Observed on 28 October 2026

A cat basket, four prices

A cotton-rope basket with cat-ear handles and a knotted ball: it can be found on AliExpress, on Walmart and in several shops, under different names and at very different prices. Here is what we recorded on 28 October 2026.

What we observed

• ObservedStimulicat displays the “Instinct Basket” at $79.95 each, crossed out from $159.95 (roughly double). Bundles are $135.95 for 2 (crossed out from $319.90) and $191.95 for 3 (crossed out from $479.85). The $79.95 line carries the label “Standard price” while a higher price is crossed out beside it. (Stimulicat, product page and capture of the price panel)
• ObservedAn AliExpress listing for a hand-woven cotton-rope sleeping basket with cat-ear handles and a ball is shown at €11.89 (“Deal of the Day”, 4 kg grey variant). The lowest price in the 30 days before the reduction is stated: €12.83. The listing shows 223 sales and 6 reviews. The price does not include shipping; customs duties are calculated at payment. (AliExpress, capture)
• ObservedMon Gros Matou displays “Le Nid du Matou” from €46.90, crossed out from €93.80 (-50%), exactly double the price asked. (Mon Gros Matou, home page)
• UnverifiedWalmart listings bearing the name “Stimulicat” and describing a cotton-rope basket with ears and a “toy tail” are offered by third-party sellers at $16.99 ($24.99 crossed out, + $7.99 shipping) and $40.99. (Walmart, search excerpts to re-capture)
• UnverifiedA pet retailer (Zooplus) offers, under the brand UAMLY, a braided-rope basket with “pretty ears” and a rope ball; its price was not recorded. (Zooplus)
• ObservedStimulicat's sales article states “4.8” and “over 12,000 reviews”. The same shop's product page states 4.7/5 from 6,860 reviews. (Stimulicat, sales article and product page)
• UnverifiedThe shop's Loox review page showed 1,941 reviews in a search excerpt, on a date we do not know. (Loox)
• ObservedThe guarantee is presented as 30 days in the site banner, 45 days on the product page (“we'll fix it, swap it, or refund it”) and 45 days “no questions asked” in the sales article. (Stimulicat, product page and sales article)
• ObservedThe product page displays “Clinically Studied” and “Vet Tested & Recommended”. A figure of 96% calmer cats is accompanied by the label “based on customer feedback”. No study is cited on the page. (Stimulicat, product page)
• ObservedThe page claims “3+ hours of hand-weaving per basket – not mass-produced in factories”; its FAQ states that the warehouses are “all around the world”. The AliExpress listing also says “hand-woven”. (Stimulicat, product page; AliExpress)
• ObservedThe sales article has a countdown and the label “Low Stock”; the product page says “we only have a few left” and a banner reads “Fall Sale: up to 50% off”. (Stimulicat, sales article and product page)
• ObservedThe page's FAQ specifies that the basket is made of “cotton and linen woven rope”. The sales article speaks of “natural rope” and contrasts it with synthetic materials. (Stimulicat, product page and sales article)
• ObservedThe same product has been published under several titles and addresses (“chemical-free … organic pillow”, “natural territory”, “natural scratcher”), with a different promise each time. (Stimulicat, Loox reviews linked to the page)
• ObservedThe product page footer mentions only “Stimulicat”, an e-mail address and a postal address in Delaware; no company name appears there. The site is offered in English, Dutch and German, and accepts European payment methods (Bancontact, iDEAL, Bizum, MB WAY, Satispay). There is no French version. (Stimulicat, product page)
• ObservedA promotional e-mail from Mon Gros Matou, read on 29 October 2026, invites the reader to join a free “VIP list”: “-30% on the whole site” and “reserved gifts” presented as “what the public won't get”. The list “closes on Tuesday 3 November at 23:59”; a postscript says a contest vote “ends tonight at midnight”. The site also displays crossed-out prices at -50%. (Mon Gros Matou, e-mail (capture))
• ObservedThis e-mail is signed “Chloé, founder of MonGrosMatou”. The site's legal notice names, as publisher and publication director, a person with a different name; the company name given is itself a person's name, with a SIRET number and an address in France. (Mon Gros Matou, e-mail and legal notice (captures))

What we cannot claim

• The identity of the product's manufacturer, and that the compared listings come from the same manufacturer: we saw visually very similar products, we did not establish that they are identical.
• That the shops mentioned are linked. A generic product can be resold by many sellers.
• That the reviews displayed by these shops are inauthentic: we have no evidence of that.
• That the crossed-out price was never charged: the archived history of these pages has not yet been consulted.
• The reason for the gap between the e-mail signature and the name given in the legal notice: it could be a first name used for communication, a co-founder or a person in charge of communications. We do not name individuals and do not publish their contact details.
• Stimulicat's company name and the seller's status: to be read in its terms and conditions.

Sources

• Stimulicat, sales article · accessed on 28 October 2026
• Stimulicat, “Instinct Basket” product page · accessed on 28 October 2026
• AliExpress listing (capture) · accessed on 28 October 2026
• Mon Gros Matou, home page · accessed on 28 October 2026
• Loox, Stimulicat reviews · accessed on 28 October 2026
• Walmart, annonce au nom Stimulicat · accessed on 28 October 2026

Corrections and right of reply

No correction so far.

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