Review: 42666 Cat Birthday Party
Posted by MeganL,
Churro the grumpy cat has been a favourite of mine (and I suspect, of many others) since he was introduced to the Friends world in 2023.
In what I think is an inspired choice for a set, Churro is having a birthday party! He (or probably Leo, his human) has invited all of his feline friends for a day full of cat-oriented activities in 42666 Cat Birthday Party. To add to the fun, it's even in a treehouse!
Summary
42666 Cat Birthday Party, 321 pieces.
£24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99 | 7.8p/9.3c/9.3c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
If you love Friends cats, this is the set for you!
- Five cats
- Lots of cat activities
- Nice tree build
- Who doesn't love a cat birthday party?
- None
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
inside the box there are four numbered bags, two instruction books, and a small sticker sheet with appropriate party-themed stickers.
Minidolls and cats
There are two minidolls in this set, to the extent it matters, as this set is all about the cats. Leo has invited Paisley over to help chaperone. Apparently it's a cats only affair, as Paisley's bunny, Melody, is nowhere to be seen.
I originally thought the printed tiles the minidolls are holding were invitations, but instead they're boxes of cat treats. These humans are going to be very popular with the party goers!
Speaking of which, there are five (5!) cats in this set. Leading the charge is Churro, who (for the first time!) is wearing an expression that's decidedly not grumpy, and in fact looks rather surprised. Other guests include Nugget (seen in 42671 Plant Cafe & Flower Shop), Peri (seen in 42669 and 42670), Pluto (seen in 42649, 42654, and 42670), and Bear (who I think is new in this set).
I'm starting to feel bad for Pluto, who seems to be spending life eternally surprised, or perhaps suffering from PTSD from being stuck in a tree in 42670.
The completed model
The party is set in a tree house, which sounds pretty perfect for our celebrating felines. There are lots of things to do, and of course, a tree to climb. I love the brick built fish pinata! A sign attached to the tree shows that the party goers are in the right place to celebrate Churro.
The side view shows more of the activities available to the kitties. The fish hanging from a pole seems a little out of paws' reach, but perhaps that's the point? I like the balls of yarn (and the presents) that are interspersed among multiple levels.
The back view shows even more things for the attendees, including a water fountain on the top level (let's conveniently forget about where that water source is).
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the lovely foliage in the tree that uses multiple colours of green. It's a nice sophisticated touch which is perfectly in sync with this playset.
Churro/Leo/Paisley have thought of everything for the guests. True to form for Friends, there's a cat bathroom on the lower level.
The second level features some cat grass (per the set description), but I think it's catnip. There's a small ladder that lets the kitties get to the water fountain.
But that's not all! There's a birthday cake for Churro, which is especially enormous with a major fire hazard for a candle. At least, I hope all of that is cake - I originally thought those were cupcakes on the table, and there are four cupcakes for five cats. Churro's party planner needs to do some explaining for that oversight!
Or, perhaps it wasn't an oversight at all, and someone crashed the party.
(Note: party-crashing sloths not included in this set.)
Overall thoughts
What a super fun idea for a set! It's also in one of my favourite price points (around $30). The Friends team has historically done a great job with sets in this range, and this set is no exception. I love the premise of a cat birthday party, and the fact that it's Churro's birthday is well, icing on the cake.
I can't remember a set for this price that's included so many animals - five! Past party sets have been rather meager on the party goer side of things, but this one certainly doesn't skimp on that. There are even two minidolls for good measure, but I would have liked this set at this price even without them.
The tree is a fun build with lots of play activities. I love the graceful green foliage of the tree - it's really nicely done.
At $30, this is one of the sets from this year that I don't think is overpriced.
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11 comments on this article
Those are not cupcakes rather a paw-shaped birthday cake.
@whiteghost said:
"Those are not cupcakes rather a paw-shaped birthday cake."
Of course it is! I don't know why I didn't see that before. Thank you!
Also, you could make a fifth cupcake (if you wanted cupcakes) from the spare parts.
I am inclined to buy this just for the cats!
@whiteghost said:
"Those are not cupcakes rather a paw-shaped birthday cake."
That explains why Churro's licking his chops instead of scowling grumpily at the world...and it might also explain why he's such a 'unit'!
Even though we are not into Friends anymore, at the right discount it's still worth a thought.
Cat battle pack at long last!
Poor Pluto looks like Kash Patel's spirit-animal.
@Crux said:
"Poor Pluto looks like Kash Patel's spirit-animal."
I logged in for the first time in years just to appreciate this comment.
I suspect you're right about Churro being popular, considering that lego.com has three Churro digital wallpapers in the Insiders reward center. (My favorite is the one that says, "You can do it! But do you really need to?") Also, next time I place a PaB order, I'm going to see if Pluto's available there. I don't have any real interest in any of the sets with him, but that cat looks so much like Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service that I just have to own it.
@tedgarb said:
"I am inclined to buy this just for the cats!"
My sister and her husband, who live overseas, have two cats and I give them something for Christmas each year. Sometimes it's a practical thing for cat owners, sometimes it's a borderline gag gift. This LEGO set made the shortlist.