REVIEW: PetSafe Dart Automatic Rotating Laser Cat Toy

We have become the proud owners of the PetSafe Dart Automatic Rotating Laser Cat Toy after trying the PetSafe Bolt Interactive Laser Cat Toy, we were darn excited to try this upgrade!

We’ve had the Dart for about a month now, and Walker just can’t get enough of it! Unfortunately, we’re still not 100% sure why Beau doesn’t respond to lasers at all. I think we have come to the conclusion that he can’t see them though as every time we buy lasers, no matter what the size, he doesn’t even look in their direction. (Any thoughts on that?) Walker however, runs to the toy as soon as it turns on and even begs to play with it, which is a great sign!

PROS

• The Dart is a lot safer than the Bolt as it shoots directly onto the ground with less worries of it getting into your little one’s eyes.
  • I would definitely still monitor your little ones because if they are the type to sit and stare directly from underneath it may still cause eye damage.
• The Dart has a timer setting that lets you select whether you want it on for 5, 10, 15, or 20-minutes.
• The Dart has four-speed settings being: slow, medium, fast and variable
  • I recommend the variable as it’s what keeps Walker the most entertained
• The Dart is light and can be easily broken down and stored. If left out, it doesn’t take much space, although it is bigger than the Bolt.
• The buttons on the top are easily pressed and you could most definitely train an animal to turn the toy on on their own.
  • Currently, Walker lets us know he wants to play with the toy by meowing at it, however, there was one time he put his paws on the top and turned it on himself. The machine is set to turn off after 5-minutes unless changed by pressing the button again, but this gives your pet a great chance to entertain themselves. I would still recommend monitoring play because they are playing with lasers, however, if you are looking for a new trick for your toolkit this might be the one!
• The Dart comes with a 1-Year Warranty.

CONS

• This product is a bit louder than we hoped. Although Walker is not scared of the sound, I wouldn’t call this product… “silent.” It’s unfortunate that a lot of pet stores have been claiming this product is very quiet because it’s definitely not true. The machine lets out a good amount of noise while in rotation and I would not recommend it for very shy kitties. Let’s put it this way: it’s louder than a water fountain but quieter than a normal knock on the door. (That wasn’t the best way to describe it, and I’ll change it if I come up with something better.) Let’s just say, the toy should be fine for the average cat still.

Battery Use

At the moment I can’t tell you how much this product drains batteries as I don’t have the best form of measuring, but like any toy that uses AA batteries, I recommend grabbing a pack of Eneloop batteries. I use them for all our pet products, my computer mouse, TV remotes and some of my recording equipment in the studio. They are the longest lasting batteries I’ve had (have used them for 4 years) and have never run into any trouble with them this far. The price tag is definitely higher than disposable batteries, but it does leave a much smaller carbon footprint in the world, and you are going to be saving loads by recharging them.

Conclusion

I would honestly rate this toy at a 4.8/5. It’s very effective at playtime. Is good for older folks who don’t want to have to keep bending down to turn off toys. It has a lot of settings to make playtime unique and interesting. And so far the only downfall I see to it is the noise it makes while revolving, which again won’t be a problem for the majority of cats.

So Pet Parents, have you tried the Dart or the Bolt? Which do you like better? Any other automatic toys you can recommend us to check out next?