My cat just got wise to the red dot.

[zanana1]

It was the only toy that still got him going. The laser pointer gave him exercise. He'd be running from room to room to catch it. Woe is me. Are they any cat toy experts out there who can get him going again?

[Vilis Veritas]

1. Bottle caps? Crumply paper balls?

I had a cat that would fetch bottle caps and crumply paper balls.

One cat would play fetch for hours. Weirdest thing.

Side note: My 4 week old baby ducklings decided the laser pointer was not worth the trouble as well. The crumpled paper towel ball however brings them great joy.

[TeapotInATempest]

2. Ok, I know this might be a weird suggestion,

but one of my cats really loves chasing pieces of dry food when I throw them for her one at a time. Might be worth trying - at least it's not another toy you have to buy, right?

Edited for typo.

[zanana1]

5. I'm going to try the dry food thing.

Cats can be exasperating. I've had cats all my life and I always wind up saying "You're such a cat"!
Thanks for the suggestion.

[TeapotInATempest]

7. You're welcome!

They do keep us on our toes, don't they?

[zanana1]

8. It worked!

I hope he doesn't stop when he realizes it's just food!

[TeapotInATempest]

9. That's awesome!

[Merlot]

12. We call that Cat Bowling

Long hallways work really well.

[TeapotInATempest]

14. Cat Bowling, lol!

I thought it was just something my oddball little cat did; I didn't know it was a "thing".

[Freddie]

3. Try a different room?

Our cat Charlie goes apeshit for the red dot. He knows where we keep the laser pointer and jumps on a nearby table and meows until someone plays with him. His brother Andy could care less and watches Charlie run around ("I'm not dumb enough to chase that thing&quot .

[elfin]

4. Cats can differentiate different colors a bit, but not see what we see

Maybe try laser pointer with a green light. I got one at Office Depot a few years back. Another way might be a flashlight with a long range that has different sizes and intensities of the dots.

[k8conant]

6. Cat Dancer --

[zanana1]

10. I tried the cat dancer...

I even tried the butterfly go-around thing but he destroyed it. He gets tired of his toys really fast, so I have to go out and get another one or I'll never hear the end of it. (Very loud meow) I guess I just have a spoiled cat, though I don't know who spoiled him.

[Merlot]

11. "Someone" spoiled my cats too.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. I read somewhere that the reason cats get tired of their toys

is that for cats, playing is just simulating hunting. So once they've caught their toy "prey" and swatted it around for awhile, they've killed it; but since they can't eat it and it's just lying there dead, it's no fun any more. The red dot triggers the chase instinct, but maybe your cat has concluded it's something he can neither catch nor eat, so to hell with it.

Maybe something that squeaks?

[Golden Raisin]

15. Rolled up ball of aluminum foil. They love it.

[applegrove]

16. Mine likes a long narrow piece of cardboard with tape on it. He can get his

claws and mouth into the cardboard but it does not break because of the tape. He found it in the garbage like most of his 'toys'. He brings it to me while I am sleeping to try and get me to move it around.