The laser active detection technology based on the cat's eye effect has been widely used in fields such as rapid reconnaissance and target information acquisition. This article analyzes the theory of the cat's eye effect in optical systems, its application in the field of laser active detection, the development trend of this technology, and the feasibility of implementing long-distance target laser active detection. First, the working principle of the laser active detection system based on the cat's eye effect is described. Second, three methods for laser active detection using the cat's eye effect, i.e., geometric optics, physical optics, and angular spectrum propagation, are compared. Then, the characteristics and processing methods of cat eye target echo data are analyzed. Finally, the main difficulties and issues of the current technology are identified, and the development trend of the technology is analyzed according to engineering requirements.