Green vs. red laser toys

Has anyone compared the way cats respond to green lasers used a toys
(spots on the floor/wall) to the way they respond to the more common red
lasers?

The fact that most cats eyes reflect greenish light led me to question
whether they can actually see the red spots all that well. However, green
lasers are normally so expensive that I don't have one to use for testing.

A few days ago I did find an on-line sale on green laser pointers at
$19.95 + S&H (marked down from $69.95). I ordered one, but due to back
orders, I won't get it for a couple of weeks at the soonest, but my
curiosity is killing me - I want to *know*. Anyone have any data or
anecdotes?

--
T.E.D. )

"Ted Davis" wrote in message
news
Has anyone compared the way cats respond to green lasers used a
toys
(spots on the floor/wall) to the way they respond to the more
common red
lasers?

The fact that most cats eyes reflect greenish light led me to
question
whether they can actually see the red spots all that well.
However, green
lasers are normally so expensive that I don't have one to use for
testing.

A few days ago I did find an on-line sale on green laser pointers
at
$19.95 + S&H (marked down from $69.95). I ordered one, but due to
back
orders, I won't get it for a couple of weeks at the soonest, but
my
curiosity is killing me - I want to *know*. Anyone have any data
or
anecdotes?

If they can't see those red dots, they sure react to them anyway. I
got in trouble playing with my dog with the red laser dot too. She
became convinced it was hiding behind the TV and decided to go in
after it.

Do not mess with a Border Collie's mind. It might be sharp but it
isn't all that large.

Jo

Ted Davis wrote:

Has anyone compared the way cats respond to green lasers used a toys
(spots on the floor/wall) to the way they respond to the more common red
lasers?

The fact that most cats eyes reflect greenish light led me to question
whether they can actually see the red spots all that well. However, green
lasers are normally so expensive that I don't have one to use for testing.

Cats don't see the color red, but that doesn't mean they don't see
objects that we see as red - I think they see them as black or dark gray.
It might make the "red bug" more attractive to them if they see it as
a black bug.

A few days ago I did find an on-line sale on green laser pointers at
$19.95 + S&H (marked down from $69.95). I ordered one, but due to back
orders, I won't get it for a couple of weeks at the soonest, but my
curiosity is killing me - I want to *know*. Anyone have any data or
anecdotes?

I don't, but I'm interested in hearing what you find out.

--
Joyce ^..^

To email me, remove the XXX from my user name.

"Ted Davis" wrote in message
news
Has anyone compared the way cats respond to green lasers used a toys
(spots on the floor/wall) to the way they respond to the more common red
lasers?

The fact that most cats eyes reflect greenish light led me to question
whether they can actually see the red spots all that well. However,
green
lasers are normally so expensive that I don't have one to use for
testing.

A few days ago I did find an on-line sale on green laser pointers at
$19.95 + S&H (marked down from $69.95). I ordered one, but due to back
orders, I won't get it for a couple of weeks at the soonest, but my
curiosity is killing me - I want to *know*. Anyone have any data or
anecdotes?

--
T.E.D. )



We have a green laser, but it's a sight for a gun, and way more powerful
than the generic office-pointer red laser, therefore we very rarely used
it for any pet related toy type play, and if we do, it's pointed on the
walls or ceiling to ensure that we don't accidentally get it in their
eyes. And yes, they do see it, and react to it very well. Even the dogs
respond to it moreso than the red laser.

--
^..^ This is Kitty. Copy and paste Kitty into your signature to help
her
wipe out Bunny's world domination.
--
The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy
former-blonde
in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)©
email me at nalee1964 (at) comcast (dot) net
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:50:18 +0000, bastXXXette wrote:

Ted Davis wrote:

Has anyone compared the way cats respond to green lasers used a toys
(spots on the floor/wall) to the way they respond to the more common
red lasers?

The fact that most cats eyes reflect greenish light led me to question
whether they can actually see the red spots all that well. However,
green lasers are normally so expensive that I don't have one to use for
testing.

Cats don't see the color red, but that doesn't mean they don't see objects
that we see as red - I think they see them as black or dark gray. It might
make the "red bug" more attractive to them if they see it as a black bug.

And my kitchen floor is gray. I do seem to get more response from the red
laser when it shines on the front of the (white) washer or dryer.


A few days ago I did find an on-line sale on green laser pointers at
$19.95 + S&H (marked down from $69.95). I ordered one, but due to
back orders, I won't get it for a couple of weeks at the soonest, but
my curiosity is killing me - I want to *know*. Anyone have any data
or anecdotes?

I don't, but I'm interested in hearing what you find out.

I plan to attach both to a stick so they point near each other and see
which, if either, various cats attack more. There might even be some
relationship with the color their eyes reflect. I'll take notes.

--
T.E.D. )

wrote:
Cats don't see the color red, but that doesn't mean they don't see
objects that we see as red - I think they see them as black or dark gray.
It might make the "red bug" more attractive to them if they see it as
a black bug.

But, that doesn't make intuitive sense to me. If your laser is
creating a black spot on your wall, I think you need to turn down its
settings.

Black isn't a color, and can't be carried by light - you can paint an
object black, but can't illuminate an object with a "black" colored
light or a laser. To take a hoomin example, we can't see infrared, so
we see an infrared object (which does not reflect or emit other
colors) as merely being black. But if we turn on an infrared lamp, we
don't see any change - turning on light won't suddenly make the room
go dark!

