How to teach your cat to fetch?

Question

I want a game for me and the kitties to play, but they are all grown up.. is it still possible to teach them fetch? How do I teach them? what kind of toys should I use?

PS: Don't tell me to get a dog... I'm a cat person.. and cats DO like to play too, you know

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CyfXb2oW0M

proof to the non-believers.. and there are TONS of videos of cats fetching on you tube... just.. how??

Answer 1

Get a dog.

Answer 2

I have my cat fetching and it is easy. First, you need an old cat. Fetching is more fun for the cat when it is older. Start out with tightly packed little ball of tuni. Toss it to the cat or even better roll it to the cat. (Do only when the cat is hungrey.)
Second, get one of these mouth size palistic toy mouses, or if you would rather, use a small rubber ball. Spread the tuni on the ball and give it toss toward the cat without hitting it. That is very very important.

Cats have a really hard time returning something that smells like tunifish. Now, they have these little books that give the cat instructions in cat talk. So, you have to make sure that after he reads the first capter that he understands that it is the game, or it is the street.

That is how you get your cat to play the game of fetch.

Good question.

Answer 3

Not all cats fetch; some automatically want to play this game from kitten hood. Older cats can be encouraged to try it out though; if it is their favorite toy, they may bring it back to you so you can through it for them again. Throw the toy down the hall or across the room and do not go get it yourself. This lets them know that if they want to chase it again, they either have to throw it up in the air themselves or bring it to you.

Another way to play with them would be to have something on a string that you can throw and pull back yourself if the fetching thing doesn't work. Wave it around in the air to be a bird or butterfly, or drag it on the ground to be a mouse or bug.

They love these things, but cats will be cats: If they are not in the mood to play when you are, you'll just have to wait until next time.

Good luck and have fun! :)

Answer 4

some cats fetch and some do not. I have had cats who were fetching fools. Get a small colored ball like the a million" puffs you ought to purchase at a craft save. Tie slightly of thread to it. Toss it some ft from the cat. even as he pounces, gently pull it back to you and toss it back. Repeat till the cat figures it out or looses interest. Repeat back in an afternoon or 2. (do not enable him play with or eat the thread) I have taught countless cats to fetch that way. be careful what you want for. I had one cat who in simple terms doesn't stop. He would are available and gently press the ball into my hand when I had gone to sleep.

Answer 5

throw a mouse ... a live one.
No.. just kidding.. I do not belive that you can teach a cat to play fetch... you would have to get a dog for that little game. Now you can teach them to hunt... which is what they have the instinct for in the first place.. you can help them along with it.
You can teach them to come though. What I do is I give my cat Pounce treats and everytime I shake the can, they come a runnin because they know that I will give them a treat.

Answer 6

Well I would suggest tossing a toy that makes a jingly sound, the jingly sound should make him wanna chase it. Have cat food, cat nip, or cat treats nearby so when he grabs the jingly toy you can call him back. Do this several times and he will realize that every time he chases the toy he should bring it back to you and he will get a treat of some kind. He might start bringing toys back automatically.

Answer 7

jingle balls! my jinxy loves his jingle balls, actually that is just about the only toy he will play with. they are super cheap, walmart has them for like 99¢ for three or six or something like that

I watched on some show awhile back that you just use some canned cat food on a long spoon for treats, just do the same as you would with a dog, praise for good behavior and reward with a spoonful of kitty food, when the cat doesn't do what you want, no food

good luck

Answer 8

I had a kitten once and we bought some kitty treats that were little round nuggets. I should mention that she was also accustomed to eating at her food dish and no where else. While standing next to her dish, we'd toss a treat next to her bowl, and if it bounced a little she'd grab it and come back to her dish to eat it. We started tossing the treats progressively farther and farther away, or rolling them across the kitchen floor, causing her to chase them and return to the bowl, (where our feet were too).

After a few weeks of this she'd chase anything that hit the floor (like a rubber "jack" ball or glass marble), pick it up and run back to our feet. It was hilarious, although as she got older she seemed to get bored with the game.

Answer 9

well there are other way's to play with yoUr cat it doesn't matter if it is all grown up a cat is very playful you can get toys from the pet store like a rope or a fake mouse it doesn't matter what other people think like "it's not a dog" i love cat they are very playful well that it all i have to answer well good luck i hope you and ur cat succeed bye:)

Answer 10

I had a cat that would play fetch with the little plastic jingle balls.
I never trained him to do it, but he just did it on his own. You could probably train the cat to do it using food/treats and postive reinforcement.
Giving them praise and petting them when they do bring it back.

Answer 11

Believe it or not I have seen cats that fetch but clearly not all of them do --it depends on their personality. I don't know if you can train them to fetch. Our cat fetches a ball of paper when I throw it to her. She goes and gets the ball of paper in her mouth and brings it back and drops it at my feet. It is similar to when cats bring mice and prey back to their house and show it to their owners.

Check out this website to train your cat to fetch:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A625592

good luck!