Jackson looks for laser point even when the playing is over...

jayme&jackson · Apr 12, 2006

Hello, I have somewhat of a concern, Jackson gets a vigorous laser pointer play time every night before bed for about 12-20minutes, but after our game is over he continues to look for it...Is this normal?
Iam worried we will play for too long one day and he will never stop looking for the stupid thing

Concerned Jayme
Jackson's Mommma

liberty's buddy · Apr 12, 2006

Laser pointers are very dangerous as a play toy with any animal. You need to stop using it right away. Laser pointers can cause animals to develop a form of obsessive complusive disorder (OCD)! OCD is no fun and usually never goes away. -kd

trouts mom · Apr 12, 2006

Of course he will stop looking for it...A kitty's attention span is pretty short. I wouldn't worry.

jayme&jackson · Apr 12, 2006

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

Of course he will stop looking for it...A kitty's attention span is pretty short. I wouldn't worry.

I hope so, I would agree, he's a smart cat he knows when it's gone most of the time. But when I hear some people say it's horrible, I still get worried...So far so good! Thank-you for sharing that!
Jayme&Jackson

lunasmom · Apr 12, 2006

Luna did that too...she would actually CRY when the laser pointer didn't come back.
She eventually got bored of it though. It wasn't until the other day when she played with it again.

jayme&jackson · Apr 12, 2006

Originally Posted by lunasmom

Luna did that too...she would actually CRY when the laser pointer didn't come back.
She eventually got bored of it though. It wasn't until the other day when she played with it again.

Jackson sometimes cries as as well, and he looks up at me with those big eyes...hehehe, well that is very good news, thank-you so much!
J&J

MoochNNoodles · Apr 12, 2006

I've heard that a good way to end a play session is by putting down a treat or a favorite toy and ending the point on that. It's kind of a reward for being such a good lazer pointer chaser!

jayme&jackson · Apr 12, 2006

Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles

I've heard that a good way to end a play session is by putting down a treat or a favorite toy and ending the point on that. It's kind of a reward for being such a good lazer pointer chaser!

That is an awesome idea, thank-you so much! I will try that tonight after our laser pointin session is over...Oooops, actually no play tonight, Jackson was neutered earlier today!

J&J

bab-ush-niik · Apr 12, 2006

Laser pointers are very dangerous as a play toy with any animal. You need to stop using it right away. Laser pointers can cause animals to develop a form of obsessive complusive disorder (OCD)! OCD is no fun and usually never goes away.

I've never heard this. Do you have a reference?

What about also giving him a physical toy when he's done with the laser pointer? He's probably still looking for it because he never caught it. After all, that darned red light just appears out of nowhere. Maybe redirecting his attention to a toy mouse with let him finally "catch", and then feed him so he can eat and be rewarded.

I don't think crying about the toy being put away is just lasers. Puppy cries when we take away Da Bird, even if he's breathing hard and too tired to chase. We usually put it away and then give him one of the mangled Da Birds. That way he can chew on it while he winds down. He usually eats and sleeps right after. He does the same thing with all his toys, we have to give him something to chew on when he's done.

jayme&jackson · Apr 12, 2006

Originally Posted by bab-ush-niik

I've never heard this. Do you have a reference?

What about also giving him a physical toy when he's done with the laser pointer? He's probably still looking for it because he never caught it. After all, that darned red light just appears out of nowhere. Maybe redirecting his attention to a toy mouse with let him finally "catch", and then feed him so he can eat and be rewarded.

I don't think crying about the toy being put away is just lasers. Puppy cries when we take away Da Bird, even if he's breathing hard and too tired to chase. We usually put it away and then give him one of the mangled Da Birds. That way he can chew on it while he winds down. He usually eats and sleeps right after. He does the same thing with all his toys, we have to give him something to chew on when he's done.

Thank-You so much for your response. I would have never thought about him still looking for it because he has not caught it. lol, simple things just slide right past me. Thanks again! It makes me feel good knowing my cat wont develope a OCD!
J&J

reddicequeen · Apr 12, 2006

I read on here, to end the game with a treat or by giving your pet another toy. That didnt work. We let the laser go outside....*hahhahaa* the cats see it leave...and they seem fine with that...its been the only thing that has worked.
As for making the cat OCD....hmm never heard that...just heard to be careful not to flash it in their eyes.
But if cat gets ocd it will be from living with my husband not from the laser *

maherwoman · Apr 12, 2006

He's totally normal...don't worry! Our Hobbes is a vigorous light-player. We don't have a laser-pointer as a toy yet, but he TEARS across the house when he hears a car going by...because he knows slivers of light will go across the room through the livingroom's vertical blinds. LOL!! He also sits there LONG after the light is gone (sometimes longer than an hour). It's really funny...

liberty's buddy · Apr 13, 2006

I did not save the article about OCD and laser pointers. However, I have heard a great deal of talk about it on another mesageboard I belong to and not a single bit of it good. When an animal gets OCD from a toy, it means they are basically addicted to whatever it is. Hoarders (of anything) have OCD. OCD is both common (in animals and humans) and poorly understood. OCD suffers have been know to wash until an area gets raw, pull their hair out, keep trash, and do the same thing repeatedly many times a day. OCD is very aweful to have. I have met people with it and their life is not easy. -kd

commonoddity042 · Apr 13, 2006

Originally Posted by Liberty's Buddy

When an animal gets OCD from a toy, it means they are basically addicted to whatever it is.

If this is the case, then I believe there'd be more stories of OCD from other toys, not just laser pointers, and it would be a huge risk to get pets ANY toys, because you'd never know what they'd get addicted to.

I am not saying that it's impossible, but I am having trouble with the plausibility of that without any links/sources backing it up.

