PLAY HARD. PLAY SMART.
THE WHISSTIX PRODUCT & SAFETY GUIDE
WHISSTIX was built to create chaos.
The fun kind.
The jumping, stalking, sprinting, hiding, pouncing, where-the-hell-did-my-cat-just-go? kind.
But good play is responsible play.
A WHISSTIK combines a long stick, flexible line, feathers and moving components with an animal specifically designed by nature to catch things.
So before the madness begins, there are a few things we need you to know.
Read this page.
Your cat won't.
THE GOLDEN RULE.
WHISSTIK IS A SUPERVISED, INTERACTIVE CAT TOY.
That means:
You're there.
You're controlling it.
You're paying attention.
WHISSTIK is not designed to be left with your cat for independent or unsupervised play.
When you're finished—
put it away.
Somewhere your cat cannot access it.
Your cat will consider this an outrageous abuse of authority.
Do it anyway.
BEFORE EVERY SINGLE USE.
GIVE IT THE ONCE-OVER.
It takes a few seconds.
Inspect the entire WHISSTIK before play, including the:
Bamboo/stick body
String, line or cord
Connection points
Feathers and attachments
Knots, fasteners or hardware
Any replaceable or moving components
Look for cracking, splitting, splintering, fraying, stretching, looseness, sharp edges, damaged attachments, exposed components, excessive wear, or anything that wasn't there before.
If something looks wrong—
DON'T USE IT.
Don't tape it.
Don't glue it.
Don't give it “one more round.”
Don't assume it'll probably be fine.
Retire it. Repair or replace only as expressly instructed by WHISSTIX.
BAMBOO IS STRONG.
BAMBOO CAN ALSO SPLINTER.
WHISSTIX may use bamboo or other natural materials.
Natural materials can vary.
They can also crack, split, splinter, weaken, or break due to impact, chewing, bending, moisture, age, storage conditions, or repeated use.
Never use a WHISSTIK with:
Visible cracks
Splinters
Sharp edges
Structural damage
Significant bending or weakness
And never allow your cat to use the stick itself as a chew toy.
A SPLINTERED WHISSTIK IS A RETIRED WHISSTIK.
No exceptions.
STRING IS FOR CHASING.
NOT EATING.
Cats and string have a complicated relationship.
We're keeping ours simple.
String is not food.
Never permit a cat—or any animal—to chew through, swallow, or ingest the string, line, cord, thread, or other flexible components of a WHISSTIX product.
Ingested string-like material can present serious risks, including choking and gastrointestinal injury or obstruction.
If you know or suspect that your animal has swallowed string or another component:
STOP PLAY IMMEDIATELY.
Contact an appropriate veterinarian or emergency veterinary resource promptly for guidance.
Don't wait to see whether the website was being dramatic.
SAME GOES FOR THE FEATHERS.
Feathers are there because cats find them interesting.
Unfortunately, some cats find them interesting enough to attempt to eat them.
Don't allow it.
Inspect feathers and attachment points regularly.
If feathers become detached, damaged, excessively chewed, fragmented, or loose:
Remove them from play.
Never intentionally allow your animal to ingest feathers, fragments, attachments, or other WHISSTIX components.
DON'T PULL STRING OUT OF YOUR CAT.
This deserves its own section.
If string, cord, thread, feathers, or another foreign object appears to have been swallowed and is protruding from your animal's mouth or anus:
DO NOT PULL ON IT.
Contact a veterinarian or emergency veterinary service promptly for instructions.
Linear foreign bodies can become anchored internally, and pulling on exposed material can potentially cause additional injury.
This isn't a DIY situation.
WATCH THE NECK.
AND THE LEGS. AND THE TAIL.
Anything long and flexible can become wrapped around something.
That includes your cat.
Never intentionally wrap WHISSTIX string or cord around an animal.
During play, watch for line becoming looped or tangled around:
The neck
Legs or paws
Tail
Body
Furniture or household objects
If entanglement occurs:
STOP MOVING THE WHISSTIK.
Don't keep pulling.
Don't turn it into tug-of-war.
Calmly release the tension and free the animal.
THE CAT ISN'T THE ONLY THING IN THE ROOM.
WHISSTIK can move quickly.
So can the cat attached to the other end of the situation.
Before playing, look around.
Give yourself enough room to avoid:
People
Other animals
Children
Faces and eyes
Televisions
Windows
Ceiling fans
Lamps
Glass
Hot surfaces
Open flames
Stairs
Fragile objects
And whatever expensive thing you forgot you owned until your cat knocks it over.
