Our pets, Marcus, Sabrina, and Max, are the “babies” who reside at our house. Our grandson visits, but the pets are the kids who call our house home. Christmas is almost as big a deal for them as it was for our four kids growing up. They poke and prod packages, sniff suspiciously at things, and love opening their presents on Christmas morning.
This year, we found three special presents for them. The first was a stuffed bird that flaps its wings and chirps. The second was a fish that lashed its tail about. And the third was a rolling ball with a tail that flashes lights, stops, reves up, gyrates, and takes off in seemingly random directions. The three toys provided days of play action for the cats. The dog is afraid of the rolling ball; it’s chased him several times. He likes to be the chaser, not the chasee.
After Christmas, I found a few presents that had not made it to Santa in time for delivery on Christmas morning. One of them was an old-fashioned toy car, the kind you pull back and release; the friction motor propels it across the floor. The cats seemed interested in it, but in a few minutes, they noticed that unless I made it go, it wouldn’t move. After a few bats at it they returned the flapping bird, the fish and the rolling ball. Take a swipe at them, and they did something! I tried to interest them in the car, but they returned to the three “animatronic” ones. It was like they disdainfully glanced at the car that just sat there!
Reflecting on this, I worry that the tech in cat toys is ruining play. Pretty soon, they’ll be like human kids wanting more and more techy toys with more beeps, whoops, and movement.
What have we done?
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I see a day when they’ll have their little cat faces turned to a cat screen watching a virtual mouse? I have it on good authority that the animated toys don’t smell like the real deal. Happy Christmas Mas, Marcus, and Sabrina!
My old cat, Xenia, used to watch videos on youtube of birds at tha feeder. she’d watch for an hour or so before getting bored. she had regular screen time.
That’s so funny. I had an Aussie who’d track moving animals on TV, antelope stampedes and stuff on Wild Kingdom.
Ever since video moved to hi-definition and 4K, the image look much more real to cat, and I imagine dogs, but Max pays no attention to the pictures. tonight Marcus watched a video clip of himself. I wonder if he knew who it was?
I wonder what concept of self dogs have? I don’t think I want to go there, but still…
That’s funny. The robot bird was a little disturbing.
They prefer the fish and the ball to the bird.
Phew.