Old laser pointer vs feather wand, I picked wrong for my senior cat

My cat Mochi turns 11 this year and she used to chase anything that moved. About 6 months ago I noticed she would just watch the laser dot on the floor like it was background noise. I had to choose between trying a feather wand or sticking with the laser since those were her two favorite toys for years. I bought a new laser pointer with a brighter dot thinking she just needed a stronger signal. Turns out her eyes are getting slower and the quick dot movements frustrate her, she starts grooming mid-chase and walks away. My neighbor Karen let me borrow her old feather wand and Mochi went nuts, she loves the dragging motion and the rustling sound. I spent $12 on that laser and it sits in the drawer now, the free wand from Karen is her daily jam. Has anyone else had a cat suddenly reject a toy they loved for years and find a random replacement works better?