andolianss:catsbeaversandducks: IMPORTANTVia Pam Johnson-Bennett Doesn’t mean lasers are
andolianss:catsbeaversandducks: IMPORTANTVia Pam Johnson-Bennett Doesn’t mean lasers are evil, just tells you what to think of when you play with one with your cat. Laser-play suggestions:Reward your cat after they catch it! This can be a treat (laser off once caught - get their attention - toss or offer treat. Pick healthy/tiny treats if this happens often) or a toy that you then toss for them to actually catch. The usefulness here is you throw half the toys you would without a laser. Rewards play into the catch/eat of a cat’s hunt-catch-eat internal natural method.Overwork - Natural Method: 1. Move the laser between ‘hiding’ spots the cat has to investigate/hunt, like the dot goes into a paper bag! Or under the dresser! Then is off so the cat has to inspect the place to find it. This is calmer than the frantic chase - though the zoomy chase can play a useful role! You should include breaks for the cat where you throw a kicker toy once the cat is worked up so they’re so wild they just attack it. Rewarded in the process, and still tuckered enough to maybe let you sleep tonight. 2. Move the dot along the edges/perimeters in a paced way with little pauses, mimicking a lil creature. The amount of jerk/length of pause/speed when moving can all play into whether a specific cat is interested, so adjust and see what gets the pupils big.Injury - Including breaks and rewards can reduce the risk of injury, but pay attention to your cat and consider their usual health. If the laser is not routinely brought out, then be gentle with it. Consider the slip-nature of the current floor, the height your cat may jump from, don’t have them take sharp corners unless it is a very open space. People love to make rules to ‘be safe’ but you can just… be safe about how you do things if you think about it before you do it? Most of the time. -- source link