Can only special cats fetch?

Question

I had a cat that I taught to fetch, is this common?

Answer 1

Hi Patrick...most people are not aware that cats are very capable of learning more command behaviours than most dogs if the proper techniques are applied.

As a professional animal trainer for over 20 years I specialize in training both domestic and exotic cats. Both my housecats not only understand obedience commands (come, sit, down, etc) but are also toilet trained, can flush the toilet, fetch, go to wherever I point, follow a target anywhere, jump through hoops, roll over, tap the round door knob to ask to open the doors, take apart a 3-D layered puzzle, wave, give a high-five, raise a paw to ask a question, do agility (like dog agility), walk on a leash in public and so much more. They understand both visual and verbal cues/signals as well and learn most new behaviours quite quickly within a matter of days and for the more complex behaviours such as balancing and walking on a ball in a month.

Training is conducted using operant conditioning through positive reinforcement. We never coerce/mold an animal to learn rather reward desired behaviour with food, praise (most cats only work for food) or toys and always ignore undesired behaviour so that extinguishes itself over time. This is the key technique to train any animal including goldifsh. Yes! You read that correctly... even small fish can be trained to learn new behaviours! Here's some videos of goldfish playing football, soccer and going through a hoop: http://www.fish-school.com/gallery.htm

Answer 2

My cat plays fetch but I didn't teach her how to do it - she told me she wanted to play lol. I have a leather sofa so she would come up onto it and try to play with her toys on the sofa and I would throw her toy across the room so she would play there and then she would bring it back and after a few times of this back and forth I realized that she wanted to play fetch. Now she'll choose any little toy and drop it next to me and meow and I know it's fetch time. It's really cute.

Answer 3

Ive had 3 cats that fetch as kittens but they generally give up when they get older unless you keep up with the program these cats were natural fetcher no training 2 females 1 male

Answer 4

No, it depends on the cat and owner. I used to have a cat that only fetched once or twice, if at all.
My daughter has a cat that does it almost every time! She gives him cat treats for it and loves the attention.
He was a stray cat, not a full breed or anything.
He likes to be encouraged, she throws the ball and I say, "get it boy!" and he runs as fast as he can and drops it at her feet.. lol
If he doesn't bring it back, fun time is over.
Good luck

Answer 5

My mother has taught both her pure-bred Manx cat and her from-the-shelter cat to come, fetch, sit and lay down. I think it depends more on the time you have to spend doing it. In my mother's case, she's physically handicapped and doesn't leave the house often. It was actually a bonus to teach the cats to fetch because they can pick up light weight things she drops and bring them back to her.

Answer 6

Most cats can be trained to do at least a few tricks, but most people don't have the patience, and not every cat has a natural inclination to fetching. So no, it's not terribly common, but it is pretty cute.

Answer 7

No, it is very uncommon. The cat you taught is obviously highly intelligent as most cats don't do fetch or do any human requests, till they feel like it, and that is not often.

Darryl S.

Answer 8

My cat performs fetch as nicely. She likes to chase after bottle caps. lots of the time she brings it returned so i'm able to throw it returned. different circumstances she catches it and leaves it for me to get. Stemming from this habit, she'll additionally grab my rings and cover it. She performs fetch with the aid of fact from a kitten, she grew up with a dogs contained in the living house and suggested him taking part in fetch. in line with threat your cat did as nicely.

Answer 9

Yes most cats can be taught to fetch if you persevere long enough

Answer 10

My female cat started showing an interest in playing fetch all by herself when my husband and I were eating Twizzler Pull and Peel licorice. She would bat at it and I would throw the piece that she had batted in the garbage (bedroom small can). Next thing I knew, she was dropping that same piece of licorice on our laps. So we started throwing it across the room, and she would take off and run and bring it back to us. She wouldn't eat it...just play with it. Then we started doing that with shoelaces, and she LOVES it!