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2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Nothing is too kitschy for the kittiesDec 27, 2011
By Joseph Haschka
After more than twenty years living with as many as three cats, I'm convinced the most successful feline playthings are more oft than not odds and ends not designed as such. Plastic bottle caps, a short and knotted length of frayed drapery cord, crumpled sheets of packing paper, expired credit cards, my iPod's ear buds, and a one-piece soft plastic bulb pipette from work come immediately to mind. I'm further convinced that those advertised fancy cat toys designed to amuse Fluffy will most likely appeal to kittens or juveniles of the species, but not adults - or at least not for long.
Two baskets of neglected and forgotten cat toys didn't stop my wife from purchasing the WHEEL RUNNER just to see how Amanda, Sissy, and Rags would react to it. Sort of like poking a sleeping dog with a stick to see what happens.
The WHEEL RUNNER is apparently meant for the amusement of those humans too young or otherwise not capable of or allowed a small rodent pet. The toy is comprised of a battery-powered, 4.38 inch long (nose to tail) faux hamster and an exercise wheel for it to "run" on. The wheel itself is 5.88 inches in diameter and 2.38 inches wide, and is supported on a 3.38 x 3.88 inch base by two 3.88 inch tri-leg supports that both snap into the base and insert into the wheel's central axis of spin on either side. Once two AAA batteries - not included - are inserted into the hamster's gear box and the gadget switched "on", wheels in place of legs allow the imitation creature to "run" along the track on the inside of the wheel causing it to rotate.
It should go almost without saying that the WHEEL RUNNER is cheaply made by the barge load in China. It's also labeled as a choking hazard for children under 3, but otherwise meets ASTM-F963. In case you care, "ASTM" stands for the American Society for Testing and Materials, and the full name of F963 is "Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety", last revised in 2008. Will the cats care, you think?
Will the cats care at all about anything?
Presented with the activated toy, Amanda went back to her heated pet bed; Rags hid under the coffee table; only Sissy showed enough interest to paw at the hamster in its spinning wheel, though she, too, seemed to lose concentration after about fifteen minutes. The wife had been convinced that one of the trio would have the fake furry out by itself on the floor in the twitch of a whisker.
That went well, don't you think? I'm glad it was the spouse's ten bucks, not mine.
Despite all I've said, the WHEEL RUNNER does very well what it claims to be all about, i.e. be a REALISTIC representation of a hamster on an exercise wheel. If I saw it in a pet store window in a hamster cage and didn't have my glasses on, it'd fool me, much as the "breathing" (but fake) curled and sleeping cat we first saw in a Victoria, Canada shop had us believing it was the house feline. By that sole standard, the WHEEL RUNNER deserves five stars regardless of its kitschy nature and dubious usefulness. I just don't know what we're now to do with it.
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Cute and it does work, but the pieces will be lost in no time!Jan 16, 2010
By S.A.
"bham"
This did work, and I have to say, for the five minutes we all looked at it on Christmas day, it was pretty much worth the price. Kind of eerily realistic with that little critter spinning away in there. However, the legs of this thing are surely already lost somewhere in my niece's bedroom, and will never find their way back. Without the legs, this is just a piece of junk for the bottom of the toy box. If the legs snapped in somehow, instead of just balancing inside the wheel it would help. But they come loose the second you move it, and that is a recipe for disaster when it comes to the target market for this product.
Great Pet Alternative!Apr 19, 2011
By E. Kennedy
A friend of mine currently resides in an apartment with a very strict no pets policy but wanted to get her kid a pet substitute. I helped her look and she finally decided on this one. It does look rather realistic running on the wheel and he was thrilled to have something even close to a real pet. Plus this way no one has to clean up after it!
0 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 broken wireJan 19, 2010
By X. Johnson
it does not work because a wire is broken. I did not ask for a replacement yet. It is a hassle I do no need after the beautiful but busy holidays.Without seen it actually working I cannot overall rate it.
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based on 4 reviews
