JOY FOR ALL - Orange Tabby Cat - Interactive Companion Pets - Realistic & Lifelike, 10.5 Inch

kategaUnited States

Robo-kitty to the rescue! (Sense of humor required.)

Hold up, all you robo haters! Requirement number one for this product is a sense of humor. Requirement number two is to realize that this is NOT a real cat. Just get rid of that expectation from the get-go and you’ll be on the right page. Without those two mental adjustments you’ll just be constantly mad it this creature for not being real. I got it for my 85 year old mother, who longed for a s***-less, shed-less, stink-less pet, without food, cat litter, or vet expenses. Robo-kitty fits the bill. But why should old people have all the fun? I’ll happily inherit the thing some day and keep in on my sofa. That’s where it lived during its three day trial period in which I was checking out its functionality. I actually started talking to the thing, and getting attached to it. Mom thinks it’s a hoot. She’s given it a name and will no longer let me call it Robo-kitty. She’s had it a month now, without ever turning it off, and its batteries are still going strong. The on/off switch is hard to locate, even for me, and having diminished feeling in her fingertips, Mom finds it impossible. But Robo-kitty seems to default to sleep mode when you leave the room, so no need. It must have a motion sensor in it somewhere, because it will issue a mini-miaow when you return, accompanied by a piteous sigh that calls out for petting. The miaowing and purring sound very authentic — and though I’ve never heard a real cat sigh, I think it only adds to the charm. (ok, there is ONE miaow that sounds a little too close to a human voice, but one's brain soon accommodates.) As for the ticking sounds and little jerking motions that accompany some of its movements -- that’s where you remember that it’s not a real cat. But you get used to it and tune it out. (It actually sounds exactly like a savage ticking sound my late cat used to make when it was trying to catch an insect). It sure beats that puking sound a real cat makes as it’s creating another urgent mess for you to clean up! I mean really, which would you rather deal with? I disagree with the commenter that said it’s like petting a furry brick. Not! It’s very well padded. Of course with all that machinery, its body is going to be more rigid that a real cat’s. But the fur is nice and soft. Not luxuriously soft like one of those Jellycat toys, but also not cheap and chalky feeling like some low-quality stuffed animals. I wouldn’t mistake it for actual fur, but my mother finds petting it very pleasurable. I bought her a little cat brush and it’s great fun to brush it — plus you never have to clean out the brush! Its little mouth is SO realistic, and the way it opens and closes sincks up with the miaowing exactly. And the eyes are fantastic! You swear it’s looking right at you, and the eyes close and squint and everything in between — very realistic! At my mother’s home it lives permanently in the spot right next to where she likes to sit on the sofa — just where you’d want your real cat to hang out (but of course the obstinate thing wouldn’t cooperate). The only other place I’ve seen her put it is in her lap. I held it in my lap for a while and my lap actually grew warm in the same way as with a real cat. Even the weight of it is authentic. As for the price, it’s well worth it — think of the money you’ll save on cat supplies and services and other needs! No shots required! It’ll pay for itself in the first two months! I fear the humane society’s adoption program might be in serious trouble if news of this alternative gets around. (Sorry, kitties. You need more birth control.)

