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Like many I have fun using mine on my cat, he'll run and jump trying to catch it or just lay down and look at it, occasionally trying to grab it with his paw when it comes close. I've heard some say it's mean/cruel, what do you think?
What you describe is not teasing, it is interactive play. Yes teasing is mean. Playing with the Red Dot is not. Two of my three cats enjoy it very much but it is not their only interactive Game. We play many other Games, too.
Not a cat owner but for my dog I call it "The crack Light". She knows what it is when she sees it in your hand, when she was younger her tail and ass would start spinning like a propeller. She's part Springer and if you have ever seen how those dogs are when they are excited you'll know what I mean. I actually forgot about it for a year or so, she knew exactly what it was when I pulled it out.
My cat who used to play with the red dot got tired of it too, but really loved it for a long time. He plays other games with me like Da Bird, where he really does catch things. If people used the laser game, which is unwinnable, as their only interactive game then it might be considered teasing I guess, but I'm sure most people have a broader range of things they do with their cat. I should add that people should "let" their cat win those other games part of the time, if they're playing one that's really difficult for him or her! Some can snag things from the air better than others.
Last edited by subject2change; 06-13-2015 at 05:42 AM..
Cats will tire of almost any interactive game if you don't offer a variety.
Of course they know it's a game, of course they know "nothing is there". But cats like to stalk, run, chase and leap and the Red Dot (for the ones who like it) gives them that opportunity in a unique way, especially if used in moderation.
Many folks also think those balls encased in plastic circle tracks is a mean toy. But neither those nor laser pointers are mean because cats do not experience the frustration a human would if we had to chase a pinpoint of light or try to get a ball out of a track. When cats quit playing with red dots and circling balls it's not because they're frustrated, it's because they're bored. Both toys are great for the instincts of hunt, stalk, attack just as catsmom21 said.
My cats grew tired of the laser toy. They realize there is really nothing there and so gave up.
Mine too. It was fun when they were little kittens, but they quickly figured it out. As adults, they enjoy the toys on a string like Da Bird. I can play with them for hours and I am usually the one that tires first.
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