i had my friends cat convinced that the red dot ran under the sofa and was hiding from it. the cat was sitting there waiting for 5 min for it to come out before getting bored.
Now that is a smart cat! Up to this point, I've never heard of a cat putting it together that the red dot is coming from a laser pointer.
I've never heard of one not. Maybe the cats you hang out with are stoopit.
Most cats are pretty smart and social. A buddy was just telling me how his cat went on a hunger strike for three days because he moved her chair. She wouldn't let him pet her or anything, either. It hit him around day three to move her chair back, and as soon as he did, she jumped on the chair, jumped over to him and started patting his belly and purring(which, apparently, is a game of theirs). Then she immediately jumped down and went and ate some food.
Talking to my cat is basically like talking with a person who doesn't understand most english. Really, what it comes down to are cats are like really, really habitual people.
I'm glad to read that the general consensus is that this is "play" for the cat. And that there are many cats like mine that recognize the noises of the pointer and make an effort to encourage the owner to start the red dot game. My cat hears me pick it up, jingling the keychain that came with it, and is ready for action. No other keychain gets that response from her... good ears! And like some said here before, it is funny as hell watching the cat madly chase the dot.
Man, the first time I did this to my cat I pissed my pants it was soooo funny. If the cat ever wises up get on ebay and buy one of those cool new GREEN ones. They will flip all over again. (and they claim to be color blind.....)
Cats can actually see colors on the oppisite sides of the spectrum, like reds to infra-red. helps them in the hunt. So the green laser may not have the same effect.
i dont think i've ever tried this laser pointer idea. i wonder if it could breed new life into my older, fatter, lazier cat.
what i find thats really funny about cats is catnip, and icyhot (i think its icyhot, if not then some kind of rub-creme). they seem to have a similar reaction to both. its like a drug to them. one cat will eat the nip for like a half hour, sprawled out on the floor (or wherever she finds it). then it'll lay there, like a big unemployed whale, drooling all over itself, the nip and the floor. makes quite a nasty puddle too. she'll be quite insistent on getting the catnip (or creme) too. my bro used to put that creme stuff on his arm, when he was a pitcher in h.s. the normally unaffectionate (to him) cat would follow him around the house, waiting for him to sit in some position where she could get to his shoulder.
i dont think i've ever tried this laser pointer idea. i wonder if it could breed new life into my older, fatter, lazier cat.
what i find thats really funny about cats is catnip, and icyhot (i think its icyhot, if not then some kind of rub-creme). they seem to have a similar reaction to both. its like a drug to them. one cat will eat the nip for like a half hour, sprawled out on the floor (or wherever she finds it). then it'll lay there, like a big unemployed whale, drooling all over itself, the nip and the floor. makes quite a nasty puddle too. she'll be quite insistent on getting the catnip (or creme) too. my bro used to put that creme stuff on his arm, when he was a pitcher in h.s. the normally unaffectionate (to him) cat would follow him around the house, waiting for him to sit in some position where she could get to his shoulder.
That's weird about the IcyHot, our other cat will go insane if he smells any type of mint gum in a purse or backpack. If you give him the empty wrappers or any part of the packaging he rubs it all over his face then runs around with it for a bit.
My cat also loves chasing the red laser dot. Anytime, I reach in my pocket for almost anything, the cat, gets in a crouched, stalking position, just assuming I am pulling the laser pointer out to play with her.
There is no question, that she knows where the dot is coming from. One night, I was walking down the hallway in the dark, shining the dot all over. I could barely hear the cat, and could not see her. Suddenly, instead of chasing the dot, she decided to attack the source of the dot, ROUGHLY, YEOOOOOWW !!!! She drew blood from my hand holding it, probably without realizing she was attacking me. That is the last time I held it in the dark, at waist level, where she could easily jump up and attack it.
There is no question that the stimulation is good for the cat. It gives them play time, a bonding experience with the owner, and provides good excercise for the feline, as well as improving their hunting skills. I make sure I always have one with fresh batteries in my house, as my cat considers it part of her daily routine. When I forget to bring it out, she lets me know, by getting in her crouched, stalking position, that is unmistakeably communicating to me, that she is ready to play with and chase the laser dot now.
I never thought that it'd make a noise that they could hear, that would somewhat explain it. Also, she probably realized that the dot was connected to me holding the pointer because whenever the dot went away she'd look at me putting it in my pocket or back on the desk. Whenever I pick it up now she gets all fidgety.
I thought my cat was the only one that did that. He looks at me and the pointer when I turn it on. He won't chase the dot and seems to say, "You can't fool me with that anymore."
Back in the day, we'd do the same thing with our cats... but with a plain old flashlight (or torch for those of you on the other side of the Atlantic.) The cat went just as nuts with that as with a laser dot.
We used to use a laser pointer with our cats, but we decided we should stop because they seriously flipped-out when the dot went away. They'd hyperventilate and stuff. They seemed to enjoy chasing the dot, but definitely didn't enjoy it after the dot disappeared.
Any theories about why they flip-out so much when the dot goes? If you get them to chase something else and remove it, they don't do that.
