Therefore, do not let your cat play on a tablet: it can be extremely frustrating for your pet

Does your cat also love to play on your tablet with various hunting games designed for cats? Well, despite the fact that this is basically an excellent way to satisfy your pet's hunting instincts and such tendencies, many owners don't realize that it can be very frustrating for the animal in many cases.

It probably doesn’t even occur to many owners that virtual games, the essence of which is that the cat can catch more fish on the tablet, for example, may have a bad effect on the animal’s mental health. However, according to experts, this can easily happen.

The hunting instinct of cats

Cats’ hunting is basically an ancient survival instinct, which they learn from their mothers as puppies. The essence of this is that the animal is not dependent on anyone and can provide itself with food when it needs it. This was necessary because cats were domesticated quite late, so for a very long time they were completely dependent on their own instincts. However, this has changed more and more over the centuries, and most cats now only hunt for fun, as it is no longer necessary for survival. But this does not mean that the instinct has been lost in them.

Do they like hunting games?

Of course, they like games that are basically based on hunting instinct. So they love anything they can chase and hit. Of course, they are equally fond of games on tablets, the goal of which is to catch as many fish, frogs, and birds as possible. However, unlike physical games where they can catch the object of their pursuit, in virtual games, this does not happen. And this can make them incredibly frustrated over time.

Why do they get frustrated when they can’t catch their prey?

Basically, cats are particularly interested in being able to scout countless fish through a screen. Moreover, it may seem to the owners that the cats absolutely adore these toys, as they are completely fascinated and can be engaged for a relatively long time. However, physical contact is sorely lacking in this game. Because cats are happy when they can catch their prey. However, if more and more potential victims keep coming, who is impossible to catch, it can be a particularly frustrating and at the same time extremely unsuccessful experience for them. Not to mention that after one or two such bad experiences, they can even damage the device.

If, on the other hand, they are not frustrated, there is a risk that they will simply get bored. The reason for this is that after they cannot catch the animal to be acquired, sooner or later they become almost completely unmotivated. And this means that they get bored of the given game very quickly.

Can I let my cat play with these toys?

Well, if the cat plays with these kinds of toys once or twice, it can even be fun for him. However, in the long run, you should definitely not let him waste his time with this all the time, as it is not at all constructive for him. Moreover, if it causes him frustration, he may even have developmental problems.

We also contacted Zsófia Osvald’s cat therapist with the question. Below is his response.

– Is it a problem if your cat plays virtual games?

O. S – I don’t find the virtual games developed for cats, which we can find on phone applications or social video sharing sites, to be evil, because our pets need mental exercise just as much as exercise. Many people also protect their cats from playing with laser light, as the point of light is very stimulating for the animal’s predatory brain, which it wants to hunt, but is physically unable to capture. This can be frustrating for the cat in the long run.

However, few would think that laser light can be a good therapeutic tool in the treatment of behavioral problems. For example, when the cat’s attention needs to be diverted from something that causes behavioral disturbance to the laser light that causes the desire to play. Virtual games are therefore very similar to a laser dot. Cats are not really interested in what figures, effects, and colors appear on the screen (cats cannot even perceive the color red, they are quasi “color blind”), and their eyes are much more focused on movement. The movement of objects appearing in virtual games can be exciting for them, as they unconsciously believe that they detect the movement of a prey animal in them.

The focus is on the frequency

O. S. –  The focus should be more on how often we use these internet games. They are definitely harmful if the pet rarely has the opportunity to exercise, e.g. the owner

Instead of real toys, dig only plays with laser light or virtual games to please your cat.
But it can be a viable way to end the process with a cat toy with a stick right after playing with the virtual or the laser point. In this way, we can prevent the animal from becoming frustrated because the virtual prey is not physically available to it. It is very important that our kitten is sufficiently exercised and has enough stimuli in its environment because a cat overloaded with predatory energy can easily become problematic. In addition to shared games with the owner and interactive, intelligence-developing games, virtual ones can also serve as a good addition if used to the right extent, so that our kitten can be balanced both physically and mentally.