Playing with your cat is a very important aspect of cat ownership. Sometimes, though, you might not feel up to moving about as excitedly as your cat might. That’s okay, because you can use a laser pointer to engage with your cat while you get the rest that you might need. It’s a win-win, but only so long as you do it right. Here are some things to remember when using a laser pointer to play with your cat.
Safety First: Eyes Are Off Limits
Safety is the most important part of playing with a laser pointer. Just like your eyes, your cat’s eyes are delicate and the pointer’s laser can be very harmful if shone directly into them. So, make sure that you are conscious of this while playing with your cat, and, to safely avoid damaging your cat’s eyes, never shine the laser near your cat’s face. Once you’ve got this worked out, you’re all ready to play!
Make The Time To Play
Playing with your cat is very important for your cat’s emotional well-being. Since your cat’s schedule is obviously going to be more open than yours, it is your responsibility to make the time to play with your cat. It’s also an important time for bonding between cat and owner, and you may inadvertently be alienating your cat by neglecting to play with it. So, do yourself a favor and your cat one, too, by simply sitting down for a few minutes every day and having some fun together.
Playing Provides Plenty Of Exercise
Playing not only provides a necessary emotional engagement, but it also provides your cat with plenty of necessary physical activity. Especially if you have an indoor cat, you need to ensure that it’s getting a sufficient amount of exercise, and by simply chasing around a laser pointer for a few minutes or so, you can allow your cat the opportunity to move around. The best part of using the laser pointer to help your cat get this exercise is that it doesn’t translate into you having to do too much exercise yourself, if you’re not in the mood, anyways.
Follow Up With A Physical Toy
After a good, productive session of laser pointer play with your cat, you should make sure to reward it with an actual physical toy and possibly even a treat. The continued effort of chasing the laser paired with the continued failure of capturing it can be distressing to your cat. You can mitigate this distress by providing your cat with something tangible to play with after you’ve played with the laser. This will sufficiently satisfy its need for tactile engagement.
Other than that, have fun and make sure your cat’s having fun, too! The laser pointer can be a great way to get involved with your cat, but you just need to make sure that you’re using it responsibly. But even that’s not very difficult, so enjoy!
