Does it surprise you that a 1986 study discovered that about 1 in 6 domestic cats play fetch instinctively without training? We tend to think of dogs playing fetch because dogs breeds were created to be working dogs and some fetch something as part of their work – game birds for instance. And dog are very trainable. But then again cats can be trained too.
It does not surprise me that about 16% of cats play fetch. Although the figure seems a little high. Fetching is about looking, chasing, grab-biting, and returning. The first three come instinctively to a cat as part of their hunting desires and skills.
The third (retrieving or returning) will be learned by a cat as part of play that incorporates the first three. What I mean is the cat will bring the object back to their owner for them to throw it away to be chased again as the cat enjoys the game. And it will be a type of game and therefore play-hunting for a cat.
A study which is yet to be published found that 95% of 1154 cats who liked to play fetch games did so without training.
Here is an example on TikTok. There are many others. You can see that it is a game for the cat. It is a modification of play-hunting which is the default game for domestic cats. And as I say cats retrieve the toy because they want the owner to perpetuate the game by throwing it down the corridor.
The video is from TikTok account becksmecks2. This is not a great example but it is playing fetch. It is interesting that the commentary is that the cat continues to play fetch without the owner’s participation. This reinforces the assessment that for the cat this is a game of play-hunt. It is the human who sets it in motion.
