Recently we've been having some pretty cold weather here. Schrodinger, the all black might hunter of the household, was getting a bad case of cabin fever having to stay in the house all the time. One day I was cleaning things up, and came across a roll of string. I decided to have some fun.

By dangling the string in front of him, the cat merrily began to swat at it. Then I'd drag it along the floor, and Schrodinger would give chase. The 'string game' was born! It was fun to watch him chase that string end around on the linoleum. I even had to trim the end a few times, as he would eventually catch it and 'kill' it.

It got to the point that if I even lifted the string roll he would get excited, because it meant a round to the 'string game'. I even got him to do a backflip one time chasing that thing over his own back.

But then I got a Laser Collimator for my telescope, to help align the optics. Well, seems I've been using it more as a cat toy than anything. He now chases the red dot around the room.

What's really funny though is that I don't think Schrodinger *knows* that it's me causing the red dot monster to appear and disappear.

I've learned that there is a technique to using the thing. At first I was way too fast moving it, as I didn't want it to get anywhere near his eyes. Now I've slowed its' movement down just a bit so it keeps just out of reach. He gets *so* frustrated! This is one thing that The Mighty Hunter just can't seem to ever get!

One of my favorite moves comes when he gets tired, and stops to take a breather while he keeps an eye on the dot. I move it very slowly along the edge of the carpet towards the couch. When it reaches the couch, it goes around the corner and 'disappears'. (I turn it off.) Then Schrodinger has to get up and go sniff the couch to see where it went to hide. He *knows* it's hiding in there *Somewhere*! I just sit there and giggle. I know, I know, one of these days he's going to figure it all out, and plan sweet revenge against me. But until then, he's getting some exercise, and I'm getting a few good belly laughs.

Copyright © Brian Armstrong
March 1, 2001