I rescued Gomi, my ultra-fluffy, adorable, and growing-by-the-day Maine Coon kitten half a year ago.
Her energy levels have her careening around my house like a rocket-fueled pinball, so I thought that introducing a cat wheel would be a great way to get her to exercise without getting herself into trouble.
One Fast Cat’s seventh generation Cat Exercise Wheel and its impressive range of customization options grabbed my attention, and the team sent over a sample model to see how my giant kitten feels about it. Please bear in mind that every kitty is different, but here’s how Gomi and I felt about this stylish piece of exercise equipment.
One Fast Cat – 7th Generation Cat Exercise Wheel
First Impressions of the 7th Generation Cat Exercise Wheel
One Fast Cat gave me free range to customize Gomi’s wheel, and I went with a white base, with charming green jungle-themed foam padding with tree frogs scattered about its plush surface and dazzling light-up LED inline wheels that keep the large exercise wheel itself secured in place.
With its tall box and how the completed wheel stands just over four feet tall, I’ll be the first to admit that I was slightly intimidated by assembling it, but I’m thrilled to say how quick and easy it was to snap the wheel together like LEGO pieces in less than 20 minutes or so due to its straightforward directions and user-friendly design.
Specifications
- Price: $199.
- Colors: White, Black.
- Weight limit: Up to 25 pounds.
- Waste capacity: Up to ten days for one-cat households.
- Footprint: 13 inches wide by 48 inches long.
- Weight: 28 pounds.
- Height: 50 inches.
- Inline wheel options: Light-up LED, Black.
- Traction pad colors: Tropical frogs foam, koi pond foam, jungle leaves foam, grey felt, black felt.
Pros
- A breeze to assemble.
- Impressive array of stylish customization options.
- Sturdy construction.
- Easy to keep clean.
- Slim profile minimizes its footprint.
- Replicable traction pads.
Cons
- Some cats would rather bite the plush foam than run on it.
- Foam traction pads have an off-gassing odor that can last 48 hours or so.
- Light-up LED traction wheels are pretty, but may distract your cat from running on the wheel.
I’m really happy with the color options I went with as well: the vibrant jungle frogs are adorable, and it’s extremely cute to see its supporting wheels light up in a display of red, green and blue LED flashes when the big wheel spins- so cool!
One Fast Cat noted that there would be some off-gassing from the super-soft formamide-free EVA foam pads, and as someone who is used to reviewing memory foam mattresses, I wasn’t fazed by the mild “new bed smell” the wheel emitted for about two days. I’m sure I would have cut down the odor by half if I opened a window though!
Speaking of the foam pads, they function as removable “stickers,” that are meant to be peeled and replaced when active cats wear them down. I recommend taking your time when placing them because it’s tough to re-stick the foam segments due to the heavy-duty adhesive holding each piece securely in place.
Although the exercise wheel is over four feet tall, it is more compact that I expected because the front and rear of the wheel is little over a foot wide. It’s easy to set against a far wall I wasn’t using for anything in particular.
One funny mistake on my part was how the wheel would squeal at first when rotated- that is, until I realized that I hadn’t placed the wheel perfectly along its inline wheels. Once I did, it was silently smooth rolling for the wheel, and Gomi was ready to go!
But What Did Gomi Think?
The team at One Fast Cat sent me genuinely helpful training videos alongside a sample pack of cute, crinkly, and catnip-infused fishy toys to help get Gomi interested in her new wheel, but after spending a few minutes a day with the wheel, here’s how it went:
For whatever reason, Gomi has a weird tactile issue about standing on the foam pads, and she immediately bounces off the wheel like two magnets repelling each other.
Treats, toys, and all of the positive encouragement in the world wouldn’t get her to stand on the froggy surface for more than a split-second, but she DID enjoy the cushioned mouthfeel of biting the foam, which I immediately discouraged.
The closest I was able to get her to do the wheel was once where she moved her legs a tiny bit, but when the LED-infused wheels activated, she leapt off to enjoy the twinkly lights.
Even after disactivating the lights, Gomi refuses to walk, much less run, on the wheel. I sincerely don’t think there is an issue with the wheel itself, but more of a “my cat hates the feeling of foam padding underneath her paws” thing, and I should’ve gone with the fuzzy felt wheel padding instead.
Sadly, after a few weeks of trying, it’s clear that the wheel wasn’t for Gomi.
Who is the One Fast Cat Exercise Wheel for?
Despite One Fast Cat making their latest wheel durable enough for an extra-large kitty like mine to go wild on, a cakewalk to assemble, and a chic piece of pet equipment, Gomi simply wouldn’t give it a chance because of her extreme dislike of the foam texture under her paws.
She would rather play with the exterior of the wheel for whatever reason.
As much as Gomi runs around the house until she collapses into a panting fuzzy heap on the floor, I thought she would’ve taken to this wheel like a fish to water, but maybe she would’ve if I had picked a felt-lined variant instead.
One Fast Cat – 7th Generation Cat Exercise Wheel
In My Expert Opinion
In a nutshell, I still believe One Fast Cat did their best with their new exercise wheel, but please test your cat’s affinity for textures before buying the foam or felt version so your cat will be able to appreciate it that much sooner.
