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I have recently gotten a laser pointer to play with my two cats (mother and son). The son is overweight and I thought the laser pointer would help with giving him a bit of extra exercise to help him lose weight.

I have noticed though that sometimes when playing he will stop then hiss or growl at the laser dot while sitting/laying still for a few seconds. Can anyone explain this for me please? I would hate to think that this is his way of telling me he's had enough and I have been misunderstanding him.

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  • Any other odd behaviors? Is he prone to get upset when he is overstimulated?
    – rlb.usa
    Commented Jul 2, 2015 at 16:09
  • As Far as I am aware he has not done this behaviour before.
    – Victoria
    Commented Jul 2, 2015 at 21:42

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Cats love laser pointers because they can see something you can't - the dot never stops moving. Cats are attracted to movement, it stimulates them. So, within the dot the light is constantly moving and stimulating them.

For this reason you have to be careful. Some cats will chase laser dots to their detriment. They will exhaust themselves. In hunting, cats are sprinters, not marathoners and to chase something for a prolonged period is not really in their nature. When they do, they can exhaust and injure themselves.

So what is probably happening is that your cat is getting over stimulated. His particular response is to growl and hiss. HE may not think he's had enough but it would be wise of you to treat it as such and let him calm down. Give him some positive reinforcement when the game is over.

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  • My cat makes very clear when she needs to stop and catch her breath ... and if I'm paying attention it's clear when she's stopped panting and is ready for and interested in another burst of chasing the red bug. (The male has decided it wasn't any fun chasing something he can't catch and wrestle with.)
    – keshlam
    Commented Oct 10, 2015 at 2:55

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