When www.catsapurrin.com sent me this new cat toy fling-ama-string by Moody Pet Inc. to test, my first reaction was “Uh oh another string toy.” Most cat lovers understand that string is an immediate cat/kitten magnet. Whether the kitties believe that string is part of a mouse tail or lizard tail, I do not know. What I do know from personal experience is that string can pose a danger if chewed off and swallowed. With some reservations, I hooked up the fling-ama-string cat toy as directed.

Already assembled, the entire unit was ready to go in minutes. Battery-operated (needs 3 AA batteries not included) the unit is 29 inches long and set up so you can place it on a doorknob. The initial unit hangs on the front of the door; there is a black elastic band that stretches underneath the door with a series of loops attached to the other end, so you can hook that onto the knob on the other side to keep the unit secure. Then you shut the door firmly (be sure the extra elastic loop doesn’t block the door locking mechanism). Painted to look like a festive orange kitty, there is an endless loop that is battery operated. Secured to this loop is elastic neon colored string. At the top of the unit is a small battery box painted with the whimsical face of a cat.

The fling-ama-string has two speeds, Speed 1 (slow) and Speed 2 (faster). The neon colored string is firmly attached to the endless belt. Once the unit is switched on, the string starts moving in a loop around the belt. When the end of the string hits the floor, the movement captures the cat’s attention triggers his prey responses and he pounces.

All my cats, even my most laid-back kitties became interested in either the movement of the string on the floor or the gentle whirring sound of the motor. In the smaller kittens (6-9 weeks of age) they were initially afraid of the string because it has a tendency to pop them gently on the head or paw. But once they figured out that this is all that happens, they move in quickly for the kill.

When the older cats manage to capture the string and move away with it, the string and the belt moves with them to a certain point, then like a bungee cord; the string bounces back into place. Because of the added support of the black elastic band on the other side of the door, the toy holds fast until the string begins to move again. I left the unit running while I did some housework checking in from time to time to see the fate of the string (which stayed intact) and to make sure no kitty claws were stuck on the belt. I am pleased to say that neither has occurred and the toy functioned purrfectly.

One of the features that I like best about this interactive toy is if you time it right, you can stop the unit so that the string is behind the belt and safely out of sight of preying kitties’ eyes. Fling-ama-string is manufactured by Moody Pet Inc. If you have a cat who is obese, bored or just lazy, this toy is what you need to help motivate him. The Miller Lab Cats give this toy their full endorsement, they just wish (I can see it in their eyes) that the string wasn’t so doggone elusive! Regardless of the safety features of this product, it is a supervised activity only with a high entertainment value.

Retails at $24.95 Order online through www.catsapurrin.com