Easy on the Feathers!

Health and safety, cat toys, and you

It's the Christmas season, and you’re feeling festive. Your house is decorated, your snowman sweaters are in rotation, and the house always smells like gingerbread and peppermint. But, something’s missing- your cats can’t show their Christmas spirit because they don’t have any little Santas to play with or sweaters to wear! So, you hop on Amazon to find some fun seasonal cat toys. Something not too expensive, but with enough variety to keep Fluffy interested for the amount of time it takes to get a cute picture or two. A cat Christmas stocking immediately catches your eye with its low price, bright colors, and interesting variety of toys.

But before you click “add to cart”, STOP!!!! These toys may look fun for your baby, but they pose many hidden safety risks that cat owners are often unaware of. Feathers in particular are very problematic, especially for cats who love to chew- they can easily break off of the toy and be ingested, potentially leading to a blockage. The artificial dyes used in the making of craft feathers can also be toxic, making your baby sick! If your cat really seems to love playing with feathers, a safe way to let them get their fix is supervised playtime. At PurrPurr Fashion, we’re always big proponents of this practice anyway! More time spent bonding with your kitty is always time well spent. If you’ve purchased your cat any potentially problematic toys, it’s a good idea to play with them together and put the toy away somewhere the cat can’t access it when playtime is over.   

Tinsel balls, a component of this stocking, are another popular style of cat toy. However, the tinsel strings are easy for your cat to pull out and ingest, also potentially causing a blockage(side note, don’t decorate with tinsel if you have curious kitties! They love the texture, so chew it and ingest)! There are both craft tinsel pom poms and ones that say they’re for cats, but we don’t recommend either. Manufacturing standards for pet toys are often very low, and consequences for companies who endanger pets with their shoddy products are also often low. To stay on the safe side, a good alternative is plastic springs:

These offer a similar batting experience and roll well just like the tinsel balls, while having no attached or dangling parts that can be chewed off and accidentally ingested. They’re inexpensive, and come in multipacks. Go crazy!

Toys with ribbons or string attached are less immediately dangerous than feathers or tinsel, but still pose a threat for power chewers. Again, this type of toy is best for supervised playtime.

Conclusion

Of course nobody wants to hurt their babies on purpose, but there are a lot of innocent-seeming hazards out there. It’s important to stay vigilant and do your research, even during the holidays!