# How do you tire out your cats? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 6, 2009, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tire-out-your-cats/516501 "2009-11-06T00:49:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tire-out-your-cats/516501/21 "2009-11-07T06:54:08Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > I’ve got that already and it’s _kinda_ helpful. He knows that if it’s not up there (i.e. it’s protecting something else), he’s safe. He can also tell the difference between the empty cans from it and the unit itself as I’ve tried to use those to scare him, as well. > > So the good: I sometimes don’t even have to turn it on because he’s afraid of it. > The bad: He knows that it’s THAT that is to be feared and not whatever activity it is intended to deter. So if it’s not there, SCORE! > > I’ve considered buying a second one, but at over $30, those things are a bit steep. Hmmmm, well, that settles the question of whether he’s stubborn or stupid. He’s not stupid. Can you make a fake unit? Can you make the real unit look like a fake one? Just to mess with his little kitty brain, you know. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tire-out-your-cats/516501/22 "2009-11-10T04:00:50Z")
Update - I got the cat dancer! Verdict: a little here, a little there. Ellie _loves_ it. She could chase it around for hours. Becket seems to be slightly interested and plays with it on occasion but isn’t transfixed like Ellie is. They’re both tangling with it right now, though, so that’s definitely good! Just to keep it special in their minds, I’m not letting them have it 24/7 and am only taking it out when they seem restless. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tire-out-your-cats/516501/23 "2009-11-11T11:15:40Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > I’ve tried but I can’t teach that one anything. Despite the fact that every time he jumps up on the countertops, I consistently pick him up, say NO, and put him on the floor - he still does it 10x a day. Well stop that! You have taught that one something – if he wants to be picked up and talked to, just jump onto the countertop. You should only pick him up and give him attention when he is being good. Just ignore him completely when he is on the countertop. What’s the harm? (You should not be leaving food out on the countertop, anyway.) ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tire-out-your-cats/516501/24 "2009-11-11T11:46:03Z")
All it takes for me to tire out my cat is to lay down on my bed, start to read a book and my cat crawls up on my chest - right in the line of view of which ever hand is holding the book - and falls asleep. Every night. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tire-out-your-cats/516501/25 "2009-11-11T14:14:37Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Well stop that! You have taught that one something – if he wants to be picked up and talked to, just jump onto the countertop. > > You should only pick him up and give him attention when he is being good. Just ignore him completely when he is on the countertop. What’s the harm? (You should not be leaving food out on the countertop, anyway.) Definitely something I’ve thought of. That’s why I pick him up, put him on the floor, and ignore him. I want it to be a reflexive action - if he gets on the counter, he will be put on the floor, get a “NO”, but will not receive attention beyond that. In general, I don’t even really look at him when I do it. And I do give him attention when he’s just hanging out being nice - he just wants to get up on the counters sometimes. Oh, and there is no food on the counters, either. He just wants to get up there and take a look around. ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tire-out-your-cats/516501/26 "2009-11-11T18:59:44Z")
[http://www.cattoysforless.com/Zanies-Mylar-Balls-6-Balls-p/zw82714.htm](http://www.cattoysforless.com/Zanies-Mylar-Balls-6-Balls-p/zw82714.htm) My cats adore these. They fly around the house for 15 minutes at a time chasing these. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tire-out-your-cats/516501/27 "2009-11-11T19:09:08Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > I’ve got that already and it’s _kinda_ helpful. He knows that if it’s not up there (i.e. it’s protecting something else), he’s safe. He can also tell the difference between the empty cans from it and the unit itself as I’ve tried to use those to scare him, as well. > > So the good: I sometimes don’t even have to turn it on because he’s afraid of it. > The bad: He knows that it’s THAT that is to be feared and not whatever activity it is intended to deter. So if it’s not there, SCORE! > > I’ve considered buying a second one, but at over $30, those things are a bit steep. Can you buy a broken one on E-bay? It doesn’t need to work, right? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-tire-out-your-cats/516501.md?page=1)