Edited due to misspelling

laureen227 · Apr 13, 2006

Originally Posted by Liberty's Buddy

I did not save the article about OCD and laser pointers. However, I have heard a great deal of talk about it on another mesageboard I belong to and not a single bit of it good. When an animal gets OCD from a toy, it means they are basically addicted to whatever it is. Hoarders (of anything) have OCD. OCD is both common (in animals and humans) and poorly understood. OCD suffers have been know to wash until an area gets raw, pull their hair out, keep trash, and do the same thing repeatedly many times a day. OCD is very aweful to have. I have met people with it and their life is not easy. -kd

i have never heard this before. i agree w/momof3rugratz & commonoddity042 - if this was a problem, i don't think it would be specific to laser pointers.

liberty's buddy · Apr 13, 2006

This is an article by the AVMA about compulsive disorders in cats. It even mentions laser pointers and cats http://www.avma.org/press/releases/0...lsive_pets.asp .
This was posted on another web site: http://www.kittencare.com/askKC_Quic...#laser_pointer
Our kitten loves to follow the moving red dot from the laser pointer. Are these safe around cats?

Hi,
You are right in being concerned. While many folks are unaware, these laser pointers can be dangerous to your cat. Try using a flashlight instead, cats love these in the dark or dim light. Many stores have ones that carry red, blue, green lenses. This way, you can have your colored fun without the laser danger. Simba

This is from yet another site (list good and bad toys): http://videoforcats.com/cattoys.htm

Cats love chasing a light beam across the floor of a darkened room. A pen light works great. Really, any small flash light with a focusing beam of light works well. Even a reflection on the floor from another light source. Cats will chase all over the place. For people using a laser pointer as a light source, BEWARE, a laser pointer is a very powerful source of light and can do tremendous damage to a cats very sensitive eye. Cats eyes amplify light for night viewing, so the laser is much more powerful to them. Even the laser reflection off shinny floor tile can cause eye damage. Lasers should not be used for cat toys. Do not let children use laser pointers to play with your cat! Children do NOT understand what "Forever" means when it comes to permanent damage to your cats vision. It only takes a direct hit on the eye for a second or two and permanent damage WILL occur. Don't chance it!

I know it sounds strange but I have heard some real horror stories about laser pointers. Just because something is popular (even with vets) does not mean it's not dangerous! -kd

commonoddity042 · Apr 14, 2006

Originally Posted by Liberty's Buddy

This is an article by the AVMA about compulsive disorders in cats. It even mentions laser pointers and cats http://www.avma.org/press/releases/0...lsive_pets.asp .
This was posted on another web site: http://www.kittencare.com/askKC_Quic...#laser_pointer
Our kitten loves to follow the moving red dot from the laser pointer. Are these safe around cats?

Hi,
You are right in being concerned. While many folks are unaware, these laser pointers can be dangerous to your cat. Try using a flashlight instead, cats love these in the dark or dim light. Many stores have ones that carry red, blue, green lenses. This way, you can have your colored fun without the laser danger. Simba

This is from yet another site (list good and bad toys): http://videoforcats.com/cattoys.htm

Cats love chasing a light beam across the floor of a darkened room. A pen light works great. Really, any small flash light with a focusing beam of light works well. Even a reflection on the floor from another light source. Cats will chase all over the place. For people using a laser pointer as a light source, BEWARE, a laser pointer is a very powerful source of light and can do tremendous damage to a cats very sensitive eye. Cats eyes amplify light for night viewing, so the laser is much more powerful to them. Even the laser reflection off shinny floor tile can cause eye damage. Lasers should not be used for cat toys. Do not let children use laser pointers to play with your cat! Children do NOT understand what "Forever" means when it comes to permanent damage to your cats vision. It only takes a direct hit on the eye for a second or two and permanent damage WILL occur. Don't chance it!

I know it sounds strange but I have heard some real horror stories about laser pointers. Just because something is popular (even with vets) does not mean it's not dangerous! -kd

For instance, a cat whose owner had it chase a laser pointer beam spent its day fixating on sunbeams and pouncing on any light reflex.

In my opinion, that single tiny mention does nothing to prove that ONLY laser pointers cause ocd, or that ALL cats will get OCD from laser pointer play. Who's to say that other forms of light-play won't have that same effect on the cat? Or that, once again, OTHER toys wouldn't have the same effect, potentially?

Other than the very valid point of laser pointers causing potential eye damage (in both cats AND humans), I see no proof of other side effects of them. I personally don't play with them with animals because of the high risk of eye damage (I never said they weren't dangerous, by the way, simply that the OCD comment sounded a tad far-fetched to me).

bab-ush-niik · Apr 14, 2006

Agreed. The laser itself is a valid concern. Replacing it with a pen light is a very good idea.

As far as OCD, the article simply discusses OCD in animals and uses the laser as an example. That probably wasn't what caused the OCD, it is just the symptom. OCD is caused by many other factors, including genetic ones. I haven't read much about it in cats, but in birds, it's apparently common in highly intelligent bird species. If they don't get enough interaction from people or other birds, they can get OCD (among other mental illnesses).

katachtig · Apr 14, 2006

I found that if I start showing the laser in my hand and ending in my hand, my cats get more of the idea that I'm the source of it (just like any other toy). They don't start looking around for it because it randomly vanished.

kc&sherman · Apr 14, 2006

Shermie goes crazy for any toy. I'm sure he simply thinks the laser pointer is a bug - whenever I stop it by him he tries to eat it!

I don't think there's anything wrong with a laser pointer. I do understand that it can blind, but I think Sherm's eyes are focused mainly on the dot as opposed to the source. I mean, isn't that the point of it? And about the OCD, I agree that this could be linked to any toy. You could link a medical problem to anything.

Jackson looks for laser point even when the playing is over...

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