5 Reasons to Try a Silvervine Stick Before You Get a Second Cat (and Why Every Cat Needs Their Own)
Everyone's answer to a bored cat is a second cat. Plenty of owners who tried it ended up with two bored cats. Here's a cheaper first step you can undo, and how to do it right if you already share your home with two or more cats.
It's 4:30 in the morning and your cat is standing on your chest again. You look it up, and the answer is always the same: he's bored, get him a friend. Strangers gave that advice in 135 of the 323 bored-cat threads we read on Reddit.
Some of the owners who took it wrote back. "I got a 2nd cat because my cat got bored when I wasn't there... So now I have 2 bored cats."
Before you fill in the adoption form, try what Japanese cat keepers have given their cats for generations: a silvervine stick to chew. And if you already share your home with two, three or more cats, here's why one stick each makes more sense than one stick to share.
1. Japanese cat keepers have given their cats silvervine to chew for generations.
In Japan, silvervine is called matatabi, and there's an old saying, neko ni matatabi, "matatabi to a cat", for something that's hard to resist. Cat keepers there give it to their cats to chew.
The chewing is the point. It keeps teeth clean and helps fight dental disease, which most cats show signs of by age 3 (AVMA). A Meowie stick is wrapped end to end in rough jute twine, so the teeth get something to work on every session, with no toothbrush fight. With more than one cat, that's one more reason to give each cat their own.
2. A bored cat may not need a friend. He may need a catch.
A cat's day runs on one loop: hunt, catch, eat, groom, sleep. Wands and lasers give the chase over and over, with nothing at the end. A toy that stops moving may as well not exist.
A second cat doesn't change that. It's company for the same unfinished hunt, and three weeks in, plenty of owners post the same line: "they just tolerate each other."
The owners who fixed their nights describe one routine. A short play session at the same time every evening, where the cat gets to catch the toy, then dinner. A silvervine stick gives that hunt its ending: something to grab, bite and kick.
Try this for two weeks first
- The hour before dinner, play with a wand for 10 minutes, like prey. Let your cat catch it.
- Put down a stick. Let your cat rub, bite, roll and kick it. Stay in the room.
- Feed dinner after.
- Write down what time your cat wakes you up. Just the times.
- One stick per cat. Cats don't share.
It costs less than a second cat, and you can undo it.
3. Usually only one of your cats likes a new toy. The one who ignores catnip may still go for the fruit.
Cats don't all react to the same things. In a 2017 study in BMC Veterinary Research, about 1 in 3 cats didn't respond to catnip at all (Bol et al., 2017). So when one cat loves the catnip mouse and another walks right past it, it isn't favoritism, and it isn't a broken cat.
Silvervine (Actinidia polygama) is a different plant. In the same 2017 study, 8 of 9 cats responded to silvervine's gall fruit, compared with 1 of 8 to the wood chips. Every Meowie stick has a gall fruit, so your catnip-proof cat gets a real turn too.
The part cats went for
Cats that responded, Bol et al., 2017
Every Meowie stick: silvervine wood plus one gall fruit.
4. One stick each means nobody waits their turn.
One stick in a multi-cat home tends to end the same way. One cat guards it, one cat steals it, and one cat gives up.
Our advice is simple: buy enough so nobody has to share. Give each cat their own stick, in their own spot, at the same time. Then put the sticks away when they're done and bring them out another day. A stick that lies on the floor for weeks becomes part of the floor.
How many sticks for your home?
| Cats | Our pick | Works out to | Per stick |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cat | 5 or 10 sticks | 5 to 10 for one cat | $8.00 or $5.00 |
| 2 cats | 10 sticks | 5 each | $5.00 |
| 3 or more | 20 sticks | 5 each for 4 cats | $4.25 |
A suggestion, not a rule. With several cats you go through sticks faster, so the 20-pack costs least: $4.25 a stick, $74.97 less than four 5-packs. Subscribing? 10 sticks are $39.99 a month ($4.00 a stick) and 20 sticks are $67.99 a month ($3.40 a stick). Both ship free. The 10 and 20-packs come with the free Cat Wellness Planner (16-page printable).
5. The guarantee covers the whole order, opened.
WHOLE
ORDER
With several cats, you can't know who'll love it and who'll shrug until the pack is open. So our guarantee doesn't care whether it's open.
If you're not happy for any reason, email us within 60 days of delivery with your order number and we'll refund what you paid for the order. You don't need to send anything back. Most stick guarantees we've read need the pack unopened or sent back. That's what makes this a cheap first step, not a big one.
Pick your pack
Subscriptions renew monthly at the same price. Skip, pause or cancel anytime from your account. The 10 and 20-packs and every subscription come with the free Cat Wellness Planner (16-page printable).
Questions
We're thinking about a second cat. Should we try this first?
We would. It's cheaper, and you can undo it. Give it two weeks with the evening routine in reason 2 and write down when your cat wakes you. Some cats really do want company, and that's a fine reason to adopt. Boredom on its own often isn't.
Do I really need one stick per cat?
You don't have to, but it's what we suggest. Cats tend to want the toy another cat has, and a stick each means nobody waits. Put them down in different spots so each cat can find their own.
One of my cats ignores catnip. Is it worth trying?
About 1 in 3 cats don't respond to catnip (Bol 2017). Silvervine is a different plant, and in that study 8 of 9 cats responded to the gall fruit. Every Meowie stick has one. No plant works on every cat, so the guarantee is there if yours still shrugs.
What if one cat loves it and another doesn't?
That happens, because reactions vary from cat to cat. Try the shy one on their own, in a quiet room, for a few minutes. If you're not happy with your order for any reason, the 60-day guarantee covers the whole order, with no return needed.
Which pack should I get?
Our suggestion: 1 cat, 5 or 10 sticks. 2 cats, 10. 3 or more, 20. The 20-pack has the lowest price per stick, at $4.25.
How does the subscription work?
Subscribe and save 20% on any pack: 10 sticks are $39.99 a month and 20 sticks are $67.99 a month. It renews monthly at the same price, ships free and comes with the free Cat Wellness Planner (16-page printable). Skip, pause or cancel anytime from your account. No cancellation fees, no minimum.
Is it okay for them to chew it?
Chewing is the point: it keeps teeth clean and helps fight dental disease. Silvervine sticks are a toy for supervised play. Give each cat their own, put them away after the session, and replace a stick once it's worn, splintering or missing its fruit.
One cat, one stick. Covered for 60 days.
Try Meowie for 60 days → 60-day money-back guarantee. Opened is fine, no return needed. Not sure? Take the cat quiz →