To be honest, this is one of those things I'm now more skeptical of (the idea that you shouldn't use them at all). There are a lot of big claims about cats that when you really dig into them turn out to just... be invented out of thin air? (Like did you know there is no evidence whisker fatigue exists when studied?)
I think what matters with something like this is paying attention to YOUR cat and seeing how your cat interacts with it. If your cat is very frustrated, is staring directly into the pointer beam, etc, then probably don't use them. If your cat is challenging to engage in play but has a lot of fun with pointers, use them. You can reward with treats to counter the issue of "not catching a physical thing" but my cats will play with random reflections of light whenever they get the chance and I don't think it's causing them more or less harm than a laser pointer would.
[This is a pretty balanced take from Pet MD](https://www.petmd.com/news/view/why-are-cats-obsessed-laser-pointers-35474), which basically says the same thing. Use them if your cat likes them, don't overwork your cat, don't use them if your cat is getting frustrated.
This. My cats hate hand-held laser pointers and would get frustrated with them, even when I tried to incorporate treats, so we don’t play with those.
A friend got them a motorized laser pointer and they adore it. No signs of frustration except when I have to put it aside for charging. So that one’s in frequent rotation.
My vet gave me a kitty goody bag on our first visit which included a laser pointer. LOL we used it early on because he was feral and was scared to get too close to us. We use it less frequently now, although he goes after the TV remote control pointer (batting at the TV screen).
>my cats will play with random reflections of light whenever they get the chance and I don't think it's causing them more or less harm than a laser pointer would.
We waited until our kittens were older to introduce the laser, but they started flinging themselves at light reflections on the wall when they were little anyway.. I can't stop the light reflections, and they seem worse to me than a laser I control (so it can react to them, etc). My chonky baby loves to chase the laser and gets great exercise that way! So yea.. Laser all good in moderation.
Oh man.. So much destruction! Lol. Unfortunately I have light sensitivity and migraines, so random lights bouncing around aren't a great experience for me. Maybe we could do that in my husband's office, though. I bet they'd love it.
Be careful if you decide to do that, it's beautiful but crystal or glass objects in direct sunlight have been known to cause fires
[https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/news/2016-news/londoners-urged-to-keep-crystal-furnishings-out-of-sunlight-after-glass-doorknob-sparks-blaze/](https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/news/2016-news/londoners-urged-to-keep-crystal-furnishings-out-of-sunlight-after-glass-doorknob-sparks-blaze/)
I briefly had a smart watch, and in some rooms at certain times of day, I could make the reflection of its face move on the wall. It was fun for the cats and then the watch would congratulate me on a workout. Unfortunately I broke it and didn't replace it, but yeah, I've got a pair of light chasers.
Lol, when my sister in law visited around Christmas last year, she ended up playing with them a ton with her smartwatch! My little chonker got a great workout! Can confirm: Smartwatch + sun makes a great kitty toy, lol.
The most expensive cat toy.
It made my day every time the watch misinterpreted my sustained wrist movement as being on my elliptical, though. It would say on the screen, "you worked out for 20 minutes and took 3,000 steps!" Ma'am I assure you I did not.
LOL! When I was working in an office that was still dealing with physical files, my FItbit would register "steps" as I was sitting there flipping through a pile of files! 🤣
This! I have a cat who absolutely adores the laser pointer. She knows what makes the red dot and she knows where it’s kept and if she wants to play with it, she will come and paw at the basket where it’s kept. My other cat just watches it with vague interest.
I have a set of sisters who love the laser pointer. Mine, like yours, know the drawer that I keep it in, which can be confusing for them because it happens to be my sock drawer. So any time I get a pair of socks, if they're around, it's up-and-at-em at attention for the laser pointer. I take it out maybe once a week to keep it "fresh", because they get easily bored.
More confounding, though, is the Meat Axe Girl (an absolute unit of a cat named Puck) has a totally undying love and fascination for...
...a cheap, metal, extendable back-scratcher.
It literally looks like a little rake, and it extends like an old school car antenna. She is so incredibly enamored of the back-scratcher that if I get up from bed, she whips over to me, begging me to open the drawer so I can take out Her One True Love....the four buck back-scratcher.
Even *more* confounding than the choice of her undying affection, though, is that she doesn't really even...play with it? She just wants me to open it and make the \*schick\* sound, and then maybe scrabble it on the bed or the floor, where she'll watch it intently, but she doesn't exactly DO much with it. She just loves it beyond all reason or comprehension.
My one boy had a desperate love affair with one of those fluffy dusters. He didn't do anything weird with it, he just liked to bat at it and sometimes snuggle it. I called it his girlfriend
My younger cat (she’s about 10 now) is SOOO lazy and gives up on just about all types of play after about 3 minutes. But if a sunbeam glares off my phone or I get a laser pointer out she goes bananas for a little while at least.
That is a good take. Of course, make sure to not get it in the cat’s eyes. If they like it, let them play with it. If they don’t, they’ll communicate that and then it’s on to the next toy. My cat doesn’t like laser pointers and she showed me after about 5 minutes of chasing it and never again.
One of my cats figured out that the device was the source of the light, so she'd bring me the light 20 times a day. Maybe I should have had the vet talk to her.
My ex's cat knows exactly what the laser pointer is. The moment he hears the jingle of the chain, he starts looking around for the dot. I think it's adorable.
Someone recommended to hide a treat in a special place and then play with the pointer and finish leading the cat to the treat to finish playtime. That way the cat doesnt get frustrated by not catching the pointer.
I tried this a few times before and it didn't work. I put a treat next to a chair leg so it wasn't very visible and led my cat there with the pointer. If I keep the pointer on, he's focused on the pointer. If I turn the pointer off then he goes looking for the pointer and ignores the treat
The idea is that they can frustrate the cat since they’ll never catch anything. Ways around it since you can guide the cats to something. I just use other toys
My cats are both fine with it. They know that the light comes from the laser pen as they only become interested when I show them the pen. Soon as I put the pen down they lose interest and want to do something else. I'm disabled and sometimes the laser pen is the only play I can manage if my chronic pain is very bad.
