All cat parents are very familiar with the ongoing struggle between the cat and the laser pointer. For something as small and scentless, the little red dot can easily keep cats busy, despite the fact that they never truly catch it.
Interestingly enough, there’s an ongoing debate about whether or not laser pointers are a proper toy for our feline friends.
In the end, why do cats chase lasers? And more importantly, is it time to ditch the laser in favor of a different type of toy? We will discuss lasers, as well as why cats slap each other (playfully, of course). Let’s find out!
The allure of the laser
Lasers are known to be extremely stimulating to cats, mostly because of what they represent: a fast-moving prey. But just because the cat doesn’t have to work that hard for its food (well, unless you also count all the effort it takes to meow all morning until you fill up its bowl), it doesn’t mean that it’s not hardwired for the job.
When the red dot of the laser darts all over the room, your cat interprets it as a small animal finding its way outside your feline’s careful watch.
When this happens, inherent feline behaviors come out, such as the innate desire to hunt, pounce, and kill the prey in question. The fact that it’s nothing but a projection doesn’t matter as much; what matters is that the cat is operating on autopilot, not intellect.
How cats perceive lasers
There’s yet another factor at stake here when your cat goes after the laser, which is the fact that it simply looks very appealing. To understand why better, it would help to have a base understanding of how your cats’ eyes operate, as well as how they differ from human eyes.
The retina is probably one of the most important structures of the eye. It is made of two key types of cells, which are rods and cones. Rods deal with low light vision, as well as detecting movement, but cones help the eye see color.
It is well-known that human eyes have by far more cones than rods, which also means that we witness the world with plenty of vibrancy. Cats, however, have more rods than cones, which makes them experts at picking up the slightest of movements.
But the next question is: what does this have to do with lasers? Well, it means that they are quite hard to ignore. The moment you turn that laser pointer on your cat, he will pick it up in his peripheral vision. If it hasn’t quite figured out that he can’t catch or eat the red dot, then that’s all it takes to start a predatory cycle.
The never-ending debate over cats and lasers
It might come off as a surprise that there’s ongoing controversy over whether or not it’s a good idea to tempt your feline with lasers. The cat-laser debate is probably one that has been going on for quite some time.
The main issue observed by many cat enthusiasts who are anti-laser is that having our cat chase a laser or even a form of teasing. Remember, your cat stalks and pounces on that red dot mostly because its brain is telling it to catch the food and kill it.
The cat is not doing it distinctly as a way to pay, even if it’s just having fun. The laser is and will forever be an unattainable target. No matter how great your cat’s hunting skills are, they will never get to eat it, and it’s never going to finish out its predatory cycle.
Many cats figure out the ruse, and they simply stop interacting with the laser. Others might find it extremely frustrating, and could even start behaving badly as a result. Frustrated cats generally act out in ways that aren’t ideal, like by becoming destructive or aggressive.
If you notice a connection between playing with your cat and a laser and bad behavior, then it means you should put the pointer away for good. To help make the laser pointers fun, just give your cat a treat or even a physical toy right when you’re finished playing. They will get the satisfaction of a “kill,” even if it’s not about the laser itself.
Laser pointer safety tips
Considering that your cat seems to fully enjoy chasing a laser, and it’s not just caught in an endless loop of hunt-pounce-disappointment, there is really nothing to be worried about.
Chasing a laser is a wonderful way for your cat to get the needed physical and mental exercise. Let’s just tap into its kitty instincts for a little bit, something indoor cats won’t have the chance to do as often as they would like to.
Naturally, you should make sure you follow all the right safety tips to avoid harming your cat while they play. Here are some of the biggest ones worth noting.
Don’t shine the light directly in your cat’s eyes
Toy lasers emit a wildly bright light, so you shouldn’t shine them straight at your cat. If you do so, you might cause vision issues and eye injuries.
Provide your cat with enough toys to play
If the laser is the only playing outlet, it’s more than likely that the frustration to slowly build up. You need to make sure it has access to a lot of other objects for hunting and playing with, such as catnip toys and wands.
Why do cats like to slap each other?
For a very long time, cats have successfully held a reputation for being solitary. While they’re definitely not as social and gregarious as dogs, cats can easily live in the same home and do very well together.
They can easily bond. One behaviour you might notice from time to time if you live in a multicat home is that one cat slaps the other.
What is that about? Feline World War in your own home? Why do cats even do this? Are they fighting with one another? Or is there something else going on?
Why do cats slap each other?
A cat could slap the other one for multiple reasons. The secret key to understanding is to look at the rest of the body language and behavior of the cats.
Cats slapping one another is quite a normal behavior for them, even if some of the reasons for doing so are definitely less desirable.
