Customer Reviews

FroliCat BOLT Interactive Laser Pet Toy

5 star:		(192)
4 star:		(125)
3 star:		(83)
2 star:		(50)
1 star:		(66)

 

 

FroliCat Bolt Laser Toy / B0021L8W6K

I wasn't too certain about buying this toy for my cats' fifth birthday. I knew that they like to chase lasers, so that wasn't the problem - my concern was that they don't like to STOP chasing lasers. Our last foray into laser pointer territory ended with me letting the laser dot "escape" through an air vent in the wall, thinking that would end the game - no, they just sat vigil under the air vent for five hours. I didn't want a repeat of that.

On the other hand, they are housecats and seem pretty bored and listless, and they definitely need the exercise, so I broke down and bought this... and could not be happier.

The best thing about this laser toy is that if has a mechanical 'servo' sound - a kind of light-pitched soft whirring and turning whenever it is in operation. The sound is soft enough to not really bother a human (although you probably wouldn't want to sit next to it while you watch TV), but it is distinct enough for a cat to hear it in the other room and come running. The practical upshot of this is that your cats figure out really quickly that the magical laser dot ONLY appears when the whirring noise turns on. So if the whirring noise goes off, the laser is gone, and they don't hunt endlessly for it. Indeed, my most active cat has figured out that the laser dot COMES from the whirring thing and will lead me to its spot on the table and demand that I push the button to activate it. Awesome.

I suppose the other best thing about this toy is that it works. It's silly that has to be a product 'plus', but such is the state of the cat toy industry these days, I suppose. But boy, does this thing work! It takes 4 AA batteries, and I recommend they be fully charged (try Eneloop batteries, you won't be disappointed) in order for the light to be as bright as possible. We have the toy sitting on a coffee table, with the adjustable mirror set to the perfect angle so that the light appears on the carpet a few feet away. The light swirls in slow patterns, jumps in fast leaps, and holds still for a few seconds so that my lazy calico can leap on it and cover it with both paws. The best part is that the cats never seem to get frustrated with not being able to 'catch' the light - they seem to recognize that it's a game, not real prey, and that's fine with me. My tuxedo always plays, but sometimes my calico just likes to lay on the floor and watch the light. Thy both come running at full speed, though, when they hear that motor start.

The toy has a fifteen minute shut-off point so you can turn this on and leave the room without worrying that your cats will make themselves sick chasing a dot for hours. It's as easy as putting the batteries in (with an easy sliding-door chamber - no tricky maneuvering required), setting it down on a table, and pressing a button to turn on. If you want it to shut off before the 15 minutes are up, you press the button again. So easy! I am seriously considering buying more of these - one for each room in the house.

~ Ana Mardoll

My cats love laser light toys in general and seem to like this product. Only time will tell if the movement of this particular laser toy will keep them interested in it for a long time. When it arrived the light worked but it would not move automatically. After a call to the toll free customer service number on the FroliCat box, and help from a representative, it worked just fine. The rep told me that mechanism probably became stuck in one place during shipping. She suggested turning the item upside down and then tapping it against a hard surface. I tried it and it began to work immediately. If you find that you have the same problem then you might try this "technique". But be careful not to tap it hard enough to crack the plastic exterior.

This toy is much appreciated by the cat who uses it. The Frolicat is very easy to use: just load the batteries, push the power button, and it runs for 15 minutes. You can adjust the mirror to change the range of the light play. You can't change the speed at which the light moves. When I ordered this toy, I looked for information about batteries--what size, how many, and whether they were included. I did not find this information, and when I got my order, I was dismayed to find that the 4 AA batteries required by the toy were not included. If I had known I would have ordered a pac with the toy.

Many other reviewers have described the FroliCat BOLT, so I won't add my own version of that information. My cat loves the BOLT, and every couple of days he will "ask" me to turn it on by pawing at the shelf I keep it on and meowing. If your cat likes chasing lasers (and is not upset, obsessed, or traumatized by chasing something that s/he can't catch), then the BOLT is probably something you will both enjoy.
One important criticism that I've seen on only one other review: The BOLT does **NOT** produce automatic patterns. Despite the praise I have for this product, it is disturbing to me whenever a company fails to be completely truthful--and in FroliCat's case, their description of the product is vague (to be charitable). Worse, the box that the BOLT comes in is printed with images that are downright misleading--so if you're buying this based on seeing the box somewhere, then be warned.
The description states that the BOLT "automatically generate[s] red laser patterns," and the box shows a laser emanating from the BOLT in a random, zigzag-y path. If you're like me, then "patterns" brought to mind something fairly elaborate, and given that the selling point of the BOLT is its "automatic" mode, I naturally assumed that the image on the box showed how the product operates when in that mode. In TRUTH, the laser travels around in a circle, stopping every 90 degrees or so. As it is aimed upwards at the manually adjustable angled mirror that you can see in the product image, the result is not a crazy, random-seeming zigzag but a regular, predictable ellipse distorted by whatever furniture or walls are in the way.
Now to be completely fair, this predictability isn't a bad thing at all from the perspective of my cat. Indeed, it allows him to hide and stalk the light that he knows will always be coming back around to his hiding spot. However, as I've said, I thoroughly dislike being misled when it comes to what a product is capable of and not capable of, and when it happens I definitely think twice before purchasing another product from the same company. If you're the same way, I hope that this will prevent some disappointment for you.