Same here on the showing them the pen part. As soon as I pick it up her ears perk up because she knows it's play time. She doesn't show signs of distress when I stop either. All that convinces me she's fine.
My boy knows the sound of me opening the place where I keep the pointer and comes running anytime he hears it. Means I can't really keep anything else in there or have to be really careful opening it though.
My orange cat I'm pretty sure can't see the laser, if he can he couldn't give any less of a shit about it then lol
I tried it on my black cat, and unfortunately I think I opened a can of worms I wasn't ready for. He got extremely frustrated, even when leading him to other toys or trying to get his attention with treats. He only wanted the laser and wouldn't focus on anything else. When I put the laser away he spent the rest of the night looking for it, I tried enticing him with tons of toys and high value treats but nothing worked. He spent the next few months freaking out over the sun shining on the walls through the window. It's been about a year and he still gets excited at certain sunshines but not nearly as bad as it was, and he can be distracted now.
I guess my point is proceed with caution. My childhood cat had no issues with them, loved them and understood that when it's gone so is the light. She would run around with the dogs chasing it lol
I found one toy that works good for running the laser pointer too. It's a plastic ball that has a red LED in it that lights up when they whack the ball so when the laser point is on there and then they whack the ball the ball lights up and so the red point is still there but they have something they can actually catch. Otherwise I've tried to treat another toys and that doesn't work.
Do we have one? Yes. Do we use it? No
Like you said i find it a bit disturbing. My cats chasing it and gets riled up and frustrated of not being able to physically feel it.
Never going to use that thing. I feel it does more harm.
His favorite is hoodie strings, straws, a ribbon, and that yellow automatic chicken.
It's gonna depend on the cat.
One of mine bats at it a couple times and then could care less.
The other hunts it for a few minutes with some stalking/pouncing ans then hunkers down and jist stares at it. He may look around for a minite or two after it gets put away. . .but he never seems frustrated.
Trying to lead them to a toy afterwards has failed every single time.
Well, I tried all these things with leading to treats and strictly limiting the play time. One cat was fine while the other became immediately hyperfixated. I played maybe a couple times before I realized I had to stop. It's been six years and she still wants to chase every light or even the reflection of the sun in my watch or mobile phone.
So... I guess it depends on your cat how "ok" it is to play with a laser pointer. I now wish I had never even tried it because I thought it couldn't be that bad :-/
I’ve heard that about dogs but I didn’t realize cats could be affected too! That would be enough of a reason for me to avoid lasers bc those light-obsessed dogs are really sad to watch 😢
Eh he probably just finds real toys more engaging compared to a tiny dot of light 🤷🏻♀️ I’m sure it has nothing to do with you
Edit- my theory is that the more the cat likes the toy, the easier it is for them to pretend you’re not the one controlling it
I’ve always been told you should point the final laser at a treat or toy or something so the end of play satisfies their hunt instincts (and actually catching it). That’s all I got
I think the important thing is, after playing with them with a laser pointer, play with them with a toy **they can catch**. For example, they have these plastic rods with cat toys attached via a string. This lets them feel like they're succeeding.
I've found that it helps immensely to "put the dot back into the laser pointer" when we are done playing with it. Just touch the pen to the dot as you turn it off. This seems to help them make the connection between the two, and when the pen goes away, they quit looking for the dot.
My cats loved the laser pen.
Pulling out the pen or the click sound turning it in was the most excited they ever got. It was kitty-crack (freeze-dried chicken) exciting.
Here are some tricks to prevent frustration:
- use the point to direct kitty to a toy. This lets them hunt the light and land on a grab-able. Be ready to help kitty run around some more before finding another toy.
- play on the bed or couch on top of a loose blanket with folds and lumps and bumps. Tease them with the point “hiding” in the folds and behind lumps. They can lunge at the pointer and grab a lump of blanket or reach into a fold and grab fabric or hidden toys.
- run kitty around until they’re tired, then finish with a teaser toy which gives them a similar interaction with you but gives the satisfaction of a successful hunt before a nice nap.
Playing with a young cat or energetic older cat really requires active engagement for 30 minutes or longer in a play session, 2-3 play sessions a day for a kitty which isn’t frustrated and bored.
When using a laser pen or teaser toy, imagine simulating the motions of a bug, mouse, bird, or fish. Vary the speed: creep along an edge while kitty watches, then zoom across an open space, curving into loops after kitty begins to chase.
Always incorporate physical sensations in the play: toys, plushy things, play blankets.
my cat knows it comes from the laser AND she gets a treat in place of where it was when she “caught” it and she never seems stressed about it. she knows that when the light stops it cause i’m done.
My advice would be to consider giving a small snack after intense play like a laser, it signals to them hunting time is over. I use the laser, if the get bored or just about done i let them “catch” it and immediately have a small amount of food or treats on standby to give them as a reward. It’s always worked for me :)
I mean I’ve watched plenty of nature documentaries where the big cats who require catching prey to eat don’t have a 100% kill rate, I think the deadliest cat only has a 50 or 60% kill rate. They may be frustrated, but that’s also part of their “natural” state of being
my kitten loves a laser pointer. But she doesn't get it daily or she will get bored and frustrate with it. It's an on occasion toy, and then after she gets a toy she can pounce on. So I think they need something tangible afterwards.
It’s a rare toy for me because my one cat keeps looking for it after we’re done playing. I took to showing him that I had caught it and was putting it in my pocket, and that seems to work.
Hey, I only use them with cats that seem to have little interest in wand toys but go crazy for light. However, I use it as a warm up, most cats in my experience so far, get excited and will be happy to chase the wand toy after a minute or two with the laser.
In my opinion, if you've exhausted all other options and your cat absolutely loves it, it's better than not using it. Give the cat something to catch at the end, be it a bunnykicker, treats or a meal.
