Most people believe you can only play fetch with dogs. However, a new study published in Scientific Reports journal concludes that cats can also enjoy this fun activity.
The study was based on surveys of 1,154 cat owners from around the world. It doesn’t represent a perfect sample because all pet owners had felines that previously displayed willingness to play the game of fetch. However, it shows that if encouraged and trained, cats can do it without much fuss.
As a matter of fact, more than 90% of cats that were examined actually didn’t receive any fetch training. Instead, they started engaging in the activity on their own.
“It was more common than people were probably expecting, and even I was expecting,” animal psychologist Jemma Forman, the lead researcher in the study, explained.
Furthermore, the study found that the cats first started displaying their ability to fetch within the first year of their life. Also, the breed that appears to like fetching the most is Siamese cats.
Forman also notes that cats might not be motivated to play fetch for the same reasons as dogs. While dogs view it as a way to bond with their owner, cats could just be fascinated with the objects because it reminds them of prey.