CLEAR THE PLAY ZONE.
PROTECT THE EYES.
YOURS AND THEIRS.
Never intentionally swing, jab, poke, or direct the stick, string, connector, feather attachment, or other component toward a person's or animal's eyes or face.
Fast-moving objects can cause injury.
Maintain control of the WHISSTIK throughout play.
The target is the cat's attention.
Not the cat.
DON'T HIT THE CAT.
This should be obvious.
We're writing it anyway.
WHISSTIK is designed to make a lure move around the animal, not to strike the animal with the stick.
Never intentionally hit, whip, poke, jab, or otherwise strike a person or animal with any portion of the product.
MAKE THEM CHASE IT.
DON'T CHASE THEM WITH IT.
LET THEM CATCH IT.
This one isn't just about safety.
It's about good play.
Don't spend the entire session making the lure impossible to catch.
Give your cat opportunities to stalk, chase, pounce, capture, release, and reset.
WHISSTIX should create interaction—
not frustration.
And when your cat catches the lure, don't violently yank it away.
Reset the game.
Then go again.
KNOW WHEN TO STOP.
Cats can become intensely focused during interactive play.
Pay attention to your animal.
Stop or slow the session if your cat appears excessively fatigued, distressed, overheated, frightened, unusually aggressive, injured, or unable to move normally.
Individual animals differ in age, physical condition, temperament, mobility and stamina.
YOUR CAT SETS THE LIMIT.
Not the clock.
DON'T TURN YOUR LIVING ROOM INTO THE X GAMES.
Cats can jump.
We know.
That's part of the fun.
But don't deliberately encourage dangerous jumps toward or from:
Balconies
Open windows
Staircases
High ledges
Unstable furniture
Hot appliances
Hard or sharp objects
A spectacular jump is considerably less spectacular when it ends at the emergency vet.
CONTROL THE ENVIRONMENT.
Not just the toy.
MULTIPLE CATS?
MORE CHAOS. MORE ATTENTION.
Playing with multiple animals can introduce collisions, competition, aggression, tangled line, and unpredictable movement.
If you're using WHISSTIK around multiple pets, pay attention to all of them.
If play becomes aggressive or unsafe:
Stop. Separate. Reset.
Don't force animals to compete over the toy.
THIS IS NOT A CHILDREN'S TOY.
WHISSTIX products are intended as pet products for responsible adult-supervised interaction with animals.
Keep the WHISSTIK, string, feathers, packaging, replacement components, broken pieces and other parts away from infants and young children.
Children should not use a WHISSTIK as a sword.
Or a wand.
Or a fishing pole.
Or an instrument for correcting disagreements between siblings.
IT'S FOR THE CAT.
NO HOME IMPROVEMENTS.
TO THE WHISSTIK, ANYWAY.
Don't modify a WHISSTIK in ways we haven't approved.
Don't add:
Hooks
Metal fishing tackle
Sharp objects
Wire
Heavy weights
Unsafe adhesives
Small objects that could be swallowed
Unapproved attachments
And please—
ABSOLUTELY NO FISHING HOOKS.
We cannot possibly emphasize that enough.
Use only compatible components and replacement parts specifically approved or recommended for your WHISSTIX product.
KEEP IT CLEAN.
Your WHISSTIK is going to encounter floors.
Furniture.
Cat hair.
Possibly things we'd rather not discuss.
Inspect and clean the product as appropriate according to the care instructions supplied with your particular product.
Do not use harsh chemicals, solvents, pesticides, disinfectants, essential oils, fragrances, or cleaning products on components unless WHISSTIX specifically identifies them as suitable for that material and use.
Cats lick things.
Plan accordingly.
KEEP IT DRY.
Bamboo, feathers, adhesives, string and other components can respond poorly to prolonged moisture.
Unless specifically stated otherwise for your product:
Don't soak it.
Don't put it in the dishwasher.
Don't put it in the washing machine.
Don't leave it outside.
Don't store it wet.
If it becomes significantly wet, inspect it carefully and allow appropriate components to dry fully before considering further use.
If moisture has caused swelling, cracking, separation, warping, weakening, mold, unusual odor, or other damage:
RETIRE IT.
HEAT & FIRE.
Bamboo, feathers, string and packaging materials may be combustible.
Keep WHISSTIX products away from:
Open flames
Candles
Fireplaces
Stovetops
Heaters
Excessive heat
WHISSTIK is many things.
Fireproof isn't one of them.
