Kit-Cat Help

On the off chance your Kit-Cat Clock isn’t working properly, here’s some easy steps you can try first to get it working.

The Kit-Cat Clock keeps accurate time, but the tail doesn’t wag and the eyes don’t look around.

The Kit-Cat Clock is extensively tested by the manufacturer before leaving the facility. However, bumps and shakes during shipping can cause minor problems―and this is one of them. Don’t sweat it, it’s also one of the easiest to fix!

  1. First, try fresh batteries. It’s easy to overlook, but if the juice in the batteries is low, there may be enough power to keep time, but not drive the tail and eyes. Make sure they’re in the right way around, too.
  2. Take your clock off the wall, turn it around, and examine the J-clip in your clock. You can find this part where the eyeball’s bottom pin fits into the clock case. It’s about half an inch long, wide on the bottom, and short on top. Once you’ve identified the J-clips, remove the eyes from them and then re-seat them in the clip, making sure they’re snug. It’s important that the eyes are seated firmly and off the case; if not, friction can cause the problems you’re experiencing.
  3. There may be dust, debris, or another blockage in the eyes that are causing friction. You’ll need to remove the eyes to clean and inspect them. Don’t worry, we can help with that too!
    1. Pull the J-clips from step two off, and set them aside.
    2. The stems in the center of each eye piece need to be removed from the lever. Find the lever and bend it back; the stems will fall out of the lever.
    3. Gently apply pressure to the top of the eye piece―just enough to get the pin out of the hole, and remove the eye piece through the back of the clock.
    4. Use compressed air or blow in the holes those eyes just came out of to try and remove any debris. Examine the pins of the eye piece to make sure there’s no debris or a plastic burr (you can use a nail file to remove a burr). Wipe the eyes down with a non-abrasive cloth and mild detergent and water to make sure they’re free of any invisible film or coating.
    5. Now follow the steps above backwards to reinstall the eyes. Your Kit-Cat Clock’s eyes have a top and bottom pin, and orientation matters! The pin on the top of the eye is half-rounded, and the pin on the bottom is fully rounded, so make sure it’s the right way up. Remember to use gentle pressure to seat the pins in the holes!
    6. Reinstall the J-clips, and make sure they’re fully seated. Align them straight forward.
    7. Put the stems back into the lever―if you can’t remember where, they go into the inside slots, nearest the centre.

All that legwork should fix your problem. If not, here’s some more things you can try:

  • Give your Kit-Cat Clock a little clearance from the wall, so it tilts forward a little to help reduce friction.
  • Inspect the batteries. Is the tape off the contacts and the batteries? Are the contacts corroded? Do the batteries fit snugly?
  • Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with the clock, but the wall it’s on! Walls can bow inwards and outwards. If the wall isn’t plumb and straight, it’s usually not a problem, unless it’s a significant bow. Just try moving it to a straighter wall!

Remember not to hold the clock in your hands, or lay it flat―the clock is very sensitive to vertical positioning and needs a stable and straight platform to work properly.

The eyes of the Kit-Cat Clock are moving freely!

One or both eye stems have slipped from their slots in the lever from handling. You can fix this problem by re-seating the eye stems in the back of the clock. Turn your clock over and take a look at the eyes from behind. Note the stem in the center of each eye. If those stems have come loose, find the black slots at the top of the lever. Bend those slots gently backwards, and reseat the stem. Use the ones nearest the center of the clock.

The eye has come out of the socket of my Kit-Cat Clock!

That must be uncomfortable! If the eye has actually broken, or the pins on the eyes have broken, contact the Canadian Clock Company, and we’ll source a replacement eye for you.

If the eye has simply become unseated, you can reinstall it yourself. Make sure the eye is oriented properly―the bottom pin is fully rounded, and the top pin is half-rounded. First insert the bottom pin, then apply gentle pressure and seat the top pin.

The hands fell off my Kit-Cat Clock!

He must be thankful it wasn’t his paws! First, we’ll need to check to make sure the clock isn’t broken from rough handling during shipping. Do you see the stem that holds the hands on the front of the clock. Gently try to move it. Does it wobble, or move back and forth? If so, we’ll send you a replacement clock ASAP.

If the movement itself is solid, you can fix this problem yourself. First, find the minute hand and gently press it onto the stem. Rotate it to the 12 o’clock position to position the stem properly. Now gently remove the minute hand again. Place the hour hand on the stem, pointing to 12 o’clock. Now replace the minute hand on the stem over t
he hour hand, once again pointing it to 12 o’clock.

The hour hand hits one of the jewels on my jeweled Kit-Cat or Lady Kit-Cat!

You can solve this problem by gently prying up the hour hand.

My Kit-Cat Clock lost his bowtie!

The bowties are designed to be modular, so you can pop them off or replace them with a different bowtie of your choosing. This makes reinstalling the bowtie easy. Simply position the bowtie on the neck of the Kit-Cat and gently push the pins into the holes.

If your bowtie is broken or missing, contact the Canadian Clock Company for a replacement part.

How often do I have to “feed” my Kit-Cat Clock new batteries?

A clock that operates on two batteries will need the batteries replaced about every 9-12 months.
A clock that operates on one battery will need the battery replaced about every 3-4 months.
An easy way to tell when your batteries are getting low―the clock will still keep time, but the eyes and tail won’t move.

I have a different question!

Contact the Canadian Clock Company for assistance. The clock comes with a 1-year manufacturer warranty, and a 5-year dealer warranty.