It's a lazer. Well to be honest it is a small red focused light bulb that you can attach different lenses to to make the light appear in different shapes. It is made to be used in classrooms and presentations to replace a pointer stick. But people found it more fun to bug people with it and use it to play with cats.
Now it is many the cat thing. They freaking love it lol.
Lol. If I recall I first saw these at a trade show in the mid 90’s at some little booth selling trinkets. They were many times cheaper than previous hand held “lasers.” Then I started to notice them at places like independent electronics stores and various gift shops, and then at county fairs and the like as higher end prizes. I recall picking up cousins and the like from school in the maybe late 90’s- and the kids were playing with these. They were maybe about $5-10 by that time best recollection? And then by the early 2000’s you’d see them at “all in one” chain places like Frys electronics as “impulse buys” and give away promotions. I ended up with one somehow or another. They had little interchangeable tips with various designs- and places like “headshops” would sell ones with racier tips like little laddies from mud flaps and make genitals or middle fingers.
Now it is many the cat thing. They freaking love it lol.