Frolicat Flik Interactive Cat Toy Review
Product Name: FroliCat Flik Interactive Cat Toy
StuffCatsWant Rating: 3.5 Stars
FroliCat Flik Interactive Cat Toy Overview
I bought this toy for the specific reason that it had an automatic timer built into that I thought would be incredibly helpful for keeping my cats active when I left the house for a few minutes. Or maybe even distract them as I walk out the door since they like to check out any door that opens up. The toy has a built in 15 minute timer so you can flip it on, walk away, and then the toy will run for 15 and turn itself off. While the timer worked great, the toy itself did not turn out to be as much of a good idea as I thought it would be.
A quick rundown the Frolicat Flik first off. It has a rotating arm on the inside that has a string attached to it and as the motor spins the arm it launches the string out the side based on the centrifugal force created. Basically, there’s only a hole for 1/3rd of the outside, so the string flies out for a few seconds. Pretty straight forward. You throw a 3 AA batteries in and you’re good to go.
The toy is intended to be random, but it doesn’t seem all that random, seems to just pop every few seconds and launch the string. I’ll freely admit I have never timed it to check, but I certainly haven’t noticed long gaps then really short gaps of time as I would have expected. Even if the timing isn’t random that hasn’t taken anything away from my cats being interested in it. They absolutely love watching and attempting to pounce on the string as it bounces around.
The toy is super easy to operate in that you simply push the one button on it to flip it on and if you want to manually turn it off you push that button again. Otherwise the timer will kick in and it’ll close itself down. That being said, I don’t think this is a toy you’d really want to leave your cats alone with despite the timer.
There’s one primary reason I don’t love the toy. My personal opinion is that the string included poses a pretty significant choking hazard, and if nothing else it could leave your cat pretty sick if swallowed. The problem is this string isn’t anything special, it is just a piece of string that one of my foster cats managed to snap off with about 2 minutes of using the toy while supervised. I guess it really depends on the cat, because my resident cats Lexi and Beast did fine with it for multiple play sessions. But I don’t think I’d really want to risk it with cats when I’m not home. Young cats or cats that are known to chew on strings would be an absolute no no.
A few other things that are worth noting though. The toy is a little bit loud, especially on a wood floor. Part of this is likely because it is lightweight, there’s no insulation inside the toy to keep the noise from the motor down. Added on top of this is the fact that the toy gets easily dragged around or pulled all over the place if your cat happens to grab hold of the string. The toy is easy to move due to the lightweight and while it does have rubber feet I haven’t found them terribly effective given how easy it is to pick it up.
On the overall it is a good interactive toy if you’re home and available to keep an eye on it, but given my particular intended usage of kicking it on when I walked out the door I wouldn’t recommend it. Freely admit as well, the directions do state you should never let your cat play with this toy unless they are supervised, so they have noticed this and documented it. I just wish I had read that piece before I made the purchase.
If you’re looking for other ways to engage with your cats and tire them out then please check out my article on 12 ways to play with your feline friend!
See the Frolicat Flik Interactive Cat Toy in action!
The Pros:
- It tosses a string completely hands off and does a solid job of it, because the string comes out of a hidden area each time your cats will stay interested
- It is engaging for cats of all ages including kittens and seniors, I had foster cats age 14 play with it and my cats age 2 and 3 enjoyed it as well
- It has an automatic shut off to keep it from killing the batteries or to stop play time after 15 minutes so your cat doesn’t get too worked up
- The engine in mine has been incredibly durable and has lasted a good long time even with cats holding the string when it tries to rotate
The Cons:
- Beware the choking hazard: The string is something your cat can easily bite off and then eat if not supervised at all times
- The toy itself is super lightweight so your cat can easily pick it up and drag it around damaging it or other things with it
- It is pretty noisy, especially on a wood floor where the sound isn’t dampened at all
- The string does sometimes get caught inside the toy as well, having a fork or a metal hook is a necessity to pull it out
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How effective is the automatic timer? Do you have to set it manually?
- The timer is built right in, there’s no way to turn it off. The timer lets the toy run for 15 minutes and then it automatically shuts off. If you want it to run longer you’ll have to flip it on again manually by pressing the on button.
- Can you replace the string if your cats chew it off or it snaps?
- You might be able to open the toy up and completely replace it, but it doesn’t look like it was designed to allow for this.
- That being said, there’s plenty of space to tie a tight knot right onto the left over bit to make the string as long as it once was. Obviously you’ll want to use a high quality lightweight string again.
- What kind of batteries does it take and are they included?
- The batteries aren’t included and it takes 3 AA batteries.
- Can you use this toy on carpet?
- Absolutely. You can use this toy on any surface including carpet, hardwood and tile or any variation in between.
- Can you use rechargeable batteries with it?
- Yes, rechargeable batteries will work with this toy without any problem.
Wrapping it Up on the Frolicat Flik Interactive Cat Toy
If you’re looking for a good toy that you can used in a supervised fashion then this is a good option. It will keep your cats entertained for periods of time. My specific goal with it was to keep my cats entertained when I’m not around, which looking back probably wasn’t the wisest decision to begin with given the potential hazards.
I know in general there are not a ton of toys that meet this type of requirement, but this one having an automated timer really led me to believe it would be a good fit. The simple fact is it is too dangerous to leave cats unsupervised with toys they can swallow and choke on. Also the damage to the toy itself just becomes a hassle.
I definitely would not say this is a bad toy, it certainly isn’t. I recommend it to people that want an interactive cat toy available during supervised play sessions as opposed to unsupervised play sessions.
Do you use any automated interactive toys that you particularly like? Have you tried out this one and actually found it to be a better experience than the one I’ve had with it? Please tell us about your experiences so everyone can find the best cat toys! Please leave a comment below or email me directly at Craig@StuffCatsWant.com if you have any thoughts to add to this article.
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