Catlabs cat toys: BRIGITTE tests the product from “The Lion’s Den”

“The Lions’ Den”
Catlabs cat toys: Fairtrade for kitties

by Stephanie Pingel
10/12/2021, 10:12 am

Cat owners know: If the kitty smells valerian or catnip somewhere, she can no longer stop. But mostly the seductive herbs are unfortunately sewn into cheaply made small pillows made of polyester, which do not last very long and are not exactly sustainably produced. The Catlabs cat toy from “Die Höhle der Löwen” aims to remedy this situation and presents hand-sewn, fairly produced cuddly toys made of pure sheep’s wool, in which you can also refill the herbs yourself.

Catlabs at “The Lion’s Den”

The idea for Catlabs came to founder Katharina Bickel after she had adopted a cat from the animal shelter and the toys available up to then did not meet their quality and sustainability requirements. So she simply developed the product that was right for her under the name Catlabs itself. In the meantime, the cat toy is produced by manufacturers who work under the code of the “World Fair Trade Organization” for working conditions and trade.

Why are cats so obsessed with valerian and catnip?

My two kitties, Kater Kite and Ivy, are also crazy about catnip and valerian – they cuddle enthusiastically with appropriate cat toys and rub against them. Scientists suspect that cats want to smell themselves with the scent of herbs, because the smell is supposed to keep mosquitos away. In addition to this biological effect, the scent also makes the animals simply euphoric, which is why every cat owner does something good for their velvet paw if they give them access to catnip and valerian.

How good is the Catlabs cat toy? Our author’s cats tested it

So far, I have also regularly brought the small pillows filled with the herbs from pet shops to Ivy and Kite – and then I was annoyed that they were broken after a short time and I had to buy new ones. Not very sustainable! That’s why I was really curious whether the Catlabs cat toy could withstand the claw stress test of my kitties.

But first I had to fill up the toy: every stuffed animal (by the way, there is one Cat shape and a cute one bat) comes with a small bag with dried catnip or valerian, of which, according to the instructions, you fill about a level teaspoon full of via a Velcro fastener. I quickly found that half a teaspoon is enough – Half of the herbs fell right by and on my kitchen counter, which immediately attracted the cats. I had to chase the curious velvet paws out of the kitchen again before I could properly fill the cat toy and stuff the herbs that had fallen by back into the bag.

Then it went to the right stress test – and as expected, my fur noses started cuddling with the Catlabs cat toy. The stuffed animals were neatly worked with the claws and unfortunately one or the other piece of wool was also plucked out, but overall they held out.

The fact that the cat toy was manufactured and traded fairly gives me a good feeling and I hope that my two fur noses will enjoy it for a long time. But I did notice one disadvantage: Unfortunately, because I filled my apartment myself, it smelled of valerian and catnip for a while. My cats thought it was great, I didn’t really like it. I only got the smell out of my four walls by ventilating for a long time.

Missed an episode or want an overview? All further information about “The Lion’s Den” can be found here.

Sources used: The Lions Den, Vox, Catlabs Cat Toys

Brigitte