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laser pointers?

post #1 of 19
1/21/10 at 1:31pm
Thread Starter 
So what are everyones thoughts on using a laser pointer as toy? My ex boyfriend got one for Autumn and she LOVES it! Also my son loves to play with her with it....but....I can't help but feel kind of bad for her. She never gets that little red dot!

If I am playing with her, I put the dot one one of her other toys when we are done, so at least she can "catch" something, and I limit the time my son can use it with her. I worry about giving her a complex!

What does everyone think? Do you use them with your kitties?
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post #2 of 19
1/21/10 at 2:03pm
We'll use one every now and again. I think it's a great way to exercise them, as most of my cats are pretty lazy and truthfully I think they really enjoy it!
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post #3 of 19
1/21/10 at 2:06pm
I play with a laser pointer and Storm. She loves jumping up the wall and watching it on the ceiling. I limit her activities to a few minutes in the evenings and her's has different tips on it to make shapes (I like the ant one) which I think is easier on the eyes than a tiny little speck. When we end the game I usually 'run it' under something (the register, couch, TV stand) like it 'got away' and she has begun to understand this means the games over. We have to be careful where we put it though as she's already stolen the first one we bought and as soon as she hears the key chain jingle she comes running. Though she's begun to 'ask' for it by bouncing (literally) off the wall in the place I usually run it up at the exact same time every night. She's a bit demanding! When the games done I usually will get her fish on a stick out or play with her & a ball for a bit so she actually gets to 'catch' something.
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post #4 of 19
1/21/10 at 2:10pm
Batman was painfully shy and we used the laser pointer to help get him out of his shell. But I actually stopped using it because he seemed to get a little too "into it". He would get very frustrated when it would just "go away" and he would walk around, crying, looking for it. I got really sad... I think he had an issue with how there is never the "ta dah! I got my prey!!!!"

That said, it was great exercise!!!!!!! But I think he just seemed too upset about it.... We've had to use it to help lure him into the cat carrier when he was really fiesty and still scared of us as a kitten. But it's been a while since we've used it as a regular toy because I just thought he was getting a "where did it go?" complex and it made him prefer that to other toys and we didn't want him getting lazy.
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post #5 of 19
1/21/10 at 4:32pm
We switch to DaBird or a feather teaser and play with that for 15 mintues or so after the laser pointer.
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post #6 of 19
1/21/10 at 4:35pm
Laser pointers are an excellent toy. But you must never point the laser light into your cats eyes.
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post #7 of 19
1/21/10 at 4:40pm
I had a cat that would come RUNNING from wherever she was in the house when she heard me pick up the laser pointer (it was one they sell in the pet stores with the key chain attachment so it made a little noise). She loved it! And I swear she knew that it was me and "that thing" in my hand that made the dot, because if I made the dot disappear, she'd come over to me and look right at the laser pointer (when it was off) as if to say "hey, why's it not working?"
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post #8 of 19
1/21/10 at 4:52pm
The kitties and the dog love it. Well Whisper more so than Kiki. My two year old daughter loves it too!
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post #9 of 19
1/21/10 at 5:07pm
I have always liked using laser pointers for the cats to exercise. Even though they never truly "catch" what they are going after, it's still a very good workout for them. I especially love pointing it on the wall and watching Pirate stretch all the way up and then hopping to try and get it. Mama Mia is hilarious too- she'll track it up to the ceiling and then just sit in the middle of the room and watch it (when in reality she is the one that needs the mose exercise).

I don't think that it's unfair because they are tapping into that prey drive. I always make sure to end it with some playtime with one of their toys. That way they can get rewarded
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post #10 of 19
1/21/10 at 5:09pm
I use one with my cats. Some like it, some don't care at all.

Be careful with dogs, though. Laser pointers can make some dogs go crazy, LOL.
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post #11 of 19
1/21/10 at 5:19pm
My cats love them.
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post #12 of 19
1/21/10 at 6:18pm
Of our seven cats, we have one that actually catches the stray bug that gets into the house. The bugs usually escape, and the kitties continue looking for it for quite a while before giving up.

I view the laser pointer as just another bug that got away.

