FroliCat toys are made by Brilliant Pets, the people who make the Scoop Free cat litter box, so they know cats. I was sent their three offerings to review- the Dart free-standing laser toy; the Bolt hand-held or standing laser toy; and the Sway, a magnetically mounted cat toy. By the way, dogs may be interested in the RouseDog versions of the laser toys as well! 

I enjoy cats and have a middle aged one who, technically, adopted us but that is a different story. He’s a very affectionate cat that prefers to be outside and I was hoping to find some things for him to do while indoors in the long Nebraska winter. I leapt at the chance to try some new toys out with him. 

The Dart ($34.99 MSRP, 3-AA batteries) is a free-standing unit that rotates and shines a laser light. You can set the speeds and duration of the session, and the thing takes off! It moves back and forth, and to a lesser extent, up and down. It darts, it whirls, it vibrates rapidly, and it even freezes in place for a moment until the preset timer runs down. 

FroliCat Dart. Red beam not normally visible in the air.

In use, I found that the slow speed was still kind of quick, and the whole machine is rather loud and top-heavy. You can stand it up on a stool to get a bigger circle, but in my house, it was often hitting walls and furniture, and just completes the circle too fast- you’d have to hustle to keep up.  The unit would also tend to wobble or move whenever the cat got too close. The noisiness is not a deal-breaker, but the whole unit seems to amplify the noises of the motor, gears, and plastic. 

My middle-aged cat sometimes really got into trying to follow the light, but would often just sit and stare, seemingly befuddled by how it climbed walls so effortlessly. He rarely paid attention if I boosted the speeds. 

I think the device could be improved by a little sound-deadening on the motor, but more by a sensor/timer that would sometimes turn it on when it sensed a cat-sized thing nearby.  I think I would also add a weight to the bottom half. 

I let my daughter try it with her cat, and her experiences are much the same as mine: 

“The rotations of the toy and the mechanics of it make this a very noisy device. Even on the lowest speed it has, it still seems too fast for [my] cat to really enjoy it… It is a good idea and has all the settings to become a very good toy but unless it is more adaptable in its programming or timed better, I don’t think it is ideal for anything but kittens… 

“It is a good toy if you are not going to be around or you need to keep the cat occupied for 20 or so minutes but it is not something that I could keep on when I was in the room.” 

My daughter's cat and the Dart

 The Bolt ($19.95 MSRP, 4-AA batteries) is a hand-held unit that dances the laser along an adjustable mirror.  The motor is quieter, and it does not use as large of a play zone as the Dart, which may be good or bad. The unit is comfortable to hold or sits nicely by itself. There is a 15 minute auto-shut off so you can set it down and leave it. 

FrotliCat Bolt. Beam not normally visible

 While the Dart is interactive in that the cat plays with it, the Bolt is even more interactive when you hold it and play with your cat! Of course, in that mode, a simple laser pointer would work also but the Bolt offers more play options. 

My cat seemed to prefer the Bolt probably because I could control the speed and play area better in response to what he was doing.  Again, I wish it could come on during the day when I was gone to help keep my cat entertained. 

The Sway ($12.99 MSRP, no batteries) is something your cat can play with when you are not around. You simply use the strong magnets to attach the ‘cat toy on a string’ to a handy table or something and instantly you have a toy our cat can access anytime. 

The toy part has it all- knit cover, a bell and even feathers! The magnet is housed in pair of hemispheres and is strong enough to work through about 3/4″ of material- understanding that the thickness and type of material has a major effect on the strength of the hold. 

My cat has so far mostly ignored it, but a daughter’s cat likes it more. You have to be a bit careful; the weight of the cat playing with it can pull the magnets apart or make them slide across the table. It is also tricker than you might think to find a good surface to mount it to. Something thin but strong at a good height that does not have anything that can get scratched or damaged if the mount slides or moves when the cat plays with the toy. 