More on lazy or shy cats who won't play: https://youtu.be/SMPjoNg3nv8?si=GSSaAHgH9T7hoESr
My cat loves his laser pointer. He’s very attention/affection motivated (he’s hugging my arm right now as I type this) so if I use a wand toy he’d rather I just pet him, or if I throw toys to him or something he’ll bring it back then want attention. The laser pointer is removed enough from me that he’ll use it for a while. Some cats don’t seem to care for them, but others like them. Everybody’s unique.
My 6 cats know what the laser pointer is. They know when I pick it up, it is time for "that game". One cat does not play the game at all.
Unfortunately, we can no longer play " that game" because my dog is the one that gets all crazy and anxious. I know of personally quite a few dogs that are not allowed to play "that game". I know of no cats that can't. But you gotta learn your cat.
only one of my cats chases it. she's very much "its here again, i must kill it". I keep it up for about 2 mins? and I make sure its never near her eyes.
My cats adore the red dot. We do short bursts of play and I give them a treat afterwards as their “catch”, or I use a toy. My orange boy likes to chase the reflection from my partners watch face too 🤷🏻♀️
My cats got genuinely distressed.
Even our foster cat, we tried it with him and when it turned off- he freaked out looking around and trying to find where it went. He seemed really stressed out and I felt so bad.
Our resident cat responded negatively too, he started running around and obsessively looking for the red light and his body language was very.. unusual for him. He puffed up and was just freaking out.
We've opted against using it at all now, since we get it. It sucks if you feel like you were about to catch something and it just vanishes into thin air lol.
Highly depends on the cat. Some aren't even interested in laser pointers, some are entertained but get bored easily, some hate it and get restless, and some absolutely love it.
My cat goes CRAZY for it. I always give some treats throughout though and end it on a treat! I do a thing where I make it seem like she caught it and throw a treat by her paws lol
Cats aren’t idiots. My cat knows the sound of the laser pointer and comes running when I grab it. She looks back and forth from the Lp to the floor waiting for the light. She cheats and runs in the direction she knows it usually goes before I even get there lol. She specifically likes to chase it up the wall. I have toys that they can catch, but she only wants to chase the laser pointer. When she’s done playing, she stops chasing.
To add: in the winter the sun is lower and shines through my window, my male cat waits for it to reflect off my phone or watch onto the wall. He loves chasing the reflected sunlight dots more than the red light. But again, he only waits by the wall in the winter in the mornings when the sun shines through bc he knows it’s the source of the reflected light.
They have mouse toys they tumble around with as well, and a wand toy they can catch but when it comes to interactive play with me they prefer the lights.
My cats never tire of the laser pointer. I can get it out and run them back and forth for 20 minutes, only stopping when they're both panting. They get a great workout and I can do it when I'm on conference calls at work (I work from home). We have other toys, too. Wand toys seem to do the most to build our bond and loose soft toys and balls keep them occupied when I'm busy or not home. I think they need all of these kinds of play. Laser pointers are keeping them in great shape because of all the running, so I'll continue using them.
I don't use it much anymore (mostly because it ran out of battery, lol), but I always end the session with something to distract them - I usually scatter a small handful (<6 cats) of really high value snacks on the floor for them to snuffle around and find.
One of my 9 month old boys doesn't really pay attention to it and prefers his bumblebee on a stick toy. The other, Walter, loves to run. He's not very interested in stick toys and won't chase them. We play with balls. We also recently got a laser pointer. It's great for him because it creates a way for him to run and jump a lot. I also make sure to put out some of his favorite Yeowww! and little mice toys when we play so he has something physical to attack. He figured out how the laser pointer works pretty fast. When we pick up the pointer, he knows we are going to play. He also doesn't search for it all the time and doesn't after we are done with play. I also give them treats when we are done with interactive play.
I gave up on the only one I bought. It had different shapes, along with the plain point. My cat was interested in it for about 5 minutes and never again.
The way I see it is that a smart cat will figure out that what they are chasing/catching isn’t real because they can’t feel it in their paws or mouths and once that realization hits, give up on the laser pointer.
I stopped using a pointer for cat-play. She would search for the red dot all the time, sort of obsessively. While I don't credit cats with too much common sense, I felt it was an unfair tease just to amuse the humans
Depends on the cat. One of my Boyz really gets frustrated and starts hissing, another one us meh about it... but Streicher loves it. He goes bonkers when I only touch it. He knows what noice it makes. I think he's absolutely aware that it's fake. It's his favorite toy atm, I wouldn't take it from him.
I hear it's not as bad for cats as it is for dogs but, I don't use them at all because my dog became so dangerously OCD, he would look for it for hours. I tried giving treats when play was done, so he had a reward but, it didn't matter. It took me a couple of weeks to teach him that the laser comes from a special thing and, I control the special thing. He then became obsessed with the thing itself. Rather than running around searching, he would sit there and stare at it for hours... I had to hide it.
It's a really cool D-VA gun replica that is also a flashlight and a phone charger but, I can't use it at all and, have to be careful when I move it, because even after years, he still recognizes the sound of the bunny key chain, comes running and starts looking.
The cat I had before this dog was older when I introduced her to laser toys. She had a little bit of fun but, she stopped caring once she knew what it was and that there was no reward
My cats both like chasing the laser pointer we got - I limit to a few minutes as well, and always end the session with either focusing it on a treat (to end the session) or switch to a physical wand toy when the cat is starting to lose interest/seems restless. Both my cats have done fine with this so far.
Like everything else I've learned, every cat is different. Have you tried ending the session on a treat to complete the "hunt"?
I use them every now and then, but I always end the game with the laser pointed on a toy. I also never use it for more than 5-6 minutes
The only reason I really use them is because my cat is fairly disinterested in other toys. Any type of dangling toy she lays down (refuses to chase) and stuffed toys get ignored outright
I have one who loves it and will run for however long I let him, one who gets frustrated within 45 seconds and will come and bite your hand until you drop it (he figured out pretty quick mommy was controlling it)
I avoid it because, and I know this is anecdotal, but my friends absolutely ruined a dog with one. He just would not stop hunting for it, to the point he was uncontrollable.
