How I turned my Simple Idea into a Cat Toy Revolution
I spend a lot of time with my cats and even more at home. I put a lot of energy into making sure I buy only great products for both, and the products I could never find were accessories for my pets that met my needs. I searched for well-designed cat toys, but all I found were tacky, cheaply made products. None of them entertained my cats the way I wanted, and they didn’t match the clean aesthetic of my home.
I asked myself, “if a fashion buyer who knows all the hacks to find great products couldn’t find anything, how would a consumer ever find something suitable?” —This was an illuminating thought.
So, I decided to create modern cat toys myself. As a fashion buyer, I knew this would be no easy task, and it turned out to be even more challenging than I would have thought.
Over the course of the last year, I worked through dozens of prototypes and sketches to dial in every detail. I went through multiple fabric and filling samples to find a perfect match. More than 90% of my designs ended up not seeing the light because I wanted something great and unique. The quest was tricky: I had to design modern cat toys that cats would go crazy for, making sure I’d be able to offer them at a fair price.
I ran into many different manufacturing roadblocks but never thought of giving up because I knew it was too important. I worked through each design challenge and continued iterating until each detail was perfect. Through this refinement process, the final designs were the best ever considered.
To validate interest in the toys, I spent all year creating a community of cat lovers and cat parents on TikTok and Instagram and questioning them about their needs. I used the results to iterate my toys based on their needs. I also tested the toys with many cats to ensure they piqued and sustained their interest. The final touch ended up adding a catnip bag with each toy to ensure the toys could be hidden for a few hours and then come out just like a new toy.
Making my first collection was a very long process, but I couldn’t be happier with the results. It’s almost time to put it out into the world and better the lives of many cat parents. Are you ready for the cat toy revolution?
You can also find out more about the process here, where our store was featured.
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