Why Do Cats Chase Lasers?

All cat owners know the endless struggle between cat and laser pointer. For something so small and scentless, that little red dot can keep cats busy�even though they can never actually catch it. Interestingly, there is debate about whether laser pointers are a good toy for our feline friends. So, why do cats chase lasers, and is it time to replace the laser with a different type of toy?

The Allure of the Laser

Lasers are naturally stimulating to cats because they mimic fast-moving prey. Just because your cat doesn't have to work hard for her food (unless you count all the effort she uses to meow until you fill her bowl) doesn't mean she's not hardwired to hunt.

As the dot of a laser darts around the room, your cat interprets it as a small animal trying to run and hide. As such, certain inherent feline behaviors come out, notably the innate desire to hunt, pounce, and kill the prey in question. The fact that it’s merely a projection doesn’t matter very much because your cat is operating on auto-pilot, not on intellect.

How Cats See Lasers

There’s another factor at play here too when your cat chases a laser, and that’s the fact that it simply looks appealing. To understand why, it helps to have a base understanding of how your cats’ eyes operate and how they differ from human eyes.

The retina is a major structure of the eye, composed of two cell types: rods and cones. Rods handle low-light vision and detect movement, while cones help the eye see color. Human eyes have more cones, allowing us to see vibrant colors. In contrast, cats have more rods, making them experts at detecting movement.

What does this have to do with lasers? It means that they’re pretty hard to ignore. The moment you turn a laser point on your cat is going to pick it up in its peripheral vision, and if it hasn’t quite figured out yet that it can’t actually eat that red dot (or if it knows it can’t but doesn’t care) then that’s all it will take to start its predatory cycle.

The Debate Over Cats and Lasers

It might be surprising to hear that there’s some controversy over whether it’s a good idea to tempt your cat with lasers, but the cat-laser debate is one that has been going on for some time.

The main argument by cat enthusiasts against lasers is that it teases the cat. Remember, your cat stalks and pounces on the red dot because her brain is signaling her to catch food and kill it. She's not playing, even if she seems to enjoy it.

The laser is an unattainable target. No matter how skilled your cat is at hunting, she'll never catch it or complete her predatory cycle. Some cats learn the trick and lose interest in the laser, while others become frustrated and may act out. Frustrated cats can become destructive or aggressive. If you notice a link between playing with the laser and bad behavior, it's time to retire the pointer.

To help make laser pointers more of a game and less of a tease, give your cat a treat or a physical toy right when you're finished playing. That way it’ll get the satisfaction of a “kill,” even if it’s not of the laser itself.

Laser Pointer Safety Tips

If your cat genuinely enjoys chasing a laser and isn't trapped in an endless loop of hunt-pounce-disappointment, it's probably not a concern. Chasing a laser is an excellent way for your cat to get physical and mental exercise and allows her to tap into her instincts something indoor cats don't do as often as they might like.

However, you should follow proper safety tips to avoid harming your cat during play. Here are two important ones to note.

Don’t shine the light directly in your cat’s eyes. Even toy lasers emit an incredibly bright light, so you mustn't shine it directly at your cat (or yourself!). If you do, you could cause vision problems and/or eye injuries.

Provide your cat with plenty of other toys. If the laser is your cat's only play outlet, frustration may build up. Ensure she has access to various toys, including catnip toys and wands, for hunting and playing.