Cat Gear

Videos of Cats Playing with Stark Raving Cat Tents

June 21, 2019 by Kat Maran Leave a Comment

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KulKeys’ cats check out our Pet Tent for Cats — via Kul Keys on Instagram

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Crystal has a seance in our Pet Tent for Cats a full workout — via Mayumi on Instagram

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Smokey gives our Pet Tent for Cats a full workout — via Kul Keys on Instagram

Men Who Love Cats Love Stark Raving Cat

May 31, 2016 by Kat Maran

Men who love cats are trending. Now they can get stylish cat toys with special guy-appeal: Catnip Joints, Batnip and Best Cat Dad Ever Pins. StarkRavingCat.com handcrafts them with a heaping dose of humor – purrfect gifts for cat daddies, or any cat-lover.

Move over cat ladies: cat dudes are hot – and they’re looking for cat toys to match their man cave, cat cave, and even their bat cave. Good news: StarkRavingCat.com has heard their need and handcrafts unique toys with cat dudes in mind.

“Cat-love no longer bears social stigma – for either sex,” notes Kate Heyhoe, founder of StarkRavingCat.com.

“A few years ago, The New York Times wrote that modern cat ladies are hip, saying ‘Having a cat is like wearing a badge of independence.’ Now, posts like #guyswithcats on Instagram and MenwithCats.com feature photos of proud men with their cats. I’ve seen burly bikers nuzzling Fluffy, and ‘Guys with Kittens’ calendars. Headlines like ‘10 Reasons to Date Guys with Cats’ prove that manly cat-love has finally come out of the closet,” adds Heyhoe, noting that TV’s Cat Daddy Jackson Galaxy has also made a huge impact. (Even tech billionaire Larry Ellison loves cats: he recently bought a Hawaiian island, one with a sanctuary for 400 feral cats.)

Heyhoe adores men who are cat-crazy. “At StarkRavingCat.com we didn’t set out to target men, but we soon realized that guys were buying our Catnip Joints in droves. And women were buying them as gifts for their cat-loving men friends. Our favorite toys, Wand, Worm and Feather Toy Set and Scatterball Sampler Set, are great gifts for any cat-lover, man or woman, but they also fill a special niche for guys who don’t want pink or frou-frou cat toys.”

Catnip Joints have become trendy props for cat photos and videos on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Stark Raving Cat’s Catnip Joints look amazingly like the real thing, but these joints are filled with premium catnip – all leaves, no stems – and potent enough to fire up even the most lethargic cat. They come with a gift card explaining they’re “legal in all 50 states…for recreational use.” Buy them in sets of three or five, or as a Paraphernalia Pack, with a telescoping “roach clip” that extends 32 inches. The Nirvana Pack features a handmade Indian stash bag, a dimebag of catweed, and three Catnip Joints

Cat daddies will be superheroes when they bring home a Baby Batnip. Our original black Goth bat has been replaced by more colorful Baby Batnips. Cats capture the Batnip in the air, swat the wings, bite the head, and kick it with their feet. An optional Telescoping Wand with Clip and Cord make Batnips crawl, bounce, and fly.

“Cats and bats go together,” Heyhoe explains, “not just on Halloween, but all year long.” On Instagram, there are over 50,000 posts using the hashtag #batcat, while the tag #Baturday puts the ‘bat’ in #Caturday. “We’ve added our own hashtag for #BATNIP, and photos of cats and Batnips are already starting to pop up.”

“My fellow cat ladies get special love at StarkRavingCat.com, too,” notes Heyhoe. They can dress like their cat, with Matching Neko Bell Earrings and Cat Collars . Neko is the traditional Japanese Lucky Cat, and the painted copper bell has a charming jingle to it. “It’s the purrfect gift for the cat lady in every guy’s life,” she adds, “because it says I love both you and your cat.”

About StarkRavingCat.com

StarkRavingCat.com makes hip, handmade toys, cards and gifts for cats and cat-lovers, created by Kate Heyhoe in 2014. The small batch, artisanal products range from catnip joints to greeting cards to cat-themed jewelry, and are made near Austin, TX, USA. Besides the web-store at StarkRavingCat.com, there is also a Stark Raving Cat shop on Etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop/StarkRavingCat, and the company welcomes wholesale inquiries. Kate Heyhoe is an award-winning cookbook author turned Professional Cat Lady; she runs the Coffee and Cats Community on Google Plus and can be found catting around on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, with CEO Tamale the Cat. Hi-res product images and samples are available. To showcase these goods in new product and holiday gift guides, Contact us.

Luck, Money, or Love: Which Will Neko Bring?

January 7, 2016 by Kat Maran Leave a Comment

How lucky is your Neko cat? Are you 10 million yen lucky? Or is your luck measured in romance or long life?

All Neko cats are lucky, but not in the same way. This traditional Japanese talisman (also known as Maneki Neko, meaning Beckoning Cat) dates back to Japan’s Edo Period (1600s).

While the basic symbol is the same – an upright cat with paw raised – the cat’s paws, color, and gift indicate the type of luck bestowed. For instance:

Paws:
• Right paw raised brings money and good fortune
• Left paw raised draws in people and customers
• Both paws raised protects home or business
• The higher the paw, the more luck conveyed

Color:
• Calico for the best of all luck
• White for purity, creativity, and a positive future
• Black for warding off disease and evil
• Gold for money and wealth
• Other colors: red (marriage), green (learning, education), pink (romantic luck)

Gift Being Held:
• Gold coin: A koban, worth a huge sum of money
• Fish: A carp, a symbol strength, courage and determination
• Daruma: Japan’s name for the Bodhidarma, founder of Zen Buddhism
• Ema: Prayer tablet; people write wishes on it to leave at temples
• Other gifts: gold ingot (wealth), hollow gourd (longevity, wisdom), daikon radish (bounty, abundance)

Neckware:
• Neckerchief or bib – Cats in the Edo period wore these as decoration
• Red Collar with bell – also decorative, and to hear the cat’s whereabouts
• Some Neko cats have all three: collar, bib, and bell

Shopkeepers display Neko cats to bring in good business. If you have an online business, you may want to display Neko on your main page, or keep one by your computer.