Does anyone know if looking directly at the laser pointer would harm the cat's eyes? I would think so as I've read that people shouldn't look directly at a laser.
If you REALLY want to laugh make the pointer go round in circles and watch your cat sprint at full speed in circles until it gets dizzy. They flop on the floor and their head starts bobbing. And the best part is they get mad at you if you put the pointer away.
Does anyone know if looking directly at the laser pointer would harm the cat's eyes? I would think so as I've read that people shouldn't look directly at a laser.
It probably would. Be careful. I never had a problem with my cats focusing on anything other than laser on the ground, wall etc.
Comments
Originally posted by Randycat99
Now that is a smart cat! Up to this point, I've never heard of a cat putting it together that the red dot is coming from a laser pointer.
I've never heard of one not. Maybe the cats you hang out with are stoopit.
Most cats are pretty smart and social. A buddy was just telling me how his cat went on a hunger strike for three days because he moved her chair. She wouldn't let him pet her or anything, either. It hit him around day three to move her chair back, and as soon as he did, she jumped on the chair, jumped over to him and started patting his belly and purring(which, apparently, is a game of theirs). Then she immediately jumped down and went and ate some food.
Talking to my cat is basically like talking with a person who doesn't understand most english. Really, what it comes down to are cats are like really, really habitual people.
Originally posted by iBrowse
My friend has a female cat named Bob, it's actually my cat's sister... Where in NY are you from? I wonder if it's the same Bob...
WTH?!? I thought my girl Bob was the only one!? AAAAAAAAA!
Sorry kitty, you're not unique any more.
what i find thats really funny about cats is catnip, and icyhot (i think its icyhot, if not then some kind of rub-creme). they seem to have a similar reaction to both. its like a drug to them. one cat will eat the nip for like a half hour, sprawled out on the floor (or wherever she finds it). then it'll lay there, like a big unemployed whale, drooling all over itself, the nip and the floor. makes quite a nasty puddle too. she'll be quite insistent on getting the catnip (or creme) too. my bro used to put that creme stuff on his arm, when he was a pitcher in h.s. the normally unaffectionate (to him) cat would follow him around the house, waiting for him to sit in some position where she could get to his shoulder.
He'd rub his face all over one, make some funny noises, and just flop into a pile on the floor.
Wouldn't eat it, though.
He was good at jumping up walls chasing the flashlight. We started marking his high points, which on particularly energetic days got to over 5 feet.
Originally posted by thuh Freak
i dont think i've ever tried this laser pointer idea. i wonder if it could breed new life into my older, fatter, lazier cat.
what i find thats really funny about cats is catnip, and icyhot (i think its icyhot, if not then some kind of rub-creme). they seem to have a similar reaction to both. its like a drug to them. one cat will eat the nip for like a half hour, sprawled out on the floor (or wherever she finds it). then it'll lay there, like a big unemployed whale, drooling all over itself, the nip and the floor. makes quite a nasty puddle too. she'll be quite insistent on getting the catnip (or creme) too. my bro used to put that creme stuff on his arm, when he was a pitcher in h.s. the normally unaffectionate (to him) cat would follow him around the house, waiting for him to sit in some position where she could get to his shoulder.
That's weird about the IcyHot, our other cat will go insane if he smells any type of mint gum in a purse or backpack. If you give him the empty wrappers or any part of the packaging he rubs it all over his face then runs around with it for a bit.
There is no question, that she knows where the dot is coming from. One night, I was walking down the hallway in the dark, shining the dot all over. I could barely hear the cat, and could not see her. Suddenly, instead of chasing the dot, she decided to attack the source of the dot, ROUGHLY, YEOOOOOWW !!!! She drew blood from my hand holding it, probably without realizing she was attacking me. That is the last time I held it in the dark, at waist level, where she could easily jump up and attack it.
There is no question that the stimulation is good for the cat. It gives them play time, a bonding experience with the owner, and provides good excercise for the feline, as well as improving their hunting skills. I make sure I always have one with fresh batteries in my house, as my cat considers it part of her daily routine. When I forget to bring it out, she lets me know, by getting in her crouched, stalking position, that is unmistakeably communicating to me, that she is ready to play with and chase the laser dot now.
I never thought that it'd make a noise that they could hear, that would somewhat explain it. Also, she probably realized that the dot was connected to me holding the pointer because whenever the dot went away she'd look at me putting it in my pocket or back on the desk. Whenever I pick it up now she gets all fidgety.
I thought my cat was the only one that did that. He looks at me and the pointer when I turn it on. He won't chase the dot and seems to say, "You can't fool me with that anymore."
Any theories about why they flip-out so much when the dot goes? If you get them to chase something else and remove it, they don't do that.
Hello Redban and welcome to the forum. I am a cat.
He hasn't been around for a couple of months. Perhaps his owner bought a laser-pointer.
Does anyone know if looking directly at the laser pointer would harm the cat's eyes? I would think so as I've read that people shouldn't look directly at a laser.
It probably would. Be careful. I never had a problem with my cats focusing on anything other than laser on the ground, wall etc.