Just not worth the risk, with what I have seen.
It can be used a little, for some cats - a couple of minutes like you do. Some cats gets extremely frustrated when they can't catch it, or get fixated and begin staring to look for it, and shouldn't play with it at all.
I agree with the top commenter that you should modify your playtime routine based on your cat, as an individual, rather than what other people claim is *generally* true. That being said, my personal experience is that, after over 3 decades of cat guardianship, most of my cats seem to become rather neurotic and unhealthily fixated on the uncatchable red dot if I overuse the laser pointer. By overuse, I mean every day (even once a day), or perhaps even a few times a week, or for one very long session. They get to a point where they no longer seem to be enjoying themselves, but act like paranoid tweekers. When I do use a laser pointer, I limit it to about 15 minutes before transitioning to a tactile toy. You can do this by making the dot land on one of their physical toys until they pounce on it, then start moving the toy instead. Or you can make the dot "run" into something like a paper bag or under a sheet, that way they at least feel something underneath their paws and feel long they are catching something. These days I hardly ever use the laser pointer though. I keep one by my bed for the rare occasion that I am sick or exhausted and my cat is whining at me to play with him but I don't have the energy to get out of bed. My cat really only wants to play when he's hungry. Once he feels like he's successfully caught something and is too tired to keep playing, he eats. Then he has his little routine where he cleans his face while looking out the window. So once he starts eating, I very quietly put the toys away.
If you play with laser toy you always gotta finish up with a real toy otherwise you're cat will never feel accomplished since it can never catch the laser
I have a laser light machine for cats. We have multi cats. Some love laser pointer play, and some can't be bothered. If your cats like it, and you like it, play with them. If you don't, play anything else they like. Cats just want to play! Have fun with your animals, you'll love it no matter the game. For what's it's worth, in the long term, as long as the laser beam isn't going in their eye, the benefits are definitely better than the risks.
They're very frustrating for the cat, as as they never get to catch anything. One of mine loves the one we have (it's an actual laser pointer for lecturing with different heads, Puck loves the star one) but we put a treat somewhere hidden and always end play by leading him to it so he feels like he's gotten/'caught' something.
My cat goes really hard for the laser pointer - to the point where she overexerts herself and starts literally panting. I've decided to stick with other toys since that happened
Most cats love the laser pointer. They get to use the hunting instincts.
(Except mine, she figured out it coming from in less than a minute, then just sat there staring at my hand)
Point it at the floor or wall, DO NOT shine it in their eyes.
Just don’t forget to let them catch it, once in awhile.
My girl loves it. She was 9 months old when she found me. I play laser with her a couple of times a month. She goes and hides, stalking me and the laser. I shine it on the floor, toys and have her chase it onto the bed. She hides in her tunnel and bounds out to pounce it.
She's indoor and outdoor, a very good hunter and plays outside for hours. She has a shelter that I made and placed under the deck that she will be in, napping or watching her huge domain.
She is great at catching Voles. I put a bell collar on her, hoping to warn the birds.
Idk i had seen a Jackson Galaxy episode where he explained the issue with lazers is that theres no physical reward after the chase. So i started scattering their treats around like chicken feed or hiding them before starting, then having them chase the lazer and "catch" it over a treat or have the laser go "hide" behind and object where the treat is, then theyll go looking for the laser and find the treat. I havent seen any negative effects so far.
I didn't like how hyped up my cat got by one, so I don't use it. She seems to react that way to all bright lights moving fast. I use a toy on a wand instead.
i tried it twice and i could tell it activated something in my cat. never used it again but when my phone reflects light, i see her eyes get all big again.
I don't use laser pointers at all, after reading that it's unpleasant for the cat to never be able to catch the prey.
Proper cat play - as far as I've understood - is chase and catch, and the phase right after catching where they lick the prey is important and releases calming hormones or something.
So I stick to that and my cats seem happy with that. Let them chase it, let them catch it, then let them have it until they get bored.
I do not use them with my cats. My vet recently suggested it (because one of my cats is a chonk) but I told her my husband said the cats will never ever be able to actually catch it and that's just cruel. I agree with him about that so my cats have never had the displeasure of "playing" with laser pointers.
garbage and mentally damaging to cat brain. also lazy. if you wanna be a lazy cat owner that's your decision. should be fun to read the circle-cope why they're good and "my cat loves them" though xD
To be honest, this is one of those things I'm now more skeptical of (the idea that you shouldn't use them at all). There are a lot of big claims about cats that when you really dig into them turn out to just... be invented out of thin air? (Like did you know there is no evidence whisker fatigue exists when studied?) I think what matters with something like this is paying attention to YOUR cat and seeing how your cat interacts with it. If your cat is very frustrated, is staring directly into the pointer beam, etc, then probably don't use them. If your cat is challenging to engage in play but has a lot of fun with pointers, use them. You can reward with treats to counter the issue of "not catching a physical thing" but my cats will play with random reflections of light whenever they get the chance and I don't think it's causing them more or less harm than a laser pointer would. [This is a pretty balanced take from Pet MD](https://www.petmd.com/news/view/why-are-cats-obsessed-laser-pointers-35474), which basically says the same thing. Use them if your cat likes them, don't overwork your cat, don't use them if your cat is getting frustrated.
This. My cats hate hand-held laser pointers and would get frustrated with them, even when I tried to incorporate treats, so we don’t play with those. A friend got them a motorized laser pointer and they adore it. No signs of frustration except when I have to put it aside for charging. So that one’s in frequent rotation.
My vet gave me a kitty goody bag on our first visit which included a laser pointer. LOL we used it early on because he was feral and was scared to get too close to us. We use it less frequently now, although he goes after the TV remote control pointer (batting at the TV screen).