Better yet, put a Neko on your cat’s collar – because as we all know, cats love to come between you and your computer.

Shopper’s Note: Our Lucky Cat Bell on Breakaway Collar is the purrfect gift for cats and cat-lovers, and the ideal way to ring in Lunar New Year. Only at StarkRavingCat.com.

– Kate Heyhoe
StarkRavingCat.com

Santa’s Catnip Joints and Holiday Gifts

December 10, 2014 by Kat Maran Leave a Comment

Santa’s Rocking Stocking Catnip Joints: Put the Ho-Ho-Ho in the Holidays
Stark Raving Cat’s New Gifts for Cat Lovers

Santa stocking with red and white catnip joints, matching Neko collars and earrings, and hip new gifts rock the holiday gift lists for cat ladies and cat dudes.

Austin, TX – Catnip Joints look real enough to land you in jail. But these Stark Raving Cat toys are filled with cat weed – super-potent, premium catnip – legal in all 50 states (for recreational use). Cats and cat-lovers adore them, and this year Santa’s giving them an extra boost.

A festive new Santa stocking adds extra cheer to catnip joints, but don’t let Fluffy attack them just yet. “Cats instantly smell them. Some rip the joints right out of the mailers,” says Kate Heyhoe, founder of StarkRavingCat.com, home of the original Catnip Joint.

Santa’s Rocking Stocking Catnip Joints is a limited edition set for hanging on tree or mantle. A red-and-white pair of catnip joints (topped with tiny Santa caps) peeks out from a traditional red stocking. Plus, there’s a bonus gift: a silver cat-and-mouse charm hangs from the front, and doubles as a collar charm or pendant.

“You can personalize the stocking by tucking in your own cat treats – in case your cat gets the munchies,” notes Heyhoe. “Enjoy the stocking year after year – if your cat doesn’t destroy it first.” Santa’s Rocking Stocking Catnip Joint set sells for $15.00

What do cats think of catnip joints? “Cats don’t actually smoke the catnip joints, but they mouth, sniff, drool, and slobber all over them. Toss one in the air like prey, and watch kitty bat at it; then toss another, and another, and another. The more you toss, the crazier your cat becomes,” Heyhoe says. Social media posts on Instagram, GooglePlus, and YouTube show cats grasping a joint between the paws and holding it to the mouth. “Mega-cute and so real looking,” she adds.

Catnip Joints also come in 3-Pack and 5-Pack sets; a Nirvana Pack with Indian stash bag; and as Rainbow Joints in six happy colors. “Premium Catnip. No fillers, just leaves and buds” reads the Stark Raving Cat label. They’re made in the USA, using a hand-sewn cotton case. “That’s it, nothing more,” notes Heyhoe.

About StarkRavingCat.com

StarkRavingCat.com specializes in small batch, artisanal gifts for cats and cat-lovers. “The New York Times has said today’s modern cat ladies are hip, and cat lady chic is a definite look. This year we’re seeing cat men in the spotlight. Guys with cats, cat dads, and cat dudes are trending,” explains Heyhoe. “Men who love cats especially love catnip joints and related paraphernalia, like our Telescoping Clips. Cat ladies like to make fashion statements. So we designed matching earrings and cat collars, with little Neko bells, for hip cats and their cat ladies.” Neko is the Japanese Lucky Cat symbol, and a favorite icon of cat people.

If you want to give something truly unique, Stark Raving Cat has a list of gift solutions for cat dudes, cat ladies, cats and kittens, and every cat-lover on Santa’s list. “Our products are not mass produced, each is designed in-house, and made by hand with love and care,” notes Heyhoe, “so you can pretty much guarantee your gift will stand out, and put the ho-ho-ho in the holidays.”

Stark Raving Cat’s Gifts for Cats and Cat Lovers includes:

• Santa’s Rocking Stocking Catnip Joints, with red-and-white catnip joints, a silver cat-and-mouse charm, and red stocking for hanging on tree or mantle (Limited Availability)

• Matching Neko Bell Earrings and Cat Collars, with Lucky Cat bells for fashion conscious cat ladies and cats (Basic Set or Deluxe Set with Gift Packaging).

• ACME Cat Bombs and ACME TNT Sticks, to fire up cats in explosive play

• Catnip Joint Sets, 3-Pack or 5-Pack, for cat lovers of all types

• Nirvana Pack, catnip joints in a handmade Indian stash bag, with extra catnip

• Rainbow Joints, in six designer colors (including Pink Phloyd, Mendocino Gold, Orange Sunshine) with Indian stash bag made from sari scraps ($19.50)

• Telescoping Wand with Clip and Cord, extends 32 inches with six feet of stretchy cord for attaching to BATNIP, catnip joints, or other toys

• Paraphernalia Pack, Telescoping Wand with Catnip Joints gift set

Stark Raving Cat products are handmade in small batches and in limited supply. Find them online at StarkRavingCat.com or on Etsy at the StarkRavingCat store.