Lazer pointer...your opinion

Sadie loves chasing her lazer light....
Dexter could care less.

I have dogs. I only use it for the cat. IMO Laser pointers are fine for cats, fine for some dogs, not fine for all dogs.

I think it really depends on the cat. My Snowy loves it, but we had to stop using it, because he actually loves it too much. It was great for getting him tired out if I needed him to take a nap so I could get some work done without him in my face, but he would wake up at 3 AM and start running around screaming, looking for the little light. It took a while before we could get him to stop. >.<

They are hours of endless laughs !!!!!

man. what a topic for me. I had to hide mine. my cats love the thing so much it's NUTS. what's odd, is if the dishwasher and the tv are running, they're very loud. But even then, with the cats in the opposite end of the house, if I click the laser button, they SPRINT into the living room. it is simply amazing how well they can detect that thing. if I'm cleaning up the coffee table and pick it up? They hear the clicking of it bumping into the coffee table and do the same sprint. I can't move the thing without them freaking out. they LOOOOOVE it.

I think it's great excercise. i also think the cats know good and well what's going on. I can shine it on anything and they'll run to it. but if I shine it one of the cats? they ignore it until I move it. And the fact that they know it's coming from that little box tells me they know exactly what's going on. I love it.

I think laser pointers are great. I send all my kittens home with one. My husband plays with the cats and then sets it on the coffee table. They jump up and swat it toward him.
Buy them at the dollar store.... it's cheaper. These things are great entertainment and exercise for your cat.

Sunny and my ferals LOVE the laser pointer. Sunny likes to try to make a dash out the door with us when we try to leave the house. I use my laser pointer to divert his attention from the door so that I can make my escape (It works every time ). Both DBF and I have them on our keychains. Sunny gets real excited when he sees me go for the keys

Monster LOVES the laser! Mittens too, but i think Monster is more into it.. & like alot of other people said, he knows exactly where the dot comes from. I cant tell if Mittens knows its me. If i push the button, they both come running, and they both go crazy dashing for it

My cat loves it alot. She will chase and chase, but they are pretty expecive, at least were i am now.

I bought one of these last week.My cats love it ,it drives them crazy and they haven't figured out where it's coming from yet.If I put it on the ceiling Koko here watches it and chatters his teeth.He'll even jump on his post and look around for it.

My cats love it!!Nemo will try to climb the walls to get at it

and the little ones are too cute to watch chasing it around bumping into one and other!! it is a great way to have them get some excersize as well

I think it can be great for exercise, however I think us humans sometimes get more of a kick out of it then our feline friends.

From what I've seen it can cause frustration and confusion because it doesn't follow rules that most cats can comprehend.

I'd recommend a toy that is more reality based and helps with the cats natural problem abilities. Even something as simple as putting a toy mouse in a jar and letting the cat scoop it out. At the start the mouse in the jar may be a tease, but once the cat figures it out, they are happy. They've learned something new. And there's that physical and emotional reward as well.

I'm not saying this is an unethical toy, I really don't know how a cat perceives it.

Originally Posted by DreamingRecover

...From what I've seen it can cause frustration and confusion because it doesn't follow rules that most cats can comprehend...

Click to expand...

Many cat "experts" share this opinion and totally do NOT support the use of a laser toy under any circumstances.

I think that is ridiculous. Our kitties are all feral rescues, and we work with ferals. They all used to be outside chasing butterflies, crickets, flies, moths, etc.

The laser pointer is simply a modern "bug." Not a single one of our cats has EVER caught a fly. It darts around, disappears where they can't see it for a while, flies out of their range - just like a laser pointer. And then it disappears. Just like a laser pointer.

I think they are GREAT for indoor exercise. It is the ONLY thing that gets our kitties RUNNING to chase something. For da Bird and other wand toys, they'll leap around a bit - but they will not BOLT from one end of the room or into another room for anything but that red dot.

If you are concerned about the frustration issue, before you play, stick a treat under a handkerchief. When you are done with the laser play session, make it disappear under the edge of the handkerchief. Then there's something not only to "catch," but to eat as a reward.

Laurie