My daughter adds “The bell and feather may be a little too low key to keep a cat’s attention for long but it is a good device that does not take up much space and is well made. It could also do with a bit more bounce. It swings well but it is long enough that it is kind of low to the ground so the cat can’t bounce it.” 

Daughter's cat and the Sway

 One reviewer suggested hanging it in a box, but you don’t need a heavy magnet to do that.  While the idea sounds great, I am less and less sold on the magnetic mount. I find myself thinking I would prefer a re-useable hook (like the Command series) and maybe a bit of Velcro to attach a toy under a table or chair that will come off painlessly if the cat puts too much weight on it.

Filed in categories: Pet Gadgets, Reviews

Tagged: cat toy, Laser, Magnet

FroliCat Toys Reviews originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 17, 2010 at 12:00 pm.

Construction sets comprised of tiny magnetic spheres are not exactly new, but Nanodots are little more flashy than the NeoCube and CyberCube kits I’ve reviewed in the past. They are available in kits of 236 spheres in your choice of Silver, Black and even Gold. Prices start at $29.99 and go up to $39.99 for the Gold version. All kits come with a carrying pouch and building instructions.

Filed in categories: Geek Toys, News

Tagged: Magnet, Spotlight Gadgets

Nanodots – Magnetic Fun in Gold, Black and Silver originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 8, 2010 at 8:00 am.

Check out these cute handmade iPhone app magnets from bear duck designs. You can get all 20 standard iPhone icons in one mega-pack or choose 4 of your faves! Stick them on your fridge, filing cabinet, or anything metal. They are 1/2″ (13mm) square and 1/8″ (3mm) tall and have a strong neodymium magnet on one side capable of holding card stock securely in place. They come in a metal tin, useful for storage and would make a fun gift for your favorite Apple fanboy.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iPhone, Magnet, Spotlight Gadgets

iPhone apps are everywhere, even on your fridge originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 10, 2009 at 5:55 pm.

Check out these super strong magnets with sturdy plastic loops for everything from hanging clothing to decorations. Kinda funky. They are sold in sets of 4 for less than $10.

Filed in categories: Home Tech

Tagged: Magnet, Spotlight Gadgets

Get loopy with these magnets originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 26, 2009 at 12:00 pm.

Do you use your refrigerator as the family bulletin board? If so, do you use tape or magnets to hold your lists and pictures? Tape can leave a sticky residue and some magnets can scratch and mark up the surface of your refrigerator. The Endo Clip is a magnet, but it won’t hurt the surface it’s affixed to. Check it out. 

The Endo Clip is a 2.25 x 1.0 inch neodymium magnet wrapped in a soft silicone covering that is available in Black, White, Yellow, Red, Pink and Green.

The front surface is flat, with a circular ‘button’ at the top.

The bottom is magnetized with two flat bumps and a beveled surface at the top.

To use the Endo Clip, you just slap it on a metal surface like a refrigerator or file cabinet.

You then press the ‘button’ to open the clip. Since the whole back surface of the clip is the magnet, it fall to the floor if you happen to remove your finger at this point.

Just slide a photo or paper under the bottom of the clip, remove your finger and there you go. A very clever, yet simple design.

The Endo Clip can hold up to 20 sheets of paper or an object that weighs up to 1 pound. I’m not quite sure why you would want to hang a 1 lb object from your fridge, but hey, now you can They are also dishwasher safe, which is nice. My only complaint with this product is the price. $9.99 – $11.99 for a package of 3 seems a little steep in my opinion. But if the price doesn’t bother you and you’ve been looking for a more elegant way to display your child’s latest drawing or your grocery list on your refrigerator, the Endo Clip will do the job.

Price: $11.99 for 3pk (some colors are available for $9.99), $74.99 for 25pk

Pros:
Won’t scratch surfaces
Easy to use
Strong
Washable

Cons:
Expensive

Filed in categories: Home Tech

Tagged: Kitchen, Magnet

The Endo Magnet Clip Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 23, 2008 at 1:18 pm.