The fly-a cat's favorite toy.

[Betty]

A fly got in the house again. The kitties were chasing it all over the place. I don't want them to eat it, but if they can just swat it enough to slow it down or disable it so I can flush it, that would be handy.

The kids all worn out. The fly was trapped between the window & the screen in the bathroom. They were watching it, & banging on the window almost all day. Got stuffy in there so I opened the window, & in came the fly. They chased it around for hours, often hitting it in mid air with their paws.

I didn't see them catch the fly. So maybe it's all tired out now too, resting & lurking somewhere. I think they've learned not to hit it too hard or bite it or it won't fly around anymore. They seem more interested in chasing it than killing it.

When they do catch it they don't squish it, they let it go. In the beginning of the summer they would kill them instantly. Now they want to play with them. Also I think most cats figure out flies & spiders don't taste good.

If you point out something you want your pet to see (like a fly flying around) they'll look at your finger, instead of what your pointing at. Fortunately the cats know the word "bugs". If I say "bugs" they scan the ceiling & walls looking for a bug. They learn the word quickly because a flying bug is an indoor cat's favorite toy.

To get a pet to look in a direction (like where the fly is flying), act like you're throwing something in the direction you want them to look. They'll look in the direction they think you threw something. If I yell "bugs" at the same time, it's a winner, & they'll lock on the fly. Maybe they think I threw the fly.

Pointing is a very hard concept for an animal to figure out. I'm trying to do the throwing motion & point at the same time with the same hand so they figure it out. It worked once in a while with the old cats. I had to move my hand in a throw motion as I pointed with the same hand. It turns out the motion worked just as good whether I pointed with the same hand or not.