This UFO is the only gadget that our cats really love
13.10.2023
Translation: Elicia Payne
One of my cats is playful, the other prefers to watch. Yet the HomeRunPet CT10 gadget has sparked a hunting instinct in both of them. This may be due to the random setting at times.
Nero enjoys paintbrushes. The cat loves to chase them. Pinot, on the other hand, tends to observe. When he’s active, he prefers to jump into cardboard boxes and bite holes in them. Luckily, when I order the paintbrushes from Galaxus, the boxes are free.
Cat toys for the owner rather than the cat
Many cat toys please the owner more than our feline friends. For example, I have a remote-controlled mouse and a wiggly fish, neither of which really interest Pinot and Nero.
I bought the HomeRunPet CT10 in the spring with the idea of writing a review about it. That way I was able to justify spending just over 40 francs on it, even if my cats ignored it. It’s the most expensive pet toy I’ve ever bought.
This is how the UFO and its feather arm works
The gadget looks like a small UFO with a diameter of about 16 centimetres. The whole surface glows. The LEDs are more for us humans – the cats aren’t interested in them.
The six holes on the side are more exciting for them. A small arm with a feather comes out of one of the six holes at random. You can turn the gadget on and off via the button on the top. If you press and hold it, you can switch between the three speeds.
This varies the speed between the arm popping out and the duration. Everything happens randomly. Sometimes the «prey» shoots out of the hole quickly and disappears right away, sometimes it stays for a few seconds.
If you don’t actively turn the gadget off, it will automatically stop after eight to ten minutes. It then turns on again every one to two hours, but you never know when.
Months later and the cats still play with it
The UFO is still used on a daily basis. When it suddenly turns on, which is clearly heard by a clacking noise, Nero is quick to play. Sometimes, he just watches the feather pop out.
Often, however, he can’t resist. He knows now that he doesn’t necessarily have to run around the UFO to catch the feather. He can lie in wait on one side and then attack it.
Source: Lorenz Keller
At the fastest level, which I use exclusively, it often takes several tries before he grabs the feather. Sometimes, it goes straight back in and he goes in circles hunting it. Sometimes he grabs it and drags the gadget around the apartment.
The HomeRunPet CT10 continues to fascinate my two house cats after more than five months. Even Pinot, who primarily watches his brother hunt, occasionally lets himself be tempted by the feathers. He lurks, jumps and grabs.
Stable housing, weak feather arm
By the way: when the feather switches from hole to hole, the mechanics make noise. I’d put the gadget somewhere where the sudden power-on won’t bother you. Cats are nocturnal, we humans less so.
Nero likes to throw the UFO around. Nevertheless, it’s remained intact so far. Unlike the feathers. After just a few days, they were savaged. But they also like to chase the short stubs. Cats are less sensitive to this than us humans, who want to replace them immediately.
After four months, I replaced the feathers. One replacement feather is included in the packaging. Unfortunately, you can’t order a replacement from our store – they don’t seem to be available anywhere else in Switzerland either. If you google «PETTOM replaceable feathers», you’ll find several suppliers who also deliver to Switzerland from abroad.
I’ll do that soon or tinker with it myself. After all, the arm mechanism still works – it’s just that the feathers have been torn out.
Source: Lorenz Keller
Verdict: A cat gadget that cleverly uses technology
With its UFO design and LEDs, the HomeRunPet CT10 doesn’t look very pet-friendly at first. But the feathers and holes really stimulate my cats. Thanks to the random generator and automatic switching on during the day, this gadget will keep them entertained for a long time.
Header image: Lorenz Keller
Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
