We expect our dogs to love a good game of fetch, but when a cat does it, that cat gets a YouTube video. Research shows that it's not that unusual. A new study in the journal Scientific Reports originated when scientists wanted to know whether cats would play fetch without having to be specifically trained for it.
The study involved 1,154 cats and 924 owners. It turns out that 94% of cats who play fetch were not trained, but initiated the behavior on their own. Most had begun playing the game as kittens. It make sense, as chasing an object is instinctual for predatory cats, and if they enjoy it, they learn that their human can extend the game by throwing an object again and again. However, cats differ from dogs in that they prefer to initiate the game themselves when they are in the mood, while dogs are open to a game any time their owner pleases. When a cat initiates a game of fetch, they are more interested and repeat the behavior more often than when the owner initiates a game. Cats will be cats. Read more about the findings of this study at Ars Technica. Yes, there are videos of cats playing fetch.