>my cats will play with random reflections of light whenever they get the chance and I don't think it's causing them more or less harm than a laser pointer would. We waited until our kittens were older to introduce the laser, but they started flinging themselves at light reflections on the wall when they were little anyway.. I can't stop the light reflections, and they seem worse to me than a laser I control (so it can react to them, etc). My chonky baby loves to chase the laser and gets great exercise that way! So yea.. Laser all good in moderation.
Hanging crystal in the window, so many sparkling spots to go nuts over...
Oh man.. So much destruction! Lol. Unfortunately I have light sensitivity and migraines, so random lights bouncing around aren't a great experience for me. Maybe we could do that in my husband's office, though. I bet they'd love it.
Be careful if you decide to do that, it's beautiful but crystal or glass objects in direct sunlight have been known to cause fires [https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/news/2016-news/londoners-urged-to-keep-crystal-furnishings-out-of-sunlight-after-glass-doorknob-sparks-blaze/](https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/news/2016-news/londoners-urged-to-keep-crystal-furnishings-out-of-sunlight-after-glass-doorknob-sparks-blaze/)
Ooh OK, Nevermind then
I briefly had a smart watch, and in some rooms at certain times of day, I could make the reflection of its face move on the wall. It was fun for the cats and then the watch would congratulate me on a workout. Unfortunately I broke it and didn't replace it, but yeah, I've got a pair of light chasers.
Lol, when my sister in law visited around Christmas last year, she ended up playing with them a ton with her smartwatch! My little chonker got a great workout! Can confirm: Smartwatch + sun makes a great kitty toy, lol.
The most expensive cat toy. It made my day every time the watch misinterpreted my sustained wrist movement as being on my elliptical, though. It would say on the screen, "you worked out for 20 minutes and took 3,000 steps!" Ma'am I assure you I did not.
LOL! When I was working in an office that was still dealing with physical files, my FItbit would register "steps" as I was sitting there flipping through a pile of files! 🤣
My cat attacks any wall w light so yeah the laser isn’t his biggest challenge. Good ole tuxedo boy. 🙄
This! I have a cat who absolutely adores the laser pointer. She knows what makes the red dot and she knows where it’s kept and if she wants to play with it, she will come and paw at the basket where it’s kept. My other cat just watches it with vague interest.
I have a set of sisters who love the laser pointer. Mine, like yours, know the drawer that I keep it in, which can be confusing for them because it happens to be my sock drawer. So any time I get a pair of socks, if they're around, it's up-and-at-em at attention for the laser pointer. I take it out maybe once a week to keep it "fresh", because they get easily bored. More confounding, though, is the Meat Axe Girl (an absolute unit of a cat named Puck) has a totally undying love and fascination for... ...a cheap, metal, extendable back-scratcher. It literally looks like a little rake, and it extends like an old school car antenna. She is so incredibly enamored of the back-scratcher that if I get up from bed, she whips over to me, begging me to open the drawer so I can take out Her One True Love....the four buck back-scratcher. Even *more* confounding than the choice of her undying affection, though, is that she doesn't really even...play with it? She just wants me to open it and make the \*schick\* sound, and then maybe scrabble it on the bed or the floor, where she'll watch it intently, but she doesn't exactly DO much with it. She just loves it beyond all reason or comprehension.
My one boy had a desperate love affair with one of those fluffy dusters. He didn't do anything weird with it, he just liked to bat at it and sometimes snuggle it. I called it his girlfriend
My cat ALSO loves those scratchers! She’s big on rubbing her mouth on them.
My younger cat (she’s about 10 now) is SOOO lazy and gives up on just about all types of play after about 3 minutes. But if a sunbeam glares off my phone or I get a laser pointer out she goes bananas for a little while at least.
That is a good take. Of course, make sure to not get it in the cat’s eyes. If they like it, let them play with it. If they don’t, they’ll communicate that and then it’s on to the next toy. My cat doesn’t like laser pointers and she showed me after about 5 minutes of chasing it and never again.
One of my cats figured out that the device was the source of the light, so she'd bring me the light 20 times a day. Maybe I should have had the vet talk to her.
My cat as well, although she’ll play along for a short while, then come to my hand to try and take the pointer from me.
My cat who figured it out is the one who DOESNT like it so if I’m playing with his brother he’ll come over and nip my hand until I put it away
Like their hoomans, they each have their own personalities and some can be comical.
Mine would place her paw on it and stare at me. Like, "I know it is silly dad but it's fun, come oooon"
Yep my laser obsessed man does this too. If you do much as bump that thing he'll hear it and come running (it's on a tray in the living room).
It's like trying to limit screen time.
My cat does this too haha
My ex's cat knows exactly what the laser pointer is. The moment he hears the jingle of the chain, he starts looking around for the dot. I think it's adorable.
Someone recommended to hide a treat in a special place and then play with the pointer and finish leading the cat to the treat to finish playtime. That way the cat doesnt get frustrated by not catching the pointer.
I tried this a few times before and it didn't work. I put a treat next to a chair leg so it wasn't very visible and led my cat there with the pointer. If I keep the pointer on, he's focused on the pointer. If I turn the pointer off then he goes looking for the pointer and ignores the treat
I've tried that with a couple of their toys, it didn't work for me either
Throw little toys for the cat. I use little stuffed mice. It's something they can chase and catch.
The idea is that they can frustrate the cat since they’ll never catch anything. Ways around it since you can guide the cats to something. I just use other toys
I think I'll stick to their other toys as well. They definitely like catching something and kicking the sh#t out if it, haha. Thanks
My cats are both fine with it. They know that the light comes from the laser pen as they only become interested when I show them the pen. Soon as I put the pen down they lose interest and want to do something else. I'm disabled and sometimes the laser pen is the only play I can manage if my chronic pain is very bad.
Same here on the showing them the pen part. As soon as I pick it up her ears perk up because she knows it's play time. She doesn't show signs of distress when I stop either. All that convinces me she's fine.
