Mary Allen
Many cat owners are happy to watch their velvet paws chasing after the glowing dot. You can find out here how dangerous playing with the laser pointer can actually be for your house cat and how to handle this controversial toy correctly.
Almost every cat owner has tried letting their own velvet paw chase after the laser point. And in fact, it seems to us humans as if the cat had a lot of fun with it. Finally, she runs wildly after the beam of light and wants to catch it at any cost. We explain whether this is really passionate hunting and how dangerous playing with the laser pointer really is.
This Is What Makes The Laser Pointer So Attractive For Humans And Cats
For us humans, the laser pointer seems to have some advantages as a cat toy: it can be used anywhere and anytime. In addition, for many, it is particularly advantageous to sit comfortably on the couch while the cat can dash through the apartment. However, this is a rather questionable argument – after all, cat owners should also be willing to move to interact with their cats.
For a cat, the glowing dot is an attractive target to hunt precisely because it moves quickly, fueling its hunting instinct. After all, observation and hunting are the innate basic needs of every cat.
That’s How Dangerous The Laser Pointer Is For The Cat
Unfortunately, far too few people are aware of the health risk that cat owners expose their pets too. A laser pointer is a strongly bundled, concentrated beam of light – if it hits the sensitive and sensitive cat’s eyes for just a moment, it can have serious consequences. In the worst case, the cat goes blind. Also, pay attention to reflective surfaces – the reflection of the light can be directed into the eyes of your cat and cause damage there as well.
Playing With The Laser Pointer Frustrates The Cat
While it may appear that the cat is having incredible fun chasing after an intangible target, it’s more appearance than reality. This is because the laser point remains an intangible target: when the cat goes hunting, it does so in order to then kill its prey. This ritual is just as important for the animal as the hunt itself and ensures that the hunting needs are satisfied.
The beam of light, on the other hand, cannot be grabbed, which is why the cat eventually becomes very frustrating to hunt. This often manifests itself in the fact that the cat becomes more and more excited and continues to search the ground after the laser pointer has been switched off. Many misinterpret this behavior as growing passion and thinking the cat is having fun when the opposite is true.
In addition, playing with the laser pointer is quite monotonous for the cat: only the sense of sight is required here. Smell, hearing, and touch are not considered here at all. That’s why a laser pointer can never replace the experience of a real hunt, which other toys are good for. With species-appropriate husbandry, the cat is absolutely entitled to a hunting experience that is as close to nature as possible.
How To Play Correctly With The Laser Pointer
Anyone who decides to use the pointer as a cat toy should pay attention to a few important things.
- Only experienced people who are proficient in using a laser pointer should operate it to avoid accidentally shining the light in the cat’s eyes.
- Controlled and limited in time, the laser pointer can be an exciting toy for playful cats.
- A sense of achievement must be established: Treats after a short hunt can act as prey substitutes.
- It is also recommended to aim the laser pointer at a soft object at the end, such as a small pillow or another cat toy: Here the cat can release its energy and also experience this as a hunting success.
- The start should always be close to the ground so that the cat can aim straight at the point and not look at the laser pointer.
- Only use special cat laser pointers: They have a less powerful beam, which at least reduces the risk of eye injuries.
- Never use a laser pointer with a random number generator: the risk of the light beam hitting the cat’s eye is too great.
Anyone who uses the laser pointer in this way keeps the risk of injury to the cat as low as possible. However, such a game is always risky. Balls and cat rods offer a much more pleasant alternative with real hunting success for the house cat. In addition, so many different senses of the cat can be safely challenged. This is really fun for your cat!