Laser toys?

[harris415]

How does everyone feel about laser toys? i’m thinking it’s for some cats and really not for others. Iris and I have tried playing with them and we used to when he was little until i read an article saying it wasn’t the best for them. He makes these like chirping noises that i’ve seen a lot of cats make online?? i’ve taken it as him being frustrated he can’t actually grab it therefore switched to wand play. just curious about others experiences really

 

[neely]

All our cats have loved the laser toy. I wait until the room is dark because the red light shows up better at night. You have to be careful not to shine the light near their eyes but otherwise they go crazy for the laser toy. They chase it all over the house.

 

[harris415]

All our cats have loved the laser toy. I wait until the room is dark because the red light shows up better at night. You have to be careful not to shine the light near their eyes but otherwise they go crazy for the laser toy. They chase it all over the house.

would you say the chittering is normal? sorry to sound daft for whatever reason my heart just hurts if i feel he’s upset or frustrated and that’s just what i equate it to. i’ve never heard this noise from a cat before him!

 

[susanm9006]

The chirping/chattering may be him talking to the light the way a cat talks to outside birds or creatures. My cats have a
all loved the laser light when they were younger. It’s good exercise for them and easier in my arm than swinging a wand.

 

[neely]

The chirping/chattering may be him talking to the light the way a cat talks to outside birds or creatures. My cats have aall loved the laser light when they were younger. It’s good exercise for them and easier in my arm than swinging a wand.

Yes, I completely agree! Neely would get so excited about the laser that we used to say she'd make exorcist noises.

 

[harris415]

Yes, I completely agree! Neely would get so excited about the laser that we used to say she'd make exorcist noises.

awesome thanks for the feed back!! the fact that you guys said that makes me feel so much better i’d never heard it before and it just sounded so CRAZY lol

 

[Alldara]

I think the laser toy is great to have in your repertoire. If he's excited that's good!

 

[ArtNJ]

Cats are such great preditors that you wouldnt expect them to make an excited noise at the presence of prey. I'm not really too sure how the noise factors into things in the wild. Anyway, I agree with everyone else that its an excited, happy, hunting noise.

 

[Furballsmom]

I like to have a toy in the area, and at the end of playtime I shine the light on the toy and shut the laser off. I'm not particularly fooling anybody by doing this because Captain is too smart and has done some actual hunting in his days previous to us, but I harbor the hope that at least it keeps him from wondering what happened to that little dot if I were to just shut it off halfway up the wall or something.

 

[BellaBlue82]

I think the laser toy has been a hit for all of our cats, past and current. I will say that I got tired of the little key chain looking ones... So I use my "work" laser pointer now instead Lol. It lasts longer, and I can charge it with USB. I do make sure to keep it away from their eyes and face, but man they zoom after it like nothing else! Oh, they also get a "Good Kitty!" and a little frozen chicken treat when they "catch" it, just so they know they caught it and got a reward.

 

[cmshap]

I started a thread on this a few months ago, and we discussed some of the same issues raised here.

What's your opinion of laser pointers?

I have since been using one with Willy on a regular basis. The main reason being that he is a senior who doesn't have as much stamina as he used to, and doesn't play with other toys as enthusiastically. He is always ready to chase the red dot, so I like the exercise it provides.

I am still a little paranoid about shining it in his eyes, so I am always worried about that during play. I do realize that permanent damage would require longer exposure than what might happen during play, where the laser might pass over his eye for just a split-second. But I still worry about it, especially because when he can't find the dot, he looks in my direction (i.e., towards the pointer).

I try not to use it on more reflective surfaces. Carpeting and the couch are my main areas of use.

 

[theyremine]

We have cat behaviorist who works with our rescue who believes laser toys are not good for all cats. In the hunting process, a cat needs to catch the prey at some point. To not be able to do that frustrates some cats. She also advises to give the cat a treat/bit of food at end of the session. Again mimicking the natural process of hunting.

 

[cmshap]

In the hunting process, a cat needs to catch the prey at some point. To not be able to do that frustrates some cats.

I weighed that, personally, but my 10-year-old gets more excited by the laser pointer than any other toy, so I use it as part of every play session to give him the most exercise.