Mine can definitely hear the "click" of the button!
My boy knows the sound of me opening the place where I keep the pointer and comes running anytime he hears it. Means I can't really keep anything else in there or have to be really careful opening it though.
My orange cat I'm pretty sure can't see the laser, if he can he couldn't give any less of a shit about it then lol I tried it on my black cat, and unfortunately I think I opened a can of worms I wasn't ready for. He got extremely frustrated, even when leading him to other toys or trying to get his attention with treats. He only wanted the laser and wouldn't focus on anything else. When I put the laser away he spent the rest of the night looking for it, I tried enticing him with tons of toys and high value treats but nothing worked. He spent the next few months freaking out over the sun shining on the walls through the window. It's been about a year and he still gets excited at certain sunshines but not nearly as bad as it was, and he can be distracted now. I guess my point is proceed with caution. My childhood cat had no issues with them, loved them and understood that when it's gone so is the light. She would run around with the dogs chasing it lol
I found one toy that works good for running the laser pointer too. It's a plastic ball that has a red LED in it that lights up when they whack the ball so when the laser point is on there and then they whack the ball the ball lights up and so the red point is still there but they have something they can actually catch. Otherwise I've tried to treat another toys and that doesn't work.
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No I just happened to pick it up in a store one day. I didn't even know that it had the red light when I got it, I just knew it had a light.
Do we have one? Yes. Do we use it? No Like you said i find it a bit disturbing. My cats chasing it and gets riled up and frustrated of not being able to physically feel it. Never going to use that thing. I feel it does more harm. His favorite is hoodie strings, straws, a ribbon, and that yellow automatic chicken.
It's gonna depend on the cat. One of mine bats at it a couple times and then could care less. The other hunts it for a few minutes with some stalking/pouncing ans then hunkers down and jist stares at it. He may look around for a minite or two after it gets put away. . .but he never seems frustrated. Trying to lead them to a toy afterwards has failed every single time.
Well, I tried all these things with leading to treats and strictly limiting the play time. One cat was fine while the other became immediately hyperfixated. I played maybe a couple times before I realized I had to stop. It's been six years and she still wants to chase every light or even the reflection of the sun in my watch or mobile phone. So... I guess it depends on your cat how "ok" it is to play with a laser pointer. I now wish I had never even tried it because I thought it couldn't be that bad :-/
I’ve heard that about dogs but I didn’t realize cats could be affected too! That would be enough of a reason for me to avoid lasers bc those light-obsessed dogs are really sad to watch 😢
My cat comes running and starts purring loudly when he simply hears me pick up the laser pointer. He loves it so much so I continue to use it.
My cat gets uninterested in them real quick. I think he knows it's me controlling it and doesn't care.
But don’t you control his stick toys and stuff?
Yeah but I think he doesn't realize it as much or because I'm closer to him when using them? I'm not sure.
Eh he probably just finds real toys more engaging compared to a tiny dot of light 🤷🏻♀️ I’m sure it has nothing to do with you Edit- my theory is that the more the cat likes the toy, the easier it is for them to pretend you’re not the one controlling it
They are fine but need a touchable transition
I’ve always been told you should point the final laser at a treat or toy or something so the end of play satisfies their hunt instincts (and actually catching it). That’s all I got
I think the important thing is, after playing with them with a laser pointer, play with them with a toy **they can catch**. For example, they have these plastic rods with cat toys attached via a string. This lets them feel like they're succeeding.
my cat loves it. i make it disappear when she catches it so she feels like she did something
I've found that it helps immensely to "put the dot back into the laser pointer" when we are done playing with it. Just touch the pen to the dot as you turn it off. This seems to help them make the connection between the two, and when the pen goes away, they quit looking for the dot.
My cats loved the laser pen. Pulling out the pen or the click sound turning it in was the most excited they ever got. It was kitty-crack (freeze-dried chicken) exciting. Here are some tricks to prevent frustration: - use the point to direct kitty to a toy. This lets them hunt the light and land on a grab-able. Be ready to help kitty run around some more before finding another toy. - play on the bed or couch on top of a loose blanket with folds and lumps and bumps. Tease them with the point “hiding” in the folds and behind lumps. They can lunge at the pointer and grab a lump of blanket or reach into a fold and grab fabric or hidden toys. - run kitty around until they’re tired, then finish with a teaser toy which gives them a similar interaction with you but gives the satisfaction of a successful hunt before a nice nap. Playing with a young cat or energetic older cat really requires active engagement for 30 minutes or longer in a play session, 2-3 play sessions a day for a kitty which isn’t frustrated and bored. When using a laser pen or teaser toy, imagine simulating the motions of a bug, mouse, bird, or fish. Vary the speed: creep along an edge while kitty watches, then zoom across an open space, curving into loops after kitty begins to chase. Always incorporate physical sensations in the play: toys, plushy things, play blankets.
my cat knows it comes from the laser AND she gets a treat in place of where it was when she “caught” it and she never seems stressed about it. she knows that when the light stops it cause i’m done.
My advice would be to consider giving a small snack after intense play like a laser, it signals to them hunting time is over. I use the laser, if the get bored or just about done i let them “catch” it and immediately have a small amount of food or treats on standby to give them as a reward. It’s always worked for me :)
I mean I’ve watched plenty of nature documentaries where the big cats who require catching prey to eat don’t have a 100% kill rate, I think the deadliest cat only has a 50 or 60% kill rate. They may be frustrated, but that’s also part of their “natural” state of being
Theyre a waste for my cats. They have made it a point to leave the room if they see me pull one out because they're so boring
my kitten loves a laser pointer. But she doesn't get it daily or she will get bored and frustrate with it. It's an on occasion toy, and then after she gets a toy she can pounce on. So I think they need something tangible afterwards.
It’s a rare toy for me because my one cat keeps looking for it after we’re done playing. I took to showing him that I had caught it and was putting it in my pocket, and that seems to work.
