Review - zaToys
- Samantha
- Oct 23, 2015
- 4 min read
Can I start with how cute Isabella was at 9 weeks old? Here she is chewing on her zaBird. I am sure that most of you have all noticed the za range popping up in pet stores all over in the past year. If you haven’t, or if you have but haven’t purchased any of them yet, then you definitely need to keep on reading. In the USA the daBird is very popular but in South Africa we have our own locally produced version as well as a few other great toys that compliment it. These are the zaBird, zaBouncer, zaCrinkle and the zaTeaser.
The zaBird is made to resemble a small collapsible fishing rod with a bunch of feathers, at the end of some fishing line, that are skilfully created to fly and move just like a bird. The zaBird is sold as a full set including the rod and 1 set of Guinea Fowl feathers but there are different refills that you can buy separately for when your cat has had too much fun with it. The Guinea Fowl one flaps and swirls around when you move it in the air and it sounds just like a bird.
The Chicken refill is Isabella’s absolute favourite, it comes in blue, green and white. It also spins and flaps when you swirl it in the air but she prefers it off of the stick. She carries it around in her mouth, brings it to you in bed and baths it like a baby. It is light enough for her to throw up into the air on her own and she can play for hours like that. Most cats prefer it on the stick and getting their humans to play with them, the feathers also last a lot longer that way.
There is also the Glitter, Flying Fox and the Rainbow refills. I have not tried these yet but the Flying Fox is on the shopping list for the next batch of toys. I am sure Isabella will love it too as the feathers are the same and her zaBouncer. Note that these refills do not swirl, flap or move like a bird as their design is slightly different.
The zaBird is great for cats who love to hunt, jump and chase things (like most cats). It is very good for cats with lots of energy and even those cats who need some encouragement to get up and play from time to time. The zaBird is available from Takealot for R130.00 and the refills range from R39 to R75.
The zaBouncer is a stick with feathers, fluff and crinkle foil on the end. Isabella loves hers more than any of her other toys, except of course her zaBird. They are standing up in her toy basket and she often climbs in and pulls one out for you to play with, she will even carry it (stick and all) around the house till you join in the fun. It is a wonderful sturdy toy with plenty going on to keep your cat excited. When you shake it the feathers move and the crinkle foil makes a noise, when Isabella hears this she comes running. Shake it, sweep it on the floor or bounce it around and your cats will go crazy. We have one in each colour and each of them seems to move in a different way as a result of the particular feathers that are used on the individual sticks, she loves them all. You can get them on Takealot for R69.00
zaCrinkle is similar to a very common toy that we have seen our overseas friends have on Instagram. We battled to find them in South Africa for a long time until we came across these, they are crinkled foil balls that make a wonderful noise when you scrunch them. They come in a mixed pack of different colours and are quiet light. This makes them perfect for kittens and just in time for kitten season! They do not roll far due to their shape but this may also prevent them from getting sucked under the couch with all the other toys. Isabella, being the odd cat she is, wants you to play with these – maybe I should stick them to the zaBird rod haha. For more normal cats this is a great toy for them to play with on their own. Also available on Takealot, a pack of four balls is R29.
zaTeaser, a fluffy ball on the end of a stick. The stick has beads and bells on it which make a light tinkle sound. Isabella seemed to ruin hers in seconds by pulling all the fluff off and eventually pulling the stick from the handle. I do think this toy would be better for kittens as it is smaller and softer than all the other products. It is also on a shorter stick so if you have an excitable biter and scratcher like I do maybe it’s better to get some more distance between the toy and your hands. But since the stick is shorter it is much better for when you are indoors or if you live in a small apartment like I do and you can’t swing the zaBird around the room without breaking everything you own. This is available on Takealot with the rest of the products and is R65. It comes in red, purple and white.
The zaToys are great for all cat sizes, types and energy levels. They are a bit more expensive than other toys but much cheaper than the likes of Petstages or Rogz and without a doubt ALL cats love these toys. I have never seen a cat that doesn’t like the zaToys but I have seen many that don’t like the other expensive brands. All these products are a 100% win in our house and Isabella loves them all. I highly recommend them for any cat owner. We have given away two zaBouncers to friends as their cats loved them so much.
All these toys are available on Takealot and some pet stores. If you own a pet/online store and would like to stock there please email us on purrfectfamily@gmail.com
Go order yours now!
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