Mary Allen
A predator slumbers even in the coziest house cat. Even if your cat doesn’t have to hunt for food herself, hunting is in her blood. Games in which she can train the relevant skills are very popular. In addition to toys such as balls or feather rods, the laser pointer is a futuristic instrument for hunting impulses. It might be worth buying a laser pointer for cats too. You can find out what you should consider here.
What is a Laser Pointer?
The word laser pointer can be roughly translated as “laser indicator”. The handy devices are the high-tech version of a pointer. Laser pointers were originally developed to draw observers’ eyes to places that conventional tools cannot reach. The intense and strongly bundled laser light can be used, for example, for lectures with large wall projections.
Originally, the light from a laser pointer was red; in the meantime, green, blue, and orange glowing models are also available. Misappropriated as a cat toy, the point of light generated by the laser pointer can be an exciting hunting target for the cat. But beware: laser pointers are not designed as toys and are not without danger if used unprofessionally. Familiarize yourself with the device and its application.
Is a Laser Pointer Harmful to Cats?
Laser beams are electromagnetic waves, the brightness of which differs from “normal” light sources in that the light radiation is extremely intense and sharply focused and is limited to a small frequency range. Depending on their technical specifications, lasers are divided into different classes, each with its own danger level. Strong laser radiation can cause serious damage, such as when skin or eyes are exposed to the laser.
Of course, the over-the-counter laser pointers are not high-power lasers. Nevertheless, when buying a laser pointer, you should pay attention to which laser class it is assigned to. Class 1 devices are considered safe. Even class 1M or 1C laser pointers can be risky if the laser light is additionally modified by optical devices. Incidentally, this is already the case if, for example, a person who wears glasses accidentally looks into the light.
If you now consider that a cat’s eyes are very different from those of humans, the risk of eye damage for the four-legged friend is much greater. The sensitive cat’s eyes absorb light much more strongly via the “tapetum lucidum”, a reflective layer behind the retina. In addition, their blinking reflex is measured differently and even the reflection of a laser pointer on a reflective surface can become a risk. In the worst case, improper handling of the laser pointer can blind the cat or severely damage its eyesight.
Why Do Cats Chase Laser Pointers?
When cats play with the laser pointer, the moving dot of light grabs their attention, dashing wildly across surfaces and paws just can’t grab. In addition, there is an effect that cannot be seen by human eyes: since the eyes of cats record significantly more images per second and thus more differentiated phases of the light waves than the human visual organs, the light “flickers” in their perception.
However, there are also cats that don’t like the laser pointers or lose interest in them after a short time. The reason for this: the hunt for the point of light is not a holistic experience. It does not emit any smells or noises and there is no tactile stimulus on the cat’s paws when the tiger pounces on the glowing target.
As “prey”, the laser point is a rather frustrating experience for many cats and cannot be compared to a “paw-proof” ball or a cat rod, which offers sensual experiences. Sneaking up and ambushing is also neglected while chasing after can greatly stimulate the animal. However, patting, biting down, and “taking care of” the game prey is a central element of game behavior.
A short game unit that stimulates the hunting instinct, but ends before frustration about a lack of success spreads, can certainly be stimulating for the house cat. The light whizzing around then remains mysterious and interesting to the cat but doesn’t hold its attention for long. If the cat is playing with the laser pointer, there should always be a treat ready as a reward for a “hunting success” at the end, so that the hunting game doesn’t come to nothing.