Have you ever heard of anything like this?

Question

My kitten LOVES tinfoil. We found this out when we were unwrapping xmas sweets so we screwed the wrapper up and threw it around the room and he used to chase it. Well, now, he's started bringing the foil back to me and dropping it at my hand so I can throw it again for him and he keeps doing it over and over. It really is a funny sight. I thought only dogs did this! Has anyone heard of this or have we got a contender for You've Been Framed?!!!

Answer 1

Dear Jane H****
Now you definately will have lots of fun with your kitten. He has character and with NO training at all.
I discovered one day while playing with a hairband and shooting it in the air,my maine-coon would fly in the air and catch it, and bring it to me, wait for his head to be scratched, and run off to the spot that I must shoot the band to. then,
while waiting for his food one evening, on my kitchen counter, my match box fell off, I picked it up and saw him push it off the counter with his paw!!!!
Later it became pick-ups and advanced to cat-tennis with HIS hairbands.

enjoy him!!!!!! not many cats will do this.
Luv peppa-anne
Univ.Lecturer* Veterinarian

Answer 2

One of my cats fetches balls with bells in. She's 4 years old so yours will probably carry on doing it if encouraged. Apparently fetch is a very common pass time for siamese cats but my cat's a moggie. She does have some physical Siamese characteristics so maybe she's like a twentieth Siamese or something!

All cats like tinfoil and sweet wrappers because they make a crinckly noise and are shiney. Still send a video to "You've been framed" because it's probably more entertaining than the crap they show anyway!

Answer 3

I had a cat that like to retrieve - mostly just screw up paper. Both my two current cats HATE tin foil and actually run out of the kitchen when it's in use! Just goes to show that no two cats should be treated the same, they are highly individual animals. Well done on finding a game that your kitty loves - just as well you love it to as some cats favourite games are not so popular with their humans, such as the 'bite-your-toe while you are sleeping-if you dare to stick it out of the bed clothes' that one of mine likes to play! I have had some success in training my cats. One will 'sit' for treats and the other I'm training to run and leap onto the bed on command. Both come when whistled to as well! Sounds like your kitty likes to learn, see what else you can train him into, maybe get him to drop the retrieved foil in a specified place (to do this simply place it where you want him to before you throw it every time) Don't push her though, always stop training the second he seems to be loosing interest.

Answer 4

Basic Training of the Puppy - Read here https://tr.im/BNwiW

The new puppy is certainly one of the most adorable and cuddly creatures that has ever been created. It is the most natural thing in the world to shower it with love and affection. However, at the same time it is important to realize that if you want to have a well trained adult dog, you need to begin the training process right away. The dog, like its related ancestor, the wolf, is a pack animal. One of the features of a pack is that it has a single dominant leader. Your new puppy is going to want that leader to be you, but if you do not assume that role from the very beginning, the puppy’s instincts will push him to become the leader.

The most important thing to remember about training the puppy during its first six months of life is that it must see you as the leader of the family pack. The essential thing is gaining the trust and the respect of the puppy from the beginning. You will not do this by allowing the puppy to do whatever it wants to do whenever it wants to do it. On the other hand, a certain amount of patience is required. Most people err in their early training by going to extremes one way or the other. Although you need to begin the basic training process at once, you can not expect your dog to do too much at first. Basic obedience training is fine and should include simple commands like sit, stay, and come. Remember that trying to teach the dog advanced obedience techniques when it is a puppy is much like trying to teach a five year old child algebra.

It is also important to restrain from cruel or abusive treatment of the puppy. You can not beat obedience into your dog, and it certainly is not going to engender feeling of respect and trust. House breaking is an area where this usually becomes a problem because of the anger that is triggered when the puppy fails and creates a mess inside the home. Although this issue must be addressed without anger, it most be addressed. If you allow the puppy to eliminate inside the house, it will continue to do so as an adult dog. The same thing is true of other destructive or dangerous behavior such as chewing and biting. Do not expect the puppy to grow out of it. You are going to need to train the puppy out of it, but you should do so firmly but with a sense of play and fun using positive reinforcement and lots of love and praise for good behavior.

Answer 5

Yes! My Mum's cat played catch all the time! He had a small fuzzy bee like the kind you get in cocktails on sticks and he would bring it back everytime you threw it across the room. It got to a stage where the bee was in such a mess that we had to get some more, luckily Mum works at a nightclub during the day so it was easy to come by!

Cats can't easily be trained to do this, they don't like being trained to do anything! But if it takes their fancy they'll love the game for ages!

Answer 6

Hi Jane...yes, there are many cats who also enjoy playing fetch not only with tinfoil but paper balls, hair scrunchies, feather sticks, etc.

Here are many videos of cats who play fetch: http://youtube.com/results?search_query=cat+fetch&search=Search

Many people are unaware that cats can be trained similarly like dogs. 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, go to wherever I point, follow a target anywhere, jump through hoops, roll over, fetch, take apart a 3-D layered puzzle, wave, give a high-five, raise a paw to ask a question, fetch, 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 basketball in a month.

Answer 7

A lot of cats love things like tinfoil because of the noise it makes. There are toys made of similar stuff that creates the same sound.
Even though most people thing cat's cannot do tricks or fetch..it isn't true. In fact, cats have more of a chance of like in your case fetch naturally versus a dog whom you have to train. Cats can be trained just like dogs. You just have to find a cat who is willing to do so.

Answer 8

I've had several cats who like to play fetch. Sometimes a crumpled cigarette pack was just perfect for them. They have foil on them. Also little rag toys.
Be really careful with cats or dogs and real metallic tinfoil. It can break up and they can swallow it and become ill.

Answer 9

My kitten use to do that with balls of aluminium foil, it's good fun to watch and play, especially when they retrieve.

Also she like those foam bendy hair curlers, played for hours with them.

I am aware that swallowing the foil is toxic for humans, I don't know about cats though. Just check for the tattered pieces.

Just enjoy it while it lasts, unfortunately your kitten will probably out grow it!

Answer 10

I have a kitten that plays fetch with a ball. It is his ball and if you tell him to go find his ball, 9 times out of 10 he does. He will get it and drop it by my feet for me to throw it down the stairs. He goes and gets it and brings it back. He does this for as long as he finds it fun. Then he will lay down with the ball and just look at me like I'm crazy for waiting for him to come back.

Its fun to have a cat that plays fetch.

Answer 11

It's totally normal. My cat loves our 60's foil Christmas tree. Also, she has a toy that I made for her out of a leather shoelaces tide together. She plays with it all the time. She hates all her store bought toys, but "ropie" (her home made toy) is her favorite. It can be seen laying anywhere in the house and she brings it to me to play with it, some times she even brings it in to the bedroom when we're sleeping thinking that'll wake us up and play with her. It's totally normal I think.