A. M.United States

Great for elderly with Alzheimer's/Dementia

I have yet to leave a review for an Amazon purchase but feel compelled to do so for the Hasbro Joy for All Companion Cat. My hope is that this review may help others in a similar situation. My sister and I purchased this cat as a Christmas gift for our 79 year-old grandmother. She is in the late-mid stages of Alzheimer's disease. We were hoping to find something for her to stimulate social interaction, provide some comfort, and to keep her smiling. This is an honest review of our experience... We received the cat a few days before Christmas, so my mother and I checked the cat out before giving it to my grandmother. Yes, the movements are jerky. The coat is not as silky smooth, nor it is as plush as a real cat. The "meow" also seemed more human than cat-like. My parents and myself have had cats for over 25 years so we definitely know the real thing. Regardless of its true cat-like deficiencies, my mom and I still had a good time petting and interacting with the cat. It added a sense of comfort and was a fun social activity for the 2 of us. We placed the cat back in its original box, wrapped it and gave the cat to my grandmother on Christmas Day. She was thoroughly surprised at the gift! Her immediate reaction was to hug and pet the cat. Then we turned it on and she interacted with the cat, on and off, for most of the day. Her interactions continued on the days after Christmas. My grandmother also received a life-like baby doll for Christmas, and she encouraged her baby doll to interact with the cat (and via-versa). I think my grandmother realizes that the cat is not living. However something in the design of the cat accomplishes its goal of providing "Joy For All." It's a great product and the price is appropriate. I plan to update my post once my grandmother has had the cat for a couple of weeks to comment on its long-term use and her continued interest in interacting with the cat. Currently, we couldn't have picked a better gift for her. It's truly a delight to see her happy and to be able to spend the quality time with my grandmother. So for that, this cat is priceless!! UPDATE- Feb 1st, 2016 The cat is still going strong and grandma still cares for him everyday. When the cat rolls on his belly and raises his paw, grandma gives him a high five! Sometimes she tells the cat to stop talking or wonders why he is moving so much (the sensors automate the cat's movements), so it has startled and confused her a few times. But nothing more than a normal "sneaky" cat would. Above, she is still enjoying her Joy for All cat, and we are enjoying her contentness. :-)

Rudolph V.United States

Helpful for wife with Alzheimer's.

My wife has Alzheimer's. This cat has helped her to sit and relax. We have a real cat but she wants to run around and play. Not much of a lap cat. The fake cat turned out to be a companion for my wife. She carries it around and takes it to bed with her. Our real cat will snuggle up with my wife and the fake cat in bed at night. My wife knows the fake cat isn't real. But she will talk to it when it meows and say it's cute. The fake cat gets wrapped in a blanket and gets lots of attention. My wife will carry the cat around the house like a real cat. I've tried a number of things to keep my wife occupied. With Alzheimer's, her attention span is really short and cannot do to many things for her self. I was surprised that the cat would work, but it does keep her occupied. My wife is on medication to help with her anxiety and pacing around the house. The medication works pretty good but the fake cat help a great deal too. I bought rechargeable batters for it. The switch was turned on Jan 18 and never turned off. As of Jan 28 it's still working great on its original batteries. The rechargeable batteries are ready to go when the original batteries die. I don't know if this will work for all Alzheimer's patients, but it's worth a try. The cat is a little ragged looking but cute. The fake fur is soft over a hard body inner shell. The meow and purring doesn't sound real. The purring does have a vibration affect and can be felt when the cat is on the sofa or bed. The real cat will wrestle with it. When it meows it gets more attention from my wife. When I met my wife she said a house isn't home without a cat. Over the years we had a number of cats and this one has been a good companion.

LISA FROM JACKSONUnited States

Mom with dementia loves her cat!

My mom has dementia and lives in a memory care assisted living. We gave her the cat for Christmas. When she opened the box and saw the cat, her face lit up. Then when I turned it on and it moved, she really lit up. It's eight months later and she still loves her cat. We're not sure, but we think she thinks its real. She keeps it on her chair in her room and every time she goes in there and turns on the light, the cat meows, which is a pleasant greeting for her. It purrs and meows delightfully as you pet it. The facial and ear movements are really lifelike and it raises it's paw as to wash it's face. The facial and ear movements do make some mechanical noise, but they're not that loud and don't detract from it. The one thing that I could do without is that occasionally the front half twists and rolls back, then after a few minutes it comes back up. That's when you hear the loud motor really kick in and I find it to be an unnatural movement. I was concerned before a bought it that it would be a bit creepy, but it's turned out to be a great purchase for my mom. She pets it, talks to it, and is protective over it. She even worries when she's out of her room too much that it will get lonely. I was there one day when her doctor came into the room, he looked at the cat on the chair and smiled, then it started to meow, and move, and his eyes opened wide and he said "OMG, I've never seen anything like that, I think it's great!" I left but my mother said he came back after his rounds and checked it out some more. Overall, a great gift for an elderly person with dementia..