If it bothers you, put some treats under a handkerchief, and make the game end with the laser pointer disappearing under the handkerchief.
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post #13 of 19
1/22/10 at 9:55am
Thread Starter 
thanks for all the responses..I'm glad I'm not the only one with a cat crazy for them. I like the ideas about running it under something with treats and actign like it "got away". I also think she know it's me because if I turn it off she looks at me like "why did you do that?"
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post #14 of 19
1/22/10 at 10:15am
We use the laser pointer with our cats. GiGi goes crazy for it jumping up the walls trying to dig under the entertainment stand when it "disappears". She doesnt get a "where did it go" complex she just walks away or goes back to sleep...Fatman loved it till he figured out where the dot came from now when the dot comes out he just walks over to BF and smacks at his hand as if to say "Haha Im smarter than you...found it" Hercules doesnt get off his royal thrown for something like a laser pointer, but if you get out one of his catnip buddies oh baby hes up and running.

As for the dog, well Franklin could give two flying squirrels about it but when GiGi starts running after the dot then he plays because its like a game of chase the kitty for him. Not chase the dot on the floor. LOL
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post #15 of 19
1/22/10 at 10:17am
Best. Toy. Ever! It's the only toy that can tear her away from her food. She hears the click, her ears perk up and she immediately goes into hunt mode.
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post #16 of 19
1/22/10 at 12:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by zephyer78 View Post
So what are everyones thoughts on using a laser pointer as toy? My ex boyfriend got one for Autumn and she LOVES it! Also my son loves to play with her with it....but....I can't help but feel kind of bad for her. She never gets that little red dot!

If I am playing with her, I put the dot one one of her other toys when we are done, so at least she can "catch" something, and I limit the time my son can use it with her. I worry about giving her a complex!

What does everyone think? Do you use them with your kitties?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryffian View Post
I had a cat that would come RUNNING from wherever she was in the house when she heard me pick up the laser pointer (it was one they sell in the pet stores with the key chain attachment so it made a little noise). She loved it! And I swear she knew that it was me and "that thing" in my hand that made the dot, because if I made the dot disappear, she'd come over to me and look right at the laser pointer (when it was off) as if to say "hey, why's it not working?"
Cindy comes to the kitchen after dinner many nights (and other times, if we're sitting at the kitchen table), climbs up her Daddy, and makes it very clear that she wants Mr Spot to come out and play. The moment DH reaches into the basket on the counter where the laser lives, she is in prey mode watching for him (Mr Spot) to appear on the floor, and she has a great time chasing back and forth, pouncing, twisting and turning in response to his cavorting, waiting in ambush for him, and then as quickly as it started, she just stops. If we continue helping Mr Spot, she'll watch for a bit and then just get up and walk away. He's a playmate. He does things that she has fun responding to, and when she's had enough, she stops and too bad for him if he insists on keeping on. But she'll be back looking for another game soon.

Fawn will sometimes play, but never if Cindy is around. She is less impressed.
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post #17 of 19
1/22/10 at 5:34pm
I use one, she loves it. It is good exercise. As someone said just be sure not to point it in her eyes.
But I would exercise caution using it on dogs.
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post #18 of 19
1/22/10 at 6:55pm
I use them probably about 1/2 hour a night with the barn cats.

I do the strawmow cats first, they are the funnest to have play with it. Because it is a strawmow there are bales of straw in tall stacks which makes a great spot to have them run up. Sometimes they will actually get so much speed that they will run across the side of the balls vs. on top! 7/9 of them love to play with the laser. The only problem is when you have 7 cats chasing it at high speed - the floor shakes

Then are the downstairs cats, all of them love the laser toy! There are lots of places down there for them to run up/around/in while playing (as well as good holes to have the dot "disappear* into. Allie has to play with it by herself but it really helps get rid of some of that extra energy. Since their are two seperate parts to the downstairs part of the barn I have her chase it for a few minutes on the one side, have it "disappear" in a crack which she will intently stare at for a few minutes while I have every one else chasing it on the other half.

The haymow has a few bales left up there put has a LOT of loose hay. Mo and Panther especially enjoy it if I leave the dot on one spot and they can get a running start and pounce on it. Because of all the hay that is on the floor they sometimes will get themselves half buried if they stop at to high of speed.
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post #19 of 19
1/23/10 at 9:38pm
Holland loves the laser pointer, especially when I point it at the wall. And she is pretty cute jumping up and trying to "catch" it. It's great exercise and is the only way I can get her to run (unless she's in her nightly "spaz" mode... ) I always give her a treat after playing with it though, just so she feels like she caught something...
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