Just in Time For Christmas: Scientists Confirm Many Cats Play Fetch

[Warpy]

Cats have a reputation for being aloof (some may even say lazy) – but our new research has found they interact with their owners in surprising ways. What we discovered also shows how important this kind of interaction can be for cats' wellbeing.

Fetching behavior in domestic cats has been reported to be more common than coming when called, meowing on command, or playing games. There may also be breed differences in fetching (at least among purebreds). For example, Siamese cats and their crossbreed variations are known for being proficient fetchers.
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Most of the cats in our sample were mixed breed (86%). Out of the purebreds, Siamese were the most common (22.5%), supporting their reputation as fetchers.

https://www.sciencealert.com/just-in-time-for-christmas-scientists-confirm-many-cats-play-fetch

I've had a lot of fetch kitties. I've also had a few pingpong kitties who'd get into position and swat a little nerf ball (the toy of choice for fetchers and swatters) back to me. However, it's true, all the fetchers where mongrel kitties, the best a short haired female who must have had a lot of Maine Coon in her because her fighting weight was about 14 pounds. Big kitty. Total sweetie. She'd run and grab the ball and then return and put it into my hand.

[Ocelot II]

1. I've had several fetchers. One was especially relentless; he'd keep up the game

for as long as I'd keep throwing the toy, which was usually a sparkly ball or wadded-up paper. I never thought it was such a strange phenomenon that someone would actually research it.

[Warpy]

4. Too many people just accepted that cats were aloof

and not terribly trainable, that all they did was ear and sleep.

Turns out they were dead wrong on both accounts.

[bif]

2. My Abyssinian loved to play fetch.

She did it for about a year. Now she'll do it once or twice, when she's looking for a treat. Every once in a while she'll do it over and over, when she's in the mood. She does like playing "catch" with me. She'll sit on the bed, and when I toss a ball of paper at her, she'll smack it back to me, over and over!

[applegrove]

3. I have a cat that will hand me something to throw,

Last edited Sat Dec 23, 2023, 06:30 PM - Edit history (1)

run to it when I throw it, and not pick it up and not return it. So he wants me to throw it but has not figured out the other part yet.

[Faux pas]

5. I've had a few fetchers

Now I've got a combination soccer/volleyball/fly ball left fielder kinda cat. He's a smooth one for sure.

[SarahD]

6. Mine did

When I threw something for him, he chased it until it stopped rolling. Then he ignored it and forgot about it. I think that qualifies as fetch. You know, for cats.

[jpak]

7. I had a kitty that loved to play catch with paper wads

When I was on my computer, she wouldn't leave me alone.

One time my Mom took care of her when I was out of the country.

When I came to pick her up, she found a paper wad and dropped it in my lap.

"Time to play!"

She was such a smart kitty.

[Freddie]

8. Charlie loves the red dot

He has my husband trained to play red dot whether he walks by. Charlie can be sitting on my lap purring and kneading, sees DH and zoom! He’s meowing to play dot. Our other cat could care less about it.