"Magic Mood Jeep" wrote in message

"Ted Davis" wrote in message
news
Has anyone compared the way cats respond to green lasers used a toys
(spots on the floor/wall) to the way they respond to the more common
red lasers?

The fact that most cats eyes reflect greenish light led me to
question whether they can actually see the red spots all that well.
However, green
lasers are normally so expensive that I don't have one to use for
testing.

A few days ago I did find an on-line sale on green laser pointers at
$19.95 + S&H (marked down from $69.95). I ordered one, but due to
back orders, I won't get it for a couple of weeks at the soonest,
but my curiosity is killing me - I want to *know*. Anyone have any
data or anecdotes?

--
T.E.D. )



We have a green laser, but it's a sight for a gun, and way more
powerful than the generic office-pointer red laser, therefore we very
rarely used it for any pet related toy type play, and if we do, it's
pointed on the walls or ceiling to ensure that we don't accidentally
get it in their eyes. And yes, they do see it, and react to it very
well. Even the dogs respond to it moreso than the red laser.

Just by definition a red laser is far less energetic than a green laser,
and thereby a red laser dot is far safer, eye wise, than a green one of
input power.

As to the ability to see said dot, whilst perhaps cats don't register the
colour 'red', they would see a very bright spot of light. Suki also chases
the light spot from a regular everyday torch so its probably not the 'red'
that they chase so much as the fact that its an area that is of high
contrast from the background, and it moves around in an intriguing-to-cats
sort of way.

I'd be wary of using a green laser for cat greebling games, but thats just
me - lasers are one of the things I have to work with and I"m forever
filling out risk assessments and having to put danger signs and extra
guarding in - perhaps this makes me hyper aware and therefore a little
paranoid about them. I am not aware of any studies regarding the dangers of
the laser pointer and cats eyes, but there's probably a few articles in
veterinary journals if one cares to do the research.

Yowie

In article ,
Ted Davis wrote:

snip

The fact that most cats eyes reflect greenish light led me to question
whether they can actually see the red spots all that well. However, green
lasers are normally so expensive that I don't have one to use for testing.

Actually, the greenish light reflected by cats' eyes is the light that
bounces off the back of the eye and doesn't get into the receptor cells.

On the other hand, our eyes reflect red (as evidenced in any flash
picture not Photoshopped) and we can see red stoplights with no
difficulty. At least, those of us who don't suffer from color blindness
can.

snip

Baird

--
In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice
there is. -Yogi Berra

On Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:52:03 +1000, Yowie wrote:

Just by definition a red laser is far less energetic than a green laser,
and thereby a red laser dot is far safer, eye wise, than a green one of
input power.

However, green lasers aren't the same technology and are far less
effecient. The common red (and less common, blue) lasers are just a power
source and a laser diode - green ones use a near infrared laser diode to
excite some other kind of laser in the far infrared, and that is then run
through a frequency doubler to get green. This one is in the 5mw or
less class, as are most of the red ones. I am very familiar with lasers
(up to the 10 kilowatt level) and make sure *never* to point the beam
anywhere near an eye, anybody's eye, regardless of the power class.


As to the ability to see said dot, whilst perhaps cats don't register
the colour 'red', they would see a very bright spot of light. Suki also
chases the light spot from a regular everyday torch so its probably not
the 'red' that they chase so much as the fact that its an area that is
of high contrast from the background, and it moves around in an
intriguing-to-cats sort of way.

I'd be wary of using a green laser for cat greebling games, but thats
just me - lasers are one of the things I have to work with and I"m
forever filling out risk assessments and having to put danger signs and
extra guarding in - perhaps this makes me hyper aware and therefore a
little paranoid about them. I am not aware of any studies regarding the
dangers of the laser pointer and cats eyes, but there's probably a few
articles in veterinary journals if one cares to do the research.

As I implied, I too, work around lasers, but I'm not afraid of them as
long as strict safety rules are adhered to (something some of our faculty
and students often ignore, as chips in concrete block walls, holes through
wallboard walls, and burned paint spots in various places indicate).

--

T.E.D. )

On Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:47:18 -0400, Takayuki wrote:

wrote:
Cats don't see the color red, but that doesn't mean they don't see
objects that we see as red - I think they see them as black or dark gray.
It might make the "red bug" more attractive to them if they see it as a
black bug.

But, that doesn't make intuitive sense to me. If your laser is creating a
black spot on your wall, I think you need to turn down its settings.

Black isn't a color, and can't be carried by light - you can paint an
object black, but can't illuminate an object with a "black" colored light
or a laser. To take a hoomin example, we can't see infrared, so we see an
infrared object (which does not reflect or emit other colors) as merely
being black. But if we turn on an infrared lamp, we don't see any change
- turning on light won't suddenly make the room go dark!

Light sensitivity and color discrimination are handled with different
types of light sensitive cells in the eyes. We have three color sensors
(red, green, and blue) other mammals have only two: one for blue and/or
near UV, and one for either red or green. Most other types of animals
have four color sensors, often extending well into the UV range, and many
of them also sense polarization.

It is widely held that all mammals are descended from the few survivors of
the KT extension - all of them nocturnal and/or burrowing. Color vision
requires brighter light than just seeing, and also is metabolically
expensive. Being relatively unneeded and expensive, half of the ancestral
four color sensors were lost long before the extension event. Some
primates got one back by duplicating and slightly modifying their blue
sensitive system, but it's not as useful for discriminating colors as the
original four, or even three of the four.

--

T.E.D. )