and occasionally put him in his place when necessary.