Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five funny cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.
One of the more challenging aspects of caring for indoor cats is making sure they get enough exercise, enrichment, and excitement in their lives. It’s easy enough to grab a lead and take dogs to the beach or park, but not all cats are amenable to the harness lifestyle. A popular choice is the laser pointer, and it’s easy to appreciate why.
With very little effort on my part, I ran the cats upstairs, downstairs, over the bed, and into the walls. Even Cyril, famous for his dedication to a life lived horizontally, could not resist the flickering allure of that elusive red dot. But after reading about how lasers negatively affect dogs, I started to worry about my ginger ninja, Alex.
Why Do Cats Like Laser Toys?
Although most of our domestic cats these days are less focused on hunting creatures and more interested in creature comforts, they are not that far removed from their wild or free-roaming relatives. . Buried deep within that lazy exterior are the hunting and driving instincts of a lion, just waiting to be triggered by some fast-moving animal. When our cats see that laser’s flashing motion, instincts take over, and they soon find themselves unable to resist the chase.
What’s unique about this particular game of cat and …dots, is that they can’t catch it, so you’d think they’d get bored eventually. However, as most cat parents (myself included) will tell you, every time the laser is removed from its drawing, the cats appear just as interested as ever, and dozens of times before that. Zelda, in particular, drops her regal and orderly demeanor and becomes a playful, energetic kitten when she hears the wonderful sound of a laser being retrieved from its hiding place. Did they expect that? this time to finally catch their prey? Or do they just enjoy the chase?
Unfortunately, only a cat can tell us, so for now, we must use what we know to decide if laser toys are just an engaging way to encourage our cats to play and burn calories. , or if they are a potential source of frustration, anxiety, and unhealthy obsessions.
A Laser Safety Note:
Never point a laser directly at the face or eyes. This applies to cats and all other animal species, including humans. For more information on laser pointer safety, click here.
When Play Becomes an Obsession
‘Laser Pointer Syndrome‘ is an obsessive-compulsive disorder known to our canine friends, where dogs are so confused by the fast moving laser toys that they can’t relax. Their inability to complete the chase leaves them on the sidelines, constantly alert for ‘the escapee’. It’s always something that doesn’t exactly worry me, but it makes me wonder, when I play with my cats. It wasn’t until Alex joined our group of cats that I started to worry.
In the beginning, like all the other cats, Alex loved a quick game of chasing the laser pointer, darting around the house, following it up and down the stairs, and over the cat tree. Then I began to notice that he was fixated on anything with a reflective surface that flashed off the wall or door – watches, cutlery, even the reflection from our metal doorknob. Every night, Alex sat outside our bedroom, waiting for just the right moment for the light from the bathroom to hit our doorknob, sending a glow across the landing wall. This flash of light lasts for a moment, only a second or two, but he waits for it, night after night. That’s when I started to worry.
How Do I Fix It?
The obvious solution is to just throw away the laser, give it up cold turkey, which is exactly what I did. However, this did not stop Alex’s light pursuit; he’s just as obsessed with flashing lights and shiny surfaces as ever. I opened Pandora’s glittering box and now I don’t know how to close it.
Don’t get me wrong, Alex is okay. He’s not stressed or permanently locked in a state of tense anticipation, but I worry that he spends at least an hour or two every night just waiting for a fleeting glimpse of a quarry that will never- he will not catch; a hunt that never ends with the pleasure of taking. Or maybe?
A plan began to form in my mind, and I came up with a possible way to close Alex’s unfinished business. I don’t know if it will work, but it’s worth a try.
Step 1 – Buy a new toy laser
This may seem a bit like buying booze for an alcoholic, but seeing as cold turkey doesn’t work, I want to try to wean him off.
Step 2 – Introduce a new toy that he can play with
Interestingly, the laser toy I bought came with a bonus feathery mouse!
Step 3 – Start with the laser, finish with the toy
My plan was to end the game with a physical reward, so that all the chasing effort ended with Alex getting something he could actually hold, kick, and chew on.
I had to get the timing right, making sure I turned off the laser as soon as he got the toy, but I felt up to the challenge! But will it work?
Master Alex’s Re-Learning
Sometimes it’s all about trial and error, and it turns out Alex isn’t as excited about the new toy as I expected! His best friend Cyril is interested. Turns out Alex is more into food, so instead of a toy, I pointed the laser at a small pile of his favorite foods, and voila! His attention was immediately focused on the food, and the laser was quickly forgotten.
I was very pleased to see that on both occasions, Alex and Cyril, once they were focused on the end game laser treatment, did not start looking around for the elusive little dot, whereas normally, they would stay high. alert, waiting for it to move again. I don’t expect it to completely get rid of Alex’s obsession with all things shiny, but the first attempt went better than I thought, so I’m hoping we can change how he views the laser.
Are Laser Toys a Bad Idea?
Not at all, and in many cases, they can actually be one of the best ways to turn a sedentary cat into a fast and furious cat by providing an outlet for their rarely used hunting instincts. But I guess, in the same way some people can’t drink, gamble, or shop without getting addicted, some cats are predisposed to laser pointer syndromematter researchers started exploring. In a suggestion similar to my method, others It is suggested to combine laser play with clicker trainingwhich gives the cats a certain reward at the end of the game.
Previous surveys suggest that laser toy addiction is more likely to occur in cats under two years of age, which fits Alex’s situation. Obviously, I wish I had known about this potential danger when I first introduced him to the laser four years ago, but even as a vet, I’m constantly learning.
And hopefully, my experience with Alex will help some of you avoid the same issue. If you’re going to introduce your cat to the thrill of chasing a laser, make sure you give that chase a satisfying conclusion.