GoCatDa Bird Feather Super Refill

I have actually purchased Da Bird and its various refills several times now. My 7 month old cat LOVES THIS TOY! He begs for it several times a day daily, and doesn't end a play session until he is literally panting. I've come to understand his enthusiasm quite well because as long as I am willing to "become the bird", Da Bird looks and sounds like a real bird. On my end, the 3 foot pole makes it very comfortable to use, and it's certainly entertaining to see my guy go absolutely wild over this toy. Heck, I have actually started to take pride in my ability to imitate a bird's flight patterns, near escapes, and dive bombs! The more realistic Da Bird behaves, the more "wild" my cat becomes. (A note...I once replaced Da Bird's feathers with the feathers from a different, much cheaper toy. I even attached the feathers to the original Da Bird pole. My guy jumped and pawed a few times, making me certain I had just created enacted an ingenious plan, at least until he walked away in disgust a few moments later.)Now, although Da Bird has captivated my baby's attention, and provided ample opportunities for aerobic exercise, it is unfortunately very poorly made. I have to make absolutely certain that it's never left within his reach because it's so easy to destroy. I also have to pay close attention to how I let him catch the bird during playtimes. If he has it just a moment too long, I'll end up back online searching for a replacement. In fact, when I purchased the two part pole, even the pole broke! Oh, and believe it or not, the thing broke AFTER I had already used duct tape to keep its two parts together. It was incredibly frustrating. I wonder if this quality issue is intentional. It seems to me that the manufacturer has created an attractive toy that is guaranteed to break quickly. At least in my house, their strategy is actually very effective; I spend more money on cat toys than I ever thought possible. I just can't tell my sweet little guy that his favorite toy is gone forever.

This is a great refill option at this price; it's worth 25-33% more than a standard refill in my mind. The "SUPER" version definitely lasts longer; it sort of becomes a regular refill when it loses its first feather. Like the regular refill, at speed it can spin and make a nice fluttering noise, which my cat loves. But my cat is almost as excited when it's barely hanging onto its last two feathers.One drawback, which I can't say was even caused by this product or Da Bird at all: I now have a bird murder kitty. He's not very bright, so most are gone before he gets within 10 feet...but if he gets airborne (he has about 6 vertical feet in him and perfect form) near enough to touch one, he murders it after some Bond-villain-level toying and proceeds to flaunt his hunting prowess on our back porch. This makes my wife sad and grossed out, and thus it makes my day worse. On the other hand, it's great exercise even when Da Bird is put away. Oh, by the way, we need to keep it put away between bird murder practices, or my cat drags it off to one of his lairs to chew on at his leisure. This noticeably decreases the longevity of the refills.

Update 11APR2018: after playing with both of the top selling cat feather toys, I can say without a doubt that MY CAT likes original 'Da Cat' feather toys over the competition, and in large part, it comes down to the design. Other toys have larger feathers, fewer of them and a larger 'nut' or rubber connector where the feathers are attached to the string, Da Cat has a smaller 'nut' and it appears to be softer, good for the cat's teeth and claws. For MY cat feathers are all about quality and quantity, smaller fluffier feathers get his attention over larger stiffer feathers. To that person out there who posted an x-ray of there cat with the 'nut' in its stomach, there is NO WAY, NONE that your cat was able to ingest a rubber and feather connector, attached by a chain to a strong string while under supervision. NONE. You ignored the warning on the package 'DO NOT LET CAT PLAY WITH UNATTENDED" Shame on you for ignoring basic safety and then trying to defame a company that makes a great product. Both of the leading cat feather toys are a treat for my cat, but given a choice. nearly everyday he chooses this product. I am on my 5th one in a couple of months, we play daily. Great toy, well designed, well constructed and innovative.

This is the best toy I've found for cats - across the board. We have 19 formerly abandoned or feral cats who live in our home. There are many toys that appeal to a small portion of the feline population. Several really like to chase the laser lite. A few really like the sparkly strips on a stick toy...some like toys stuffed with catnip...but almost ALL of our cats loved this toy. Even the cats who were stand-offish and wouldn't play with other toys quickly entered the game with this toy. The Da Bird is unique in that the way it is constructed with two long, harder feathers facing each other and smaller fuzzier ones on the outside. The construction makes it so that when you swing the toy through the air it moves and flutters just like a real bird. Cats love it!The only problem was that the toys don't hold up that well... Our cats play aggressively and some of the Da Birds only lasted a day or two before the feathers were separated from the little cap that holds them. We soon started re-gluing the feather units in place (using Elmer's school glue). This got us a little longer wear time with the toys.I definitely recommend this toy to those looking for something fun for their kitty or kitties.

My kitty cat absolutely loves playing with this toy! It is very well made and worth the extra money as the feathers are real so my cat thinks he is catching an actual bird! He begs me to play with him every single night with this toy. Better than playing with those red laser pointers that only get him worked up because he never actually catches anything. This toy gives him a reward when he finally 'catches' the feathers. This product was recommended to me by a cat behaviorist and I highly recommend it also!