Initiating playtime
Playful and energetic cats could slap each other as an invitation to play. Cats that are inviting play by slapping will also have a body language fitting for a cat that loves playing. Their own whiskers will be very forward, as well as their attention given to the situation at hand.
Their claws will then be retracted for the slap, because they don’t want to hurt the other cat. There will be no yowling, screaming, or hissing from the cat that is the “slapper.” All these playful, nonverbal cues are only meant to invite to playtime.
Predatory instincts
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they require animal protein in their diet. This also means that they are small, cute predators, and considering this, they come with a high prey drive.
As a matter of fact, plenty of toys on the market tap into this instinct of theirs. Feather wands, jingle balls, and laser pointers are all meant to exploit your cat’s predatory instincts.
Cats that don’t have access to the right outlet for these instincts could start to act out by pouncing on their housemates. If the cat slaps another cat, exhibiting a playful body language, but you still feel they are a little too exuberant about the slapping, they could be doing it because of a pent-up instinct to hunt.
Illness and pain
If your cat isn’t feeling too well, or if they experience a lot of pain, they could slap other cats to get them to stay away. Cats that are suffering from chronic pain or chronic illness are more guarded with other pets in their own home.
They might be fearful of other pets, and they might end up hurting them by accident. Cats don’t necessarily show arthritic changes outwardly as dogs do.
As a matter of fact, a study proved that 61% of cats over the age of 6 years suffered arthritic changes that might have been found in at least one joint on X-ray, and 48% of them had changes in more than one joint. It’s also important to note that the arthritis in these felines was mainly diagnosed not by changes the owners noted, but by the X-rays.
An older cat exhibiting normal behavior at home could still be harboring arthritic pain. This can also explain why a cat seems to get increasingly crankier with age; they might be in pain.
Lack of resources leads to inter-cat aggression
Again, it could be that two cats can live together with no issue, but that’s not always the case. At times, cats don’t get along with each other, especially when they are living in close quarters.
Cats that live together and fight can also exhibit something known as inter-cat aggression, which could be the reason why they slap each other.
Their body language is much different than cats slapping each other to instigate play. Cats that act out aggressively will appear more tense.
Their ears might be flat against their heads, with tight faces, drawing their whiskers back against their faces. They could vocalize, making the proverbial angry cat sounds of growling and hissing as well as screaming.
Since every cat is an individual, inter-cat aggression can be quite a nuanced behavioral issue, but aggression can still stem from a lack of resources at home. When we say resources, we mean litter boxes, water bowls, toys, beds, and vertical spaces such as cat trees and shelves.
How to stop cats from slapping each other?
Even if cats slapping one another is still seen as normal, that doesn’t mean your cats should be slapping each other. There are still ways you can minimize the incidence of cats slapping one another.
Use playtime
If your cats slap each other because of play and instinct, setting scheduled and structured play times can definitely help. A cat with the same schedule, where every day, 20 minutes a day, she hunts and pounces on her favorite wand toy or chases the elusive red dot, could be less likely to slap her housemates for play.
It’s also important to keep in mind that part of the fun is catching the prey at the end. Laser pointers don’t usually allow for this, so if your cat is crazy about them, end each play session by tossing them a kicker toy that they can jump on and bunny kick to “kill.”
Don’t forget routine exams
Keeping your cat up-to-date on all its annual exams can definitely help ensure there aren’t any serious illnesses brewing and causing pain and discomfort.
It’s a well-known fact that cats can be nervous at the vet, and it can be difficult for the professional to efficiently assess them and check for subtle signs of arthritis.
You can film your cat walking around or jumping on things: this is a wonderful way to establish whether or not your cat has early arthritis.
As your cat advances in age, consider starting them on a joint supplement. Your vet can also recommend the best product for your cat.
Keep enough litter boxes
Well, inter-cat aggression isn’t always bound to be followed by a quick-and-easy fix. However, there are a couple of things you can do to make home life less stressful for your feline.
Making sure there’s an adequate number of litter boxes is a good start. Most behavior experts recommend the number of litter boxes in your home to be the same as the number of cats you have, plus one. If you have two cats, ideally, you would have three litter boxes.
Experts also advise keeping the litter boxes on every level of your home, not just all clumped together on one floor or in only one location.
Increase vertical spaces
You can easily minimize inter-cat aggression by simply increasing the overall number of vertical spaces in your home. Cat shelves, cat trees, especially in high-traffic areas like hallways, can definitely relieve the stress of living in tight quarters, and your cats will have a more appropriate outlet for their stress.
It’s quite normal for cats to hit each other, to put it frankly. With that being said, it can mean a wide array of things, and each explanation will require different strategies.
If you found this article useful, we also recommend checking: 5 Reasons Not to Let Your Dog Sleep in Your Bed
