I don't know about cats, but dogs develop neurotic chasing behaviors
when they don't have enough to do. It's sort of along the same lines as
chasing their tails or the habitual pacing of animals in too small a
cage. I remember seeing a story on TV about this poor dog that would
chase any reflective bit of light. It was driving him and his humans
crazy. When they gave him more appropriate outlets for his energy, (and
discouraged him from the chasing behavior), it stopped. I think if they
have enough of a life, besides the laser toy, then it would be a fun
activity that you share. (Of course they know you're in control of the toy!)
Nina
MacKenzie, Kerry N. wrote:
Glad someone mentioned the laser toy--I do use it occasionally because
it's the one thing that never fails to get my 2 quarantined cats moving.
But the reason I only use it occasionally is that I worry about the
frustration element-they think there's something to catch but they can
never succeed. Ditto those cat videos showing birds etc, with all the
sound effects. I used to play them, but worried about the cats becoming
depressed. I'd love to hear other opinions. Is there any reliable info
out there on how chasing intangible objects affects cats? If I thought
they were really ok, I'd use them more often. Kerry
