"Pet Tails": the cheese wedge and the mouse

I am a sucker for new cat toys. When I am in a store going through the pet aisle and I see a new cat toy or accessory or something I have to stop and look. Catnip toys, bouncy jingle balls, cat beds, put-together-jungle-gym things, and more. I have to stop and look.

(Lord help me when I go to PetCo and PetQuaters down in Bangor...)

So the other day I was doing my grocery shopping in at Walmart (which I do because its either there or Stop-n-Crap... I mean, Graves Shop-n-Save...) and I had to get some cat litter. So I wandered down the pet cat section and was just looking around when I had to stop. That's when I saw this:

What in the world? Huh? Is this a.....? Hmmmmmmm.....

Its a remote controlled mouse. The remote control itself is shaped like a cheese wedge. As though the mouse might have taken a bite of it too. How cute and interesting. .... But would my cats go for it? I thought I'd give it a shot and I bought it!

If someone knows me then they know what I think of my cats. And when it comes to their new toys I may tend to get more excited over it than they do. So here I was surely setting myself up. The product itself is quite interesting. The only batteries you need go in the remote control. The mouse itself runs after being charged up on the remote control. (The remote acts as its charger.) The controls on the remote are shaped like little crackers. Why crackers are on a cheese wedge, I have no idea. Anyway......

Probably wasn't going to be the best of toys as the mouse is quite small and to run good it needs to be free of debris. Like cat hair. Huh. Cat hair, eh? Nooooooo cat hair here. And most of my apartment is carpeted except for a small spot by the kitchen counter and then the bathroom is lineolum or something. So the wheels didn't have much traction when I tried to use it. And the range on the remote sensor isn't very far, so I had to stay near to it.

Here's where my cats tend to differ along the gender lines. My guys (Porkey, Whiskers, Sylvester) are the ones who are more into the toys and play things. Its as though the girls (Tabby, Athena) are more laid-back and don't want to bother themselves. So as I operated the remote mousy it was the guys who only showed any interest. Porkey laid on the floor and watched it. Sylvester sat by and analyzed it. Whiskers on the other hand.... he had to go inspect it. Though I suppose this is the point of the toy itself. He'd go and stand over the toy and bat at it with one of his paws and then he'd fall on it. Not really fall "on" it, but he'd flop down beside it and start attacking it with his paws. I tried to operate the remote but it wouldn't do any good when he's got it upside down in his paws as he tries to eat it.

So all in all the new toy is an interesting investment. Operate of the thing is unique, the design is interesting.

And one out of 5 cats recommend it!