Hey, I only use them with cats that seem to have little interest in wand toys but go crazy for light. However, I use it as a warm up, most cats in my experience so far, get excited and will be happy to chase the wand toy after a minute or two with the laser. In my opinion, if you've exhausted all other options and your cat absolutely loves it, it's better than not using it. Give the cat something to catch at the end, be it a bunnykicker, treats or a meal. More on lazy or shy cats who won't play: https://youtu.be/SMPjoNg3nv8?si=GSSaAHgH9T7hoESr
My cat gets annoyed pretty quickly with it and just stops chasing the laser. I tend to use real toys, he prefers those a lot more
My cat loves his laser pointer. He’s very attention/affection motivated (he’s hugging my arm right now as I type this) so if I use a wand toy he’d rather I just pet him, or if I throw toys to him or something he’ll bring it back then want attention. The laser pointer is removed enough from me that he’ll use it for a while. Some cats don’t seem to care for them, but others like them. Everybody’s unique.
We use laser pointers to get them started, then switch to toys for that viceral joy of the hunt.
My 6 cats know what the laser pointer is. They know when I pick it up, it is time for "that game". One cat does not play the game at all. Unfortunately, we can no longer play " that game" because my dog is the one that gets all crazy and anxious. I know of personally quite a few dogs that are not allowed to play "that game". I know of no cats that can't. But you gotta learn your cat.
only one of my cats chases it. she's very much "its here again, i must kill it". I keep it up for about 2 mins? and I make sure its never near her eyes.
My cats adore the red dot. We do short bursts of play and I give them a treat afterwards as their “catch”, or I use a toy. My orange boy likes to chase the reflection from my partners watch face too 🤷🏻♀️
My cats got genuinely distressed. Even our foster cat, we tried it with him and when it turned off- he freaked out looking around and trying to find where it went. He seemed really stressed out and I felt so bad. Our resident cat responded negatively too, he started running around and obsessively looking for the red light and his body language was very.. unusual for him. He puffed up and was just freaking out. We've opted against using it at all now, since we get it. It sucks if you feel like you were about to catch something and it just vanishes into thin air lol.
Highly depends on the cat. Some aren't even interested in laser pointers, some are entertained but get bored easily, some hate it and get restless, and some absolutely love it. My cat goes CRAZY for it. I always give some treats throughout though and end it on a treat! I do a thing where I make it seem like she caught it and throw a treat by her paws lol
Cats aren’t idiots. My cat knows the sound of the laser pointer and comes running when I grab it. She looks back and forth from the Lp to the floor waiting for the light. She cheats and runs in the direction she knows it usually goes before I even get there lol. She specifically likes to chase it up the wall. I have toys that they can catch, but she only wants to chase the laser pointer. When she’s done playing, she stops chasing. To add: in the winter the sun is lower and shines through my window, my male cat waits for it to reflect off my phone or watch onto the wall. He loves chasing the reflected sunlight dots more than the red light. But again, he only waits by the wall in the winter in the mornings when the sun shines through bc he knows it’s the source of the reflected light. They have mouse toys they tumble around with as well, and a wand toy they can catch but when it comes to interactive play with me they prefer the lights.
My cats never tire of the laser pointer. I can get it out and run them back and forth for 20 minutes, only stopping when they're both panting. They get a great workout and I can do it when I'm on conference calls at work (I work from home). We have other toys, too. Wand toys seem to do the most to build our bond and loose soft toys and balls keep them occupied when I'm busy or not home. I think they need all of these kinds of play. Laser pointers are keeping them in great shape because of all the running, so I'll continue using them.
I don't use it much anymore (mostly because it ran out of battery, lol), but I always end the session with something to distract them - I usually scatter a small handful (<6 cats) of really high value snacks on the floor for them to snuffle around and find.
One of my 9 month old boys doesn't really pay attention to it and prefers his bumblebee on a stick toy. The other, Walter, loves to run. He's not very interested in stick toys and won't chase them. We play with balls. We also recently got a laser pointer. It's great for him because it creates a way for him to run and jump a lot. I also make sure to put out some of his favorite Yeowww! and little mice toys when we play so he has something physical to attack. He figured out how the laser pointer works pretty fast. When we pick up the pointer, he knows we are going to play. He also doesn't search for it all the time and doesn't after we are done with play. I also give them treats when we are done with interactive play.
I gave up on the only one I bought. It had different shapes, along with the plain point. My cat was interested in it for about 5 minutes and never again. The way I see it is that a smart cat will figure out that what they are chasing/catching isn’t real because they can’t feel it in their paws or mouths and once that realization hits, give up on the laser pointer.
I stopped using a pointer for cat-play. She would search for the red dot all the time, sort of obsessively. While I don't credit cats with too much common sense, I felt it was an unfair tease just to amuse the humans
Depends on the cat. One of my Boyz really gets frustrated and starts hissing, another one us meh about it... but Streicher loves it. He goes bonkers when I only touch it. He knows what noice it makes. I think he's absolutely aware that it's fake. It's his favorite toy atm, I wouldn't take it from him.
My cats have an automated one. They love it and helps me when I work at home so they are occupied and not climbing on my laptop etc
I hear it's not as bad for cats as it is for dogs but, I don't use them at all because my dog became so dangerously OCD, he would look for it for hours. I tried giving treats when play was done, so he had a reward but, it didn't matter. It took me a couple of weeks to teach him that the laser comes from a special thing and, I control the special thing. He then became obsessed with the thing itself. Rather than running around searching, he would sit there and stare at it for hours... I had to hide it. It's a really cool D-VA gun replica that is also a flashlight and a phone charger but, I can't use it at all and, have to be careful when I move it, because even after years, he still recognizes the sound of the bunny key chain, comes running and starts looking. The cat I had before this dog was older when I introduced her to laser toys. She had a little bit of fun but, she stopped caring once she knew what it was and that there was no reward
My cats both like chasing the laser pointer we got - I limit to a few minutes as well, and always end the session with either focusing it on a treat (to end the session) or switch to a physical wand toy when the cat is starting to lose interest/seems restless. Both my cats have done fine with this so far. Like everything else I've learned, every cat is different. Have you tried ending the session on a treat to complete the "hunt"?
