As I was shopping through knick-knacks and junky antiques at the swap meet one weekend, I came across an old man selling a large stack of boxes of Weazel Balls, with one in full motion in a large box next to him. I personally haven’t seen a Weazel Ball since I was a kid and my dad brought one home as a joke, and I was delighted that this old man was selling them. For those of you who don’t know what a Weazel Ball is, it’s basically a fake, hairy ferret/weasel attached to a mechanical plastic ball. The ball has a little motor that makes both weasel and ball move in erratic movements, which in doing so, causes it to look as if the weasel is playing with the ball. The movements cause the weasel to flip around or simply chase the ball. It is also moves lively enough that it appears to be a real animal. Though it is not specifically designed as a cat toy, I immediately picked one up for my cat at home.
Weazel Ball is the kind of toy I’ve been searching for in pet stores for ages now. My cat is still very much a playful kitten that solely depends on me to play with him, and, quite honestly, sometimes I have other things I need to, or would rather, be doing. This is why Weazel Ball is so great. Typically when I’m doing the dishes, trying to exercise, or just need some alone time, those seem to be the times when my cat wants to play. But, when I turn on Weazel Ball, he gets his play time in while I’m doing something else. It will distract him long enough for me to get my errands done, and allow me to write articles like this, without him nipping at me for attention. However, don’t forget that personally playing with your pet is a good bonding experience, so don’t let Weazel Ball completely take over (even though it’s very tempting). One on one playtime will also keep your cat from getting bored with Weazel Ball too quickly.
The first time I turned on Weazel Ball, my cat was immediately intrigued, probably due to the fact that when it’s moving it really does resemble a live animal. After observing it for quite sometime, my cat then tried to take the ball from the weasel, and then tried to “kill” it. Then he began walking around with the weasel dangling from his mouth. Now, he just plays with it whether it’s on or off, and it’s really cute and entertaining to watch.
The great things about Weazel Ball are that it runs on one AA battery, doesn’t make too much noise, and will entertain your cat for hours. Also, I bought mine for only $6, which is amazing considering that pet stores sell products like this for $20 or more that aren’t nearly as enjoyable. However, one problem is that not all cats are the same, and some Weazel Ball websites do suggest that it will scare your cats rather than entertain them. So if you have a squeamish cat, Weazel Ball may not be for you (though it may be funny to give it a scare). Another potential problem I noticed is that my cat does like to chew on the fur of the weasel, and I get nervous he may swallow some of it, though as of yet it hasn’t posed a problem. Also, Weazel Ball works best on smooth surfaces, and isn’t as entertaining on carpet, though it does still move a bit. I’ll put mine in the kitchen, but when I’m not paying attention it will roll onto the carpet, and the cat will just stare at it as it barely moves along. It can also get stuck in corners, and continually beat against the wall, which can be rather annoying, but if you’re close by you can easily prevent this from happening. Other than that, Weazel Ball has been great, and it’s extremely fun to watch your pet’s reactions to its flips and crazy movements.
I bought my Weazel Ball at a swap meet in San Diego, but you can get your own at WeaselBalls.com, the Cracker Barrel website, as well as many other shopping websites. You’re not likely to find this toy in pet stores, as I mentioned before it’s not specifically designed for animals, however you may find it in toy stores such as Toys R Us and KB Toys, and even at the Cracker Barrel.