ALLERGIES & SENSITIVITIES.
Animals and humans can have sensitivities or reactions to natural and manufactured materials.
If you or your animal develops unexpected skin irritation, swelling, respiratory symptoms, excessive scratching, mouth irritation, or another concerning reaction associated with product use:
Stop using the product.
Seek appropriate medical or veterinary guidance when warranted.
If you need information about the materials used in your specific WHISSTIX product, contact us.
IT'S NOT A MEDICAL DEVICE.
WHISSTIX is a recreational pet product.
We don't diagnose conditions.
We don't treat conditions.
And we don't claim that playing with a WHISSTIK cures anxiety, obesity, behavioral disorders, cognitive decline, or any other medical condition.
Interactive play may be part of a happy life with your animal.
But if you have questions about whether a particular type of play is appropriate for your cat because of age, injury, disability, illness, medication, or another health concern:
ASK YOUR VETERINARIAN.
Not the cat-toy company.
STORE IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT.
When playtime ends:
Put the WHISSTIK away.
Store it somewhere dry, secure, and inaccessible to pets and young children.
Don't leave the line hanging from furniture.
Don't leave it lying where someone can step on it.
Don't leave it somewhere your cat can pull it down at 3:17 in the morning.
SUPERVISED TOY. SUPERVISED ACCESS.
PACKAGING ISN'T A TOY EITHER.
Boxes are irresistible.
We understand.
But plastic bags, ties, wraps, fasteners, labels, protective materials and other packaging components may present choking, suffocation, ingestion, cutting, or entanglement hazards.
Remove packaging before giving your animal access to the product.
Dispose of or store packaging appropriately.
The box may become a cat toy.
The plastic bag does not.
BROKEN MEANS DONE.
We want this rule burned into your brain.
A product does not need to completely snap in half before it becomes unsafe.
If you see:
A splinter
A crack
A loose attachment
Frayed line
A weakened connection
A sharp edge
A broken component
Unexpected deterioration
Stop.
DON'T NEGOTIATE WITH A BROKEN CAT TOY.
Replace the affected component if WHISSTIX specifically provides for safe replacement.
Otherwise, retire the product.
WHEN YOU THROW IT AWAY.
Remove or secure strings, feathers, and other components so animals cannot retrieve potentially hazardous pieces from household trash.
Follow applicable local disposal or recycling guidance for product and packaging materials where appropriate.
Your cat should not get a second chance at the thing you just took away from them.
A NOTE FROM WHISSTIX.
FUN AND RESPONSIBILITY AREN'T OPPOSITES.
We built WHISSTIX because interacting with an animal can be hilarious, unpredictable, ridiculous, and genuinely memorable.
We don't want to sterilize that.
We also don't believe being a fun company gives us permission to be a careless one.
So we're going to tell you when something matters.
Even when it isn't sexy.
Even when it takes an entire page.
Even when your cat thinks the rules are bullshit.
Because there's one thing more important to us than selling you another WHISSTIK:
YOU AND YOUR CAT BEING AROUND TO PLAY WITH IT.
SOMETHING HAPPENED.
WE WANT TO KNOW.
If a WHISSTIX product breaks unexpectedly, causes or appears to contribute to an injury, presents a hazard, or behaves in a way you believe may be unsafe:
STOP USING IT.
Keep the product and its remaining components if it is safe to do so.
Take photographs.
Record the product type and, if available, order information and any lot/batch identification.
Then contact WHISSTIX.
Tell us:
What happened
Which product was involved
When it happened
How the product was being used
What failed or appeared unsafe
If an injury requires urgent medical or veterinary attention:
GET HELP FIRST.
Contact us afterward.
WE WANT THE BAD REPORTS TOO.
It's easy for a company to ask for five-star reviews.
We also want to know when something doesn't perform the way it should.
Product-safety reports help us identify patterns, investigate potential problems, improve manufacturing, revise instructions, and make better decisions about future WHISSTIX products.
If there's a genuine problem—
TELL US.
We would rather hear about it than pretend it didn't happen.
THE WHISSTIX RULES.
SUPERVISE IT.
INSPECT IT.
DON'T EAT IT.
DON'T HIT ANYBODY WITH IT.
DON'T LET IT WRAP AROUND ANYBODY.
DON'T MODIFY IT WITH SOMETHING STUPID.
DON'T USE IT BROKEN.
PUT IT AWAY WHEN YOU'RE DONE.
PLAY HARD.
PLAY SMART.
PLAY AGAIN TOMORROW.
WHISSTIX™