I just use it as one toy out of several, and I don't end play sessions with the laser pointer. I make sure he has something to catch as the last thing he plays with.

LIke I said in an above post, I am more concermed with impact on eyes than anything else, especially because I use the laser pointer pretty much every day. But I am as careful as possible.

 

[Alldara]

We have cat behaviorist who works with our rescue who believes laser toys are not good for all cats. In the hunting process, a cat needs to catch the prey at some point. To not be able to do that frustrates some cats. She also advises to give the cat a treat/bit of food at end of the session. Again mimicking the natural process of hunting.

I'd be curious to know why behaviourists recommend things that can frustrate a cat like watching birds etc through a window or on a TV, but not a laser pointer. I've been confused by that for awhile! If you ask, please do tell us the response

 

[cmshap]

I'd be curious to know why behaviourists recommend things that can frustrate a cat like watching birds etc through a window or on a TV, but not a laser pointer. I've been confused by that for awhile!

I wonder about that, too. I assume that it probably has to do more with human behavior than anything else.

In terms of interactive toys, using a laser pointer is so much easier, and you can be lazy while playing with your cat. I can imagine that some people start relying on it more and more, and don't give their cats as much enrichment as they could by actually playing with them using interactive toys.

Also, I imagine that from the cat's perspective, they don't quite see the laser pointer dot as an extension of their human, in the manner that they see other interactive toys like wand toys. So in addition to being a less enriching way to play, they also don't help to develop the bond between cat and human as well as other interactive toys.

Cat TV and window-gazing also aren't enriching forms of play, but they aren't meant to be. They are meant to add enrichment to the environment, and to give the cat something to do outside of playtime. So they are kind of in a different category.

All that being said, laser pointers have their place. Like I said, I use one in every play session, mainly to encourage exercise. I don't use it to replace other forms of play, but to add more physical activity to it. I think they are perfectly fine to use in this manner.

 

[harris415]

I started a thread on this a few months ago, and we discussed some of the same issues raised here.

What's your opinion of laser pointers?

I have since been using one with Willy on a regular basis. The main reason being that he is a senior who doesn't have as much stamina as he used to, and doesn't play with other toys as enthusiastically. He is always ready to chase the red dot, so I like the exercise it provides.

I am still a little paranoid about shining it in his eyes, so I am always worried about that during play. I do realize that permanent damage would require longer exposure than what might happen during play, where the laser might pass over his eye for just a split-second. But I still worry about it, especially because when he can't find the dot, he looks in my direction (i.e., towards the pointer).

I try not to use it on more reflective surfaces. Carpeting and the couch are my main areas of use.

thank you for the link!!! much appreciate the feedback. glad that the laser still gets Willy up and going!!!

 

[lesleigh]

My cats have always loved laser pointers. Rocket learned the sound of the little chain on the dollar tree kind. Now I have to take the chain off so he doesn't go berserk if I use it for something else!

 

[Alldara]

I wonder about that, too. I assume that it probably has to do more with human behavior than anything else.

In terms of interactive toys, using a laser pointer is so much easier, and you can be lazy while playing with your cat. I can imagine that some people start relying on it more and more, and don't give their cats as much enrichment as they could by actually playing with them using interactive toys.

Also, I imagine that from the cat's perspective, they don't quite see the laser pointer dot as an extension of their human, in the manner that they see other interactive toys like wand toys. So in addition to being a less enriching way to play, they also don't help to develop the bond between cat and human as well as other interactive toys.

Cat TV and window-gazing also aren't enriching forms of play, but they aren't meant to be. They are meant to add enrichment to the environment, and to give the cat something to do outside of playtime. So they are kind of in a different category.

All that being said, laser pointers have their place. Like I said, I use one in every play session, mainly to encourage exercise. I don't use it to replace other forms of play, but to add more physical activity to it. I think they are perfectly fine to use in this manner.

If a cat can associate that a spray bottle with their human, they can a laser pointer as well. It's only out when we are around.

As for window watching, the reason why it's enrichment is because the cat's hunting instinct is triggered. They don't get any catch, or even hunt and pounce. So I don't see how it's any less frustrating; sounds more so. That's why I'm curious to learn why an actual behaviorists recommend one and not the other.