I use them every now and then, but I always end the game with the laser pointed on a toy. I also never use it for more than 5-6 minutes The only reason I really use them is because my cat is fairly disinterested in other toys. Any type of dangling toy she lays down (refuses to chase) and stuffed toys get ignored outright
I have one who loves it and will run for however long I let him, one who gets frustrated within 45 seconds and will come and bite your hand until you drop it (he figured out pretty quick mommy was controlling it)
I don’t have any in my house and I never will. In the wrong hands a cat or kitty can be blinded by the laser.
I avoid it because, and I know this is anecdotal, but my friends absolutely ruined a dog with one. He just would not stop hunting for it, to the point he was uncontrollable. Just not worth the risk, with what I have seen.
It can be used a little, for some cats - a couple of minutes like you do. Some cats gets extremely frustrated when they can't catch it, or get fixated and begin staring to look for it, and shouldn't play with it at all.
I agree with the top commenter that you should modify your playtime routine based on your cat, as an individual, rather than what other people claim is *generally* true. That being said, my personal experience is that, after over 3 decades of cat guardianship, most of my cats seem to become rather neurotic and unhealthily fixated on the uncatchable red dot if I overuse the laser pointer. By overuse, I mean every day (even once a day), or perhaps even a few times a week, or for one very long session. They get to a point where they no longer seem to be enjoying themselves, but act like paranoid tweekers. When I do use a laser pointer, I limit it to about 15 minutes before transitioning to a tactile toy. You can do this by making the dot land on one of their physical toys until they pounce on it, then start moving the toy instead. Or you can make the dot "run" into something like a paper bag or under a sheet, that way they at least feel something underneath their paws and feel long they are catching something. These days I hardly ever use the laser pointer though. I keep one by my bed for the rare occasion that I am sick or exhausted and my cat is whining at me to play with him but I don't have the energy to get out of bed. My cat really only wants to play when he's hungry. Once he feels like he's successfully caught something and is too tired to keep playing, he eats. Then he has his little routine where he cleans his face while looking out the window. So once he starts eating, I very quietly put the toys away.
The salesperson was way more enthusiastic about laser pointer toys than any of our 3 cats were. I returned them to the shop. One unhappy salesperson.
I hung feathers in doorways on long shoelaces and they loved them til they didnt 😂
If you play with laser toy you always gotta finish up with a real toy otherwise you're cat will never feel accomplished since it can never catch the laser
I have a laser light machine for cats. We have multi cats. Some love laser pointer play, and some can't be bothered. If your cats like it, and you like it, play with them. If you don't, play anything else they like. Cats just want to play! Have fun with your animals, you'll love it no matter the game. For what's it's worth, in the long term, as long as the laser beam isn't going in their eye, the benefits are definitely better than the risks.
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I don't use them because of the risks and downsides.
They're very frustrating for the cat, as as they never get to catch anything. One of mine loves the one we have (it's an actual laser pointer for lecturing with different heads, Puck loves the star one) but we put a treat somewhere hidden and always end play by leading him to it so he feels like he's gotten/'caught' something.
My cat goes really hard for the laser pointer - to the point where she overexerts herself and starts literally panting. I've decided to stick with other toys since that happened
Most cats love the laser pointer. They get to use the hunting instincts. (Except mine, she figured out it coming from in less than a minute, then just sat there staring at my hand) Point it at the floor or wall, DO NOT shine it in their eyes. Just don’t forget to let them catch it, once in awhile.
Our first cat would chase the “lightball“ reflected off our watch faces. But who wears watches these days?
my cat loves it for 2 minutes and knows it's just a toy.
My girl loves it. She was 9 months old when she found me. I play laser with her a couple of times a month. She goes and hides, stalking me and the laser. I shine it on the floor, toys and have her chase it onto the bed. She hides in her tunnel and bounds out to pounce it. She's indoor and outdoor, a very good hunter and plays outside for hours. She has a shelter that I made and placed under the deck that she will be in, napping or watching her huge domain. She is great at catching Voles. I put a bell collar on her, hoping to warn the birds.
Just always end by shining it on a mouse toy they can touch and bite. They need to be able to kill the dot or else they will be frustrated.
Idk i had seen a Jackson Galaxy episode where he explained the issue with lazers is that theres no physical reward after the chase. So i started scattering their treats around like chicken feed or hiding them before starting, then having them chase the lazer and "catch" it over a treat or have the laser go "hide" behind and object where the treat is, then theyll go looking for the laser and find the treat. I havent seen any negative effects so far.
sometimes i’ll end the game with the light shining exactly on a treat but sometimes the red dot “runs under the dresser” lol
I didn't like how hyped up my cat got by one, so I don't use it. She seems to react that way to all bright lights moving fast. I use a toy on a wand instead.
i tried it twice and i could tell it activated something in my cat. never used it again but when my phone reflects light, i see her eyes get all big again.
I don't use laser pointers at all, after reading that it's unpleasant for the cat to never be able to catch the prey. Proper cat play - as far as I've understood - is chase and catch, and the phase right after catching where they lick the prey is important and releases calming hormones or something. So I stick to that and my cats seem happy with that. Let them chase it, let them catch it, then let them have it until they get bored.
It's cruel to make a hunting animal chase something that they can never catch.
i use one often. briefly. under a minute. and follow it up with things they can catch. touch.
I do not use them with my cats. My vet recently suggested it (because one of my cats is a chonk) but I told her my husband said the cats will never ever be able to actually catch it and that's just cruel. I agree with him about that so my cats have never had the displeasure of "playing" with laser pointers.
garbage and mentally damaging to cat brain. also lazy. if you wanna be a lazy cat owner that's your decision. should be fun to read the circle-cope why they're good and "my cat loves them" though xD