To fool a cat you need to act as if what you dangle in front of them is real. Manipulate the toy so that it seems that it will continue to exist in a logical manner regardless of the attention they pay to it. For example, if you want them to pursue a hanging feathers you, you need to move away from them as if the feather was minding its own business. They toy should be its own independent being - independent from their attention. It needs to seem like prey, as cats are made to be hunters.
On the other hand, if you hold the toy in front of them - close to their face - and dangle it in a manner that seems unnaturally flashy, they will ignore it. The cat will be able to see past your act, and they won't try to hunt it because its clearly an inanimate object.
I figured you, dear Red, would not be so different, and you weren't.