Cats love chasing things. Often, their owners put this natural feline instinct to good use by having them chase a laser light around the house. Some people consider this a harmless and enjoyable way to give cats much-needed exercise; one, that more importantly, requires little effort from the owner. It has been suggested that when cats don’t get to ‘catch’ something at the end of all the Tom-and-Jerrying, they might get frustrated or stressed. But that’s not all. There is now some evidence suggesting that laser light play that does not end in a ‘catch’ may cause behavioral disorders in cats.
You probably know that objects like laser lights that move really fast trigger the cat’s natural predatory instincts. In a significant proportion of chases that happen in nature, the sequence of instinctual hunting behaviors ends in a successful catch. When cats do not get to catch the laser light (its prey), the hunting sequence remains incomplete and may cause motivational conflict.
In a recent study, researchers Lori Kogan, and Emma Grigg used an anonymous online survey of cat owners from the US, the UK, and Canada to examine potential associations between the use of laser light pointers for play and the occurrence of abnormal repetitive behaviors (ARBs). Excessive or abnormal repetitive behaviors are often linked to the diagnosis of feline compulsive disorders (FCD).
The respondents in the study (N = 618) were asked a series of questions related to their demography (age, education, etc.), age of their cats, use of laser light pointers during play, the occurrence of excessive or repetitive behavior, and the perceived usefulness or consequences of laser light play. Specifically, among other things, they were asked:
- “if they play with their cat using an LLP, with response options including no, have never used; no, used to but no longer use; rarely (less than once a month); some (less than once a week); fair amount (2–3 times/week); frequently (more than three times a week); and daily”
- to indicate “how often their cat displayed behaviors that might indicate compulsive tendencies” (using a 7-point Likert scale anchored by 1 = never and 7 = multiple times a day).
- “if they feel their cat benefits from the LLP play, as well as if they think their cat suffers any negative effects of LLP play”
45.6% of respondents said they were currently using laser light pointers (LLP). Reasons they cited for using LLP includes “my cat seems to enjoy it”, “it is a way for my cat to get exercise”, “it is an easy way to play with my cat”, “I find it funny”, “I can relax while my cat plays” etc. Respondents who did not use LLPs cited reasons such as “I enjoy playing with my cat in other ways”, “I have never thought about using laser pointers”, “I am afraid of hurting my cat’s eyes”, “I am afraid my cat will become obsessed”, etc.
89.5% of respondents said that their cats displayed at least one behavior that has been identified as an indicator of feline compulsive disorder – spinning or tail chasing, chasing lights and shadows, fixating on a specific toy, staring obsessively at lights or reflections, and overgrooming.
Researchers found that with the exception of overgrooming, all abnormal repetitive behaviors were significantly associated with LLP play. Other factors associated with repetitive behaviors were cat’s age (owners of younger cats reported more repetitive behaviors compared to owners of older cats), indoor/outdoor activity (owners of indoor-only cats reported more repetitive behaviors), and guardian age (owners aged 18-29 reported more repetitive behaviors than any other age group).
“frequency of LLP play was the strongest predictor of ARBs in the multiple regression model, and guardians who frequently used LLPs for playing with their cats were more likely to report ARBs in their cats than others who did not use LLPs, or who used them less frequently”
Perhaps the most interesting insight to come out of the study is this – although more than half the respondents (52.1%) reported being familiar with the notion that “Laser pointers can make cats frustrated if they do not get to ‘catch’ something at the end of play”, only 35.6% of respondents reported following the advice.
Researchers also cite useful expert advice to be followed to minimize the risk of frustration and maintain the enrichment value of LLP play – end LLP plays by having the light land on a toy that resembles catchable prey (like a stuffed mouse) or a food treat.
What do cats love more than chasing things? Catching things they chase.
Read more about the study by Lori R. Kogan and Emma K. Grigg here.
