Cat

[telophase]

We’ve taught D.Va to press this large battery-powered button that plays a recording of myrialux saying “Laser” when she wants to play with the laser pointer.

We then had to hide it when myrialux was not down with playing, like during dinner.

(Side note: Sora, at 13, has watched D.Va mess with the button and get the laser. And with no training from us, has picked up that if he messes with the button he might get the laser. Woo!)

Anyway, she’s consistent enough that we decided to introduce a second button into the equation. This one says “Feather stick” when it’s pressed. D.Va has obviously connected the action of pressing the button with the laser, but not the sound, because we’ll put both buttons in front of her, she’ll press the one closest to her, then get disappointed if it’s the feather stick and not the laser. (The laser pointer is the higher-value toy here, obviously.)

Today, she hit Feather Stick—myrialux tried to make them equidistant—and when the stick came out she got so frustrated that she hit the button over and over and over, trying to get the laser to show up. Feather Stick Feather Stick Feather Stick Feather Stick as we were both quietly dying. XD Eventually myrialux pushed Laser closer to her and she switched, hit Laser, and got her laser pointer.

We’ve now put a piece of white electrical tape on top of Feather Stick in case the colors of the base of the buttons are totally meaningless to her. Laser is blue and dark while Feather Stick is green and lighter, but the buttons themselves are black.