My cats had terrible plaque and horrendous bad breath. You could smell their breath from across the room. I was struggling with the idea of taking them to the vet to get their teeth and gums scaled and cleaned, but, because it requires anesthesia And they are both old? I wasn't comfortable with it - they are terrified of the vets office, and anesthesia can be dangerous; deadly even. I read somewhere that these silvervine sticks could help I bought a couple. The worst thing that could happen is they would have yet another toy that they will probably get bored with after a day or two. LolAs far as a toy goes? They just love this one. It seems to excite them AND? They still love it!! After a few weeks! They are very attached to their silvervine sticks (or voodoo sticks as my boyfriend likes to call them.)But what the sticks did for their teeth and gums needs to be shared. They no longer are in pain they are no longer rubbing their gums against the furniture and their breath is sweet. No bad breath AT ALL! THEY WORK! The sticks are all natural and they are fun for the cats! It’s a win-win!!I am very thankful that I don’t have to put the cats under anesthesia, they are family - they are loved - and it can be dangerous. And let’s not forget about, the huge veterinarian bill that would have to be paid. Gum and teeth scaling is not an inexpensive procedure.The cats get a good grip on this toy and really DIG at it, gnawing on one end while ripping at the other end with their back legs, and the twine barely even frays. The little streamer ends are a great feature, they're a little noisy and the cats get excited when they hear it ruffle. My kitten doesn't have all his adult teeth yet and he will chew on anything, and I like to steer him away from... hard plastic toys and redirect his attention to one of these. A great buy!Overall my kitty LOVES this toy. He loves chewing on the stick - only problem, the bark came off in his mouth and got stuck a few times. Very small pieces so I was able to get them out. I ended up scratching off the rest of the outside layer of the stick to be safe. Other than that, wonderful product and will be buying another once he wears it out!Not sure what it is about these things but my cat loves chewing on them like a beaver chews wood. Haha!Bigger than I thought and well made.My cat immediately liked these sticks. Theyve held up well but after several months they are looking a little raggedy. She still likes it though :)It's OKI bought it for one of my cats that loves green fluffy mushroom shaped toys. My other cat started playing with it when she saw it so I had to buy a second one so they would exh have one