Fur Real Friends Kitten

...They are covered in deep fur but if this wore away I would imagine the plastic end would be a little dangerous. All cloth ears would be better I think.

Then you need to open up the Velcro fastening on the underside of your furry friend and get a screwdriver/knife just to open up the little screw on the battery compartment. Insert 3 AA batteries and seal it up again.

Now you just flick the switch to “on” (there are ...
...reason I personally don’t think Fur Real Friends Kittens are suitable for any child under the age of Three and I can see why the manufacturers say Four.These I think are meant to get a little one used to having a pet. You can teach them how to handle a little furry friend without damage to some poor innocent kitty or your own innocent *er hmm* little child. However a child over the age of six or seven is not going to entertained long by this kitty's ... more

We have acquired a cat. Well two really. One cat, Monty, calls daily for something to eat, he has a collar, never comes in the house but the first time he turned up he looked very neglected and thin. Now he is a well fed puss and looks much happier for it. Monty is not really our cat, we just feed him. Monty however brought a friend with him last week and this friend has decided this is his new home. We’ve called him Charlie, he’s a young cat, friendly and playful and he really is no problem at all.

However, my daughter thinks he is quite novel and likes to chase him around then grab him by his leg/tail/round his tummy and although the cat is good natured Beth often ends up being scratched. So what to do? Well Beth will get bored of the novelty soon enough I guess but we needed something for her to love and cuddle as much as she wants to without the ensuing cat/child battles being fought.

Up from the depths of my children TV addled mind came the remembrance of “Fur Real Friends” toy cats and dogs that act like “real animals”. Hubby has a quick look at Argos and finds “Fur Real friends Kitten” retailing at £18.99 there are three different colours shown, Ginger, grey and black and white and they all look kind of cute and fluffy.. As I had some money left on an Argos card purchased from the good old provident a good while before we thought why not? It might just do the trick.

So the next morning mum and daughter jump on the bus into town and bring home Beth’s very own Ginger (well its more of a caramel brown but Beth calls him Ginger) Kitten with big green eyes and a rather po-faced look. Ginger was packaged in a big pink box made to look like a cat carrying case.

Once we get Ginger out of the box (the amount of twisted plastic wire and sticky tape to break through means this takes a while) we get to Ginger (My daughter decided upon his name) and his feeding bottle and a small card “adoption certificate”. Ginger is around 6-7 inches in length and is just a nice size to sit in my daughters lap. The cat looks realistic but is a lot harder with more pointy edges than an actual cat. Ginger’s ears are very pointy and a little Sharp. They are covered in deep fur but if this wore away I would imagine the plastic end would be a little dangerous. All cloth ears would be better I think.

Then you need to open up the Velcro fastening on the underside of your furry friend and get a screwdriver/knife just to open up the little screw on the battery compartment. Insert 3 AA batteries and seal it up again.

Now you just flick the switch to “on” (there are two on positions but we’ve not worked out the difference between them) and stroke your kitty firmly along it’s back and it will purr and mewl for you. Padding its front paws. Hold up the chunky pink lidded white bottle to his lips and he will making sipping slurping noises as he drinks.

Beth was thrilled, Still is in fact but it is still early days. We’ve only Had Ginger since the weekend but Ginger is taken everywhere with us. I do think the novelty will wear off; though I suspect not for a while yet.

Now the box states that these little fellows are suitable from 4 years but my little Beth isn’t quite 3 yet. I personally think she is old enough for it but you must make sure your little one knows not to drop their new little kitten from a great height as this will jar the mechanism.

Beth dropped hers accidentally down a few stairs a matter of minutes after us buying it. The padding of the paws sounded like something was catching and clicking. All I did was move the legs up and down a bit until I felt the “click” giving and Ginger was as good as new. I imagine Ginger can take a couple of little bashes but anything more and you’ll end up with a non-functioning pussy -cat!

For this reason I personally don’t think Fur Real Friends Kittens are suitable for any child under the age of Three and I can see why the manufacturers say Four.These I think are meant to get a little one used to having a pet. You can teach them how to handle a little furry friend without damage to some poor innocent kitty or your own innocent *er hmm* little child. However a child over the age of six or seven is not going to entertained long by this kitty's repetitive actions and limited interactivity.

Now Ginger hasn’t been switched off yet and he is still going strong. The noises and movement are the same as when we bought him and so it seems to me like it is fairly economical on battery use.

So Do I think the Fur-Real Kitten was worth the money? Yes I think so. Beth is much more gentle with the real cat and is often more happy to play with her very own Kitty which plays nice and doesn’t dig its claws in her! Beth really enjoys stroking and feeding her Ginger but she does not constantly play with her. So this is not a toy that will keep your child entertained for hours at a time, but more of one which will keep them occupied for 10-20 minute intervals over and over again.

The Kitten is fairly durable but many repeated large falls may end up in un-repairable damage. As the Kitty can be only surface washed you need to make sure your little one doesn’t start feeding their pet with anything that might stain or get stuck up in the fur or the poor kitty will start to look a bit ragged.

All in all I think this is a good toy, maybe a touch expensive and in need of more actions and sounds than a it of purring and padding.

If you’re little one wants a cat. I suggest getting them one of these first, then they can learn a little about looking after a pet before you make the decision to bring a furry friend into your home.

I leave you with a quick word from our cat Charlie.

“Ginger is a bit of a boring play mate but I do think he is something of a saint for putting up with that terrible beast prodding and poking and stroking him. I don’t wish it upon anyone; feeling the warm grasp of those fingers around your fur is not pleasant; but I am very grateful that I am no longer chased and caught as much as I once was. Ginger mate, I owe you a bowl of cream.”

Ginger may not be Purrrrrfect (You knew I’d use it sooner or later didn’t you?) but Ginger is a lovely toy with a fair bit of playability and he is educational too! Shop around, find a good price and I am sure this will make a lovely present for any animal loving little one.  

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