Question for those of you with the Turbo-Scratchers

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Magic Mood Jeep? - 12 Feb 2005 00:22 GMT

We got one for our 8, and they love it. Any time of day or night, all of a
sudden, you can hear that ball spinning in it's track. This usually happens
when a cat, just meandering by, decided to give the ball a swat. Then the
game of catching it ensues. This has been going on since we bought the
thing in December.

Until recently.

One (or more) of the furkids has learned how to get the ball out of it's
track. I've caught Moe in the living room with the ball (she actually
brought it in there to play with it, while I was watching TV), and later in
the same day, Mimi had it in the kitchen (I head a funny noise and went to
investigate). Each time I've replaced it in it's track. (I've not seen
which cat has actually removed this ball from it's track, so I don't know
which one of these furrballs is the clever ones - the one that will someday
learn how to run the can opener, faucet and learn how to order more cat food
over the internet, thereby eliminate the need for us hoomins.)

Now it's gone again and I have no idea where it is.

I'll probably find it on one of my 3am trips to the bathroom. You'll be
able to tell by the loud thud when my body hits the floor, followed by some
extremely unlady-like language.

Anyone else have these things happen?

--?
The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy former-blonde
in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)?
email me at nalee1964 (at) insightbb (dot) com
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

Reply to this Message

Ted Davis - 12 Feb 2005 01:17 GMT

On Sat, 12 Feb 2005 00:22:25 GMT, "Magic Mood Jeep©"
<nobody@nowhere.net> wrote:

>Anyone else have these things happen?

Of course - those non-removable balls aren't. However I found a
replacement that they actually can't get out - and it's even better.
It has a clear shell with heart shaped perforations; an inner ball
covered with red, blue, and green ... looks like plastic; and an
innermost rattle. I got it off the cat toy rack at Walmart. It's
slightly larger than the original.

Another thing: change the cardboard insert *before* the cats shred it
- or else make sure you have a rake suitable for use indoors to rake
up the pieces before vacuuming the carpet.

I found a series of pictures that show it - this one shows it best:
<http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/tdavis/cats/fluffy_turbo.jpg>. In that
picture, Fluffy is stoned out of her mind, and looks it: the leafy
debris on the carpet - and her - is premium catnip.

Signature

T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu)

Reply to this Message

Jo Firey - 12 Feb 2005 03:01 GMT

>>Anyone else have these things happen?
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> - or else make sure you have a rake suitable for use indoors to rake
> up the pieces before vacuuming the carpet.

You can get extra duty out of the cardboard by turning it over. In addition
to cardboard, ours is usually full of dried catnip.

The replacement liners come in twos. But I can never find where I put the
second one. Somewhere in this house there are four or five second
replacement liners.

Jo

Reply to this Message

Ted Davis - 12 Feb 2005 17:41 GMT

>You can get extra duty out of the cardboard by turning it over. In addition
>to cardboard, ours is usually full of dried catnip.

I was thinking the same thing last night when I changed the insert -
but the damage went more than half way through, so I went ahead and
replaced it.

>The replacement liners come in twos. But I can never find where I put the
>second one. Somewhere in this house there are four or five second
>replacement liners.

So do I - I keep finding them when looking for something else, but
never when the insert needs changing.

Signature

T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu)

Reply to this Message

OU812? - 12 Feb 2005 19:04 GMT

> The replacement liners come in twos. But I can never find where I put the
> second one. Somewhere in this house there are four or five second
> replacement liners.
>
> Jo

Unless of course the kitties have found them and shredded the evidence ;)

Kristy

Reply to this Message

Karen Chuplis - 12 Feb 2005 01:33 GMT

> We got one for our 8, and they love it. Any time of day or night, all of a
> sudden, you can hear that ball spinning in it's track. This usually happens
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> Anyone else have these things happen?

Mine were not interested in it, but I think my mom's got hers out. But they
promptly then lost interest in it! Those balls are heavy. How did they CARRY
it?

Reply to this Message

O J - 12 Feb 2005 01:34 GMT

Magic Mood Jeep© wrote:

>One (or more) of the furkids has learned how to get the ball out of it's
>track.

>Now it's gone again and I have no idea where it is.
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
>Anyone else have these things happen?

Fortunately, they haven't figured that one out yet. Most of mine love
it and Roxy uses it as her main scratching post. Speaking of Roxy (the
little kitten who didn't know how to play), when she first discovered
it, she would swat the ball and then chase it, trying to beat the ball
to the other side so she could swat it again.

Finally, she got the idea and now she just sits in one spot and swats
the ball as it comes around. She has just as good a time, but it's
not nearly as funny.

Regards and Purrs,
O J

Reply to this Message

MaryL - 12 Feb 2005 02:19 GMT

> We got one for our 8, and they love it. Any time of day or night, all of
> a sudden, you can hear that ball spinning in it's track. This usually
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> email me at nalee1964 (at) insightbb (dot) com
> http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

I have one, and Duffy absolutely loves it. Holly doesn't pay much attention
to it, but it is fantastic for Duffy. He is blind and plays remarkably well
with other toys, but this one is *perfect* for him because the ball is in a
fixed track. Therefore, he always knows where to find it, and he absolutely
delights in it. He will jump back and forth over the circle and bat at the
ball as he goes, stand either outside or on the inner cardboard core and bat
the ball back-and-forth (he's ambidextrous!), and he will even "claim" it
for himself by meatloafing on the cardboard core. Sometimes, I find him
asleep there.

MaryL

Reply to this Message

Kreisleriana - 12 Feb 2005 04:28 GMT

>> We got one for our 8, and they love it. Any time of day or night, all of
>> a sudden, you can hear that ball spinning in it's track. This usually
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
>for himself by meatloafing on the cardboard core. Sometimes, I find him
>asleep there.

Oh how adorable!!! <melt>

Theresa
Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh
My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com

Reply to this Message

Magic Mood Jeep? - 12 Feb 2005 19:56 GMT

Well, we found the ball last night (it was under a sewing/whatnot bag, just
barely out of sight. Musta went there and then they lost interest in it).
We replaced it, gave it a whack to spin it around in it's track, and Mimi &
Moe came a-runnin' at the sound of it.

We watched Moe try to get it out of the track. She holds it in place with
her mouth (there were a LOT of teeth-marks on it when we found it), and
wedges both front paws underneath on either side of it, and then pulles,
while still holding it in her mouth. It took about 3 tries before it popped
out of the track (with Mimi batted it around the track a couple of times),
and she started batting it around the room.

We put it back in it's track and Moe did it again! The ball is (still)
missing now (again).

We're going to have to keep an eye on Moe, and keep her away from can
openers.... among other things. I may have to start sleeping with one eye
open...;)

> We got one for our 8, and they love it. Any time of day or night,
> all of a sudden, you can hear that ball spinning in it's track. This
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
> email me at nalee1964 (at) insightbb (dot) com
> http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

--?
The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy
former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)? email me at
nalee1964 (at) insightbb (dot) com
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

Reply to this Message

Jo Firey - 12 Feb 2005 23:15 GMT

Just got home from PetSmart and checked out their TurboScratchers

The one we have, I bought at Wal-Mart and the ball is very light. That
makes it move easily and hard for a cat to hold it in one place to try to
take it out. The ball in the ones at PetSmart were a lot smaller and a lot
heavier.

What Is a problem here is convincing the kids not to take the ball out to
play with the cats cause they of course don't put it back. My nice new
laser pen disappeared that way.

Jo

Reply to this Message