Part Three: The Bad and The Ugly
Photo: Marc Di Luzio
In the previous blog posts in this series (Part One, Part Two), we discussed how laser pointers can be put to good, healthy use in both play-therapy, and in helping to resolve behavioral issues.
Now let’s look at the dark side of laser pointers.
We can start by putting everything in perspective. Anyone who’s had a cat behavior consultation from me (or seen My Cat From Hell) knows how nuts I am about the importance of play therapy in a cat’s life. For confidence building, a sense of bonding and routine, and expressing their core need to hunt, nothing works like a daily play session (not to mention the obvious cardiovascular and weight control benefits).
But so many cat guardians have related to me that they’ve had a rough time finding toys that their cats will focus intently on for the required 15 minutes (at least 15 minutes).
Then, one day, these beleaguered cat guardians discover that their play-finicky cat goes bonkers over a laser pointer. Great, right? What’s the harm?
In one word – frustration.
Successful play therapy provides satisfaction on all levels of predation: not just stalking, but catching and “killing” as well. When the pointer is used as the sole toy, the cat never actually CATCHES anything. It may be amusing to us to watch them run around and around in circles, but remember, in the primitive cat mind, they live for the entire hunt, not just one aspect of it.
If they can’t catch “the dot,” and the dot is put away at your convenience, then there will be an “inappropriate victim” down the line: other cats in the house, or your ankles as you walk by. It’s like winding up a jack-in-the-box and expecting the top not to blow off. If used as the only toy in the cat’s play life, the laser pointer can actually help promote further play aggression, and undo the benefits of play therapy.
So remember to use the laser appropriately: as the first phase in two-phase play therapy.
Now, here’s The Ugly.
If you do use a laser, be careful NOT to shine it directly into the cat’s eyes; lasers can damage the sensitive retina and cause blindness. Also, be sure to supervise children when around the cat, and put the laser away in a safe place.
Even better, you can just use a small flashlight that has a very focused beam. It’s much safer. And hey, you can even use it as a flashlight. (Right?)
I hope you found this series informative and fun. Happy hunting to you and your cat companions.
We regret that Jackson does not answer questions posted in the comments. This is due to his demanding schedule and the high volume of requests he receives. But most importantly, since he has not met your cat, it would be contrary to his approach for him to give specific personalized advice for your specific situation. That being said, general questions and issues are addressed throughout this blog, in his book CAT DADDY and of course, the show My Cat From Hell.
Thanks Jackson. My husband came home with a laser pointer for our two boys recently, and while it was fun to watch them run around madly for a few minutes, I grew increasingly uneasy about the situation. They’re still babies (about 3 months old at the time), so don’t really need winding up to play, and their behavior seemed to become more frantic than playful. I felt that it was skirting the edge of cruelty to continue. That said, after your previous posts, I’ve been using the pointer to distract the larger kitty when he tries to attack his brother in the litter box and it works like a charm. As soon as the smaller one is done with his business, the pointer goes away.
I agree with the obvious warning not to shine a laser in the cat’s eyes. I also agree with the frustration that the cat must feel because it can never “catch” the dot. I had a large cat who loved to nap. But when Sasha saw the laser, she could really move. She became an athlete, jumping and running and pouncing. But I also felt sad because she was denied success in spite of her best efforts.
Jacoby loves the laser pointer! He knows where it’s kept, and when we imitate his chatter, he knows that means it’s laser pointer time. I’ve been watching him but he doesn’t seem to mind not being able to catch it…of course, he has toys all over the place, but I haven’t really seen him taking out any frustrations on the girls or on us.
I actually got him a green one, because cats can see greens better than reds. He does seem to respond more to it than to the red ones.
My cat is well aware that I control the red dot. She knows that I keep it in the key jar and can hear the difference in sound between me picking up my keys and picking up the laser. She comes running and chattering to me as soon as she hears it. I do, however, let her “catch” it in the end. I run her until she gets tired and then she will lay down and let the dot come to her. I put it near her paws until she wacks at it and then turn if off. She will chatter and rub my legs if she wants to “catch” it again. If she’s done she will walk away without any chatter very satisfied with her “catch.”