The best kitty toy since string. Frolicat. / Bolt. Rex LOVES it ! Beats the Bada Beam as it does what the BB was meant to. Engage your cat with very little effort on your part. All you have to do is set it down and turn it on and kitty is all over it. At LEAST watching it with some pouncing and chasing antics. Depending on kitty mood swings of course. Sometimes Rex goes totally nuclear if he has been bored. YMMV. I would get a cheep laser first and test out your kitty, if they like that they will love the Bolt. [ Some cats are just not interested.] The Bolt has a 15 minute shut down, how CONVENIENT. It takes 4 AA cells [ Not included.] so it is pretty bright. It even works fairly well in the daytime. But night time with the lights off is the best. It makes a not too loud or annoying whirrring noise that cues the kitty. I turn it on and Rex is RIGHT there. The mirror is adjustable which is a very good feature for beam direction and setting it on different hight tables or the floor. We both recommend the Bolt Frolicat very highly. It is the best 20 bucks I ever spent. TODD & REX

PS. Dogs can love it too but BEWARE some dogs can get totally obsessed over lasers. TO the point it is a health concern. For more on this check some other Amazon pet laser reviews. I think the Bada Beam has more info on this issue. Also dogs are more smell oriented than cats and a lot of them are totally not interested since light is not smelly. Jack [ J.R.T.] will chase ANYTHING though. So again YMMV. I would check em out with a dollar store laser first.

PPS. Speaking of health concerns. Due to the randomness of the kitty and the laser beam. Occasionally they get it in the eye. I do not think this is a instantly blinding thing unless they stare directly into it for quite a while which is very unlikely. Rex has been playing laser tag for years and still seems to see just fine. And hey I have looked at the sun a bit and I can still see. Any more info on this issue please comment.

When I saw the cute video demonstration of this cat toy, I was delighted and ordered one right away for my 4 cats. They already love the hand-held laser pointer, so I thought this would be a step up. It's much worse! First of all, the little machine has a cheaply-made feeling to it and the battery compartment door is difficult to open without a tool. The instructions are not clear. There are several warnings regarding the laser light, mostly having to do with NOT looking directly at it. As soon as I got it running, I put it down on the floor to see what the cats would do. The little machine is so NOISY that instead of playing with the bright spot of light, the cats went to the machine to sniff it and LOOK DIRECTLY INTO IT. So much for protecting one's eyes! They then hunkered down to watch the machine to see if it was dangerous. The little spot of bright light moves around in a limited pattern and did not keep my cats' attention; they quickly became bored with it and went back to looking at the machine instead--after all, it was so noisy it was demanding the most attention. After watching in disgust, I re-packaged the machine and returned it for a refund.

I received a laser pointer for Christmas several years ago and the only thing I ever use it for is playing with my cats. I always get tired of playing before they do so when I saw the Amazon listing for the FroliCat I bought it. It arrived and I set it up. I turned it on and thought "That's so cool." First cat got up from nap and came into living room. I turned on the FroliCat and the cat went wild chasing the laser dot. For about three minutes. Second cat came out a while later and I turned on the FroliCat for him. He played chased the dot for about five minutes. Neither cat has payed any attention at to it since.

But they still chase my old fashioned human operated laser pointer. The FroliCat says that it is interactive but it isn't; it moves the laser dot around on a semi-random pattern with no interaction from the cat. The FroliCat laser dot moves too fast and too far to keep the cat's interest. I don't think that cats like anything that moves faster than they do. When I move the laser dot around I really do interact and don't move it very fast or very far away so they can keep catching it.

My cats will play for hours with a paper bag and less than ten minutes with the FroliCat. Cute but not worth the cost.

Frolicat has only been in my house for a few hours and during that time, I have seen every cat come out and do moves that I haven't seen since Saturday Night Fever. They are hilarious. Especially when the red dot ends up on a cat and only the others can see it. I love the randomizer action on it-- this causes cats to jump straight up.

I don't know why this is listed just for cats. The border collie is also having a great time chasing the red dot. And any cats in his way.

It should be listed as a toy for the entire family.

I got this for my cat who is obsessed with laser toys. Even she was bored before the first 15 minutes were up. The laser goes in the same elliptical pattern over and over. She just laid down and watched it after about 5 minutes. I returned it. I guess I'll have to stick to the regular laser toy for now.

A side note: I had to let it sit for 10 minutes before the motor started working. I'm not sure if you have to do this every time; I only used it once.

I did not like this laser toy at all. For one thing, the laser head makes annoying noise when it moves, the cats kept wondering what it was. Second, the cats go and stare into the laser head which cannot be good for their eyes. I did not keep this toy.