Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Modern Cat Studio: Designer Pet Toys To Delight, Review and Giveaway~ 9/24




First, I must apologize for taking several days off from Time Out For Truffles. It turns out that the condo we recently moved into had termites somewhere in the adjacent building, and HOA had us vacate for a 3 day tenting ordeal that the 'kids' found fun, but Momma did not. All I can say is that I'm grateful for some amazing pet companies, and their ingenious creations, which helped us transition to and from our temporary home, and keep the kids occupied and out of trouble. Traveling with cats can always be dubious, let alone 2 cats and a hyperactive pup. I've also been surviving the 20+ posts that I had deadlined for my human blog, Momma Told Me, and Blog POP! Fall Ball. In any case I have acquired some new tales to share through the next month, and am glad to be back sharing my wonderful furbabies with you all.


Whether you're a regular reader, or just joining us, you can likely relate to my constant battle between Pet V. Human home. I love my pets, they are my kids at this time in my life, but sharing a 2 bedroom condo with another human and 12 paws can get a little dubious. There's a fine line between eco-chic and just plain trash. While Truffles would prefer to have her way playing with all the bubble wrap and packing materials that parade through every day- I'm less than thrilled to have a home filled with wayward scraps (doubling as cat toys). I spent a lot of money (more than I should admit) on pet loungers and toys, to keep them engaged and out of trouble during the day. Unfortunately, I've come to notice that a hefty price tag, or cutesy design, does not mean an item will be a hit. For a while I stocked up on 'Lobster' themed toys for Truffles, simply because I have a thing for cartoon lobsters; I quickly learned Truffles did not. It's a tough crowd here.


I've learned that often the most simplistic cat toys are the biggest hits. Bright colors or patterns, and varied textures help keep cats engaged. And, while it's an awful game, if you take a new toy and pretend it is 'forbidden' to play with, it's a sure success. My felines are crafty, inquisitive, and a touch random. Where as Truffles is the carefree 'kitty', Frankie will often erupt in a riot of swatting and attacking, up and down the hallway. I'll be sitting on the couch one minute than *smack* a cat will go sliding around the (wood) floor into a wall, furiously pawing for the toy it had been chasing. Unfortunately, a lot of their favorite toys are rattle or crinkle based and wear out much too fast. And I feel a bit silly seeing mylar balls strewn about the house like it's January 1st (post New Years Eve bash). Of course, as a pet lover, and blogger myself, I'm constantly seeking wonderful pet blogs to help me grow as an owner. When I came across Kate Bejamin's moderncat.net, I was awestruck.


I instantly recognized some of our own favorite brands, such as Sleepypod and Bergan; it was clear Kate had the same thirst for stylish, yet functional, cat gear (just as the name would indicate). But there were some designs I had never seen before, whimsical toys made from a riot of color an prints. I was immediately drawn to them; simplistic concepts made from friendly scraps of plastic, with intriguing shapes and sounds. These feline products were championed by a collective of designers out of Arizona, with the mission to bring modern elegance to traditional cat toys. We received a sample box of fun designs an concepts from the Modern Cat Studio (Etsy) shop. These trinkets were packaged beautifully alongside a tempting vial of organic catnip with the Modern Cat Studio logo.


I'll admit, I was most attracted to the Merino Wool Felt Cat Stacks with their vibrant primary colors and puzzle piece shaped layers. This particular toy has a distinct retro vibe, each layer bound with a black bungee center, and designed to bounce unpredictable with all it's varied edges. Truffles found this piece most interesting as a pillow, or scratcher- I cannot explain her behavior other than intense happiness for the material. She still walks up to it and rolls on the floor, nudging it with her nose and rubbing her face on the ridges. The simplistic Felt Rollers had a more immediate impact, thanks to their lightweight composition. With one swat these sailed across the floor, the felt even clinging gently to kitty's paws. This seemed to have the 'alive' affect Truffles and Frankie like so much. The only downside; they end up under everything!


For the cat who loves to kick (especially good for the hyper youngsters) Modern Cat Studio offers varied sizes of ModKicker Catnip toys. These oblong toys come in a variety of bold prints and fabrics, stuffed with organic catnip and polyfill. When Truffles is on 'the nip' (as we call it in our household) she'll often bunnykick with her back feet. She can get quite into it, and even predatory, making kickers great to relieve that natural aggression and instinct. Similar to the small ModKicker is the ModShaker, also filled with catnip, but including an enticing rattle. As you know, Truffles is a Beanie Baby fiend (she loves the sound), and this ModShaker was perfect for playing fetch. While some pet parents prefer toys that are silent, I rather like the gentle rattle sound of my cats playing; and Truffles does too.


There are so many more wonderful pet toys and accessories to discover inside the Modern Cat studio Etsy shop, including elegant wall mount (green) scratchers and chic beds. The pricing is considerably reasonable for handmade, and the quality is above and beyond most of out manufactured pet toys. Non of our Modern Cat Studio toys have bit the big one yet; save the few Rollers that have gone missing. I now religiously log into the Modern Cat Blog and Etsy store to catch what's new for feline style trends! Best of all, many of the Modern Cat Studio designs benefit monthly cat causes, where 5% of SALES (not profits) go directly to help out cats in need! P.S. Check out the brand new Taffy Cat Rolls made from recycled materials!

I have an assortment of Modern Cat Studio cat toys to give to one lucky reader!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

22 comments:

  1. Trio Red Scratcher Post.

    racheal.c.smith@gmail.com

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  2. I like the Trio Red Scratch Tower, I know how cats like to scratch on the walls! Seems like you had really busy days! Hope your termite problem is solved for good.

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  3. Love the Trio Red Scratch Tower - Modern Cardboard Cat Scratching Tower.
    hisprincess886 at yahoo dot com

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  4. I think my boys would like the Large ModKicker Catnip Cat Toy (Blue Stripes)

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  5. I like the Beautiful Basics Bucket Luxury Cat Bed by Barb Joyce (Mod Espresso Dots)

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  6. I want to try the Large ModKicker with my cats.

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  7. I like the Beautiful Basics Bucket Luxury Cat Bed by Barb Joyce (Black and White Print with Ruby Red Faux Fur).

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  8. My cats are rowdies. The large Modkicker would be perfect!

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  9. Purrocco One-of-a-kind Moroccan-inspired Cat Bed, Upcycled Denim and Wool Sweaters - Mocha Stripe (Raine on the RC buzzyngabe(at)yahoo.com)

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  10. I really like the DoorShaker Door-hanging Catnip Rattle Toy for Cats
    2dogs5catscrew@att.net

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  11. I love the DoorShaker Door-hanging Catnip Rattle Toy for Cats in Chestnut Stripes! This fabric would actually match my living room - how fun! We have several modern cat toys, but no door hanging ones. Hmm, thinking present for the kitties?

    *Nicole

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  12. I like the Regular Cuna - Crocheted Cotton Cat Bed

    felecia@twinoaksfl.org

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  13. Our favorite is the:
    Beautiful Basics Bucket Luxury Cat Bed by Barb Joyce (Mod Espresso Dots)

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  14. I like the DoorShaker catnip toy.

    rebecca.nvcl (at) gmail.com

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  15. SHERRIE C. ON RAFFLECOPTER

    I love the Beautiful Basics Bucket Luxury Cat Bed by Barb Joyce (Mod Espresso Dots)

    callawishes(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  16. I like the Beautiful Basics Bucket Luxury Cat Bed

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  17. Large Modkickers all the way! I love Moderncat!

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