It’s Not Just Dogs! 40% of CATS Love to Fetch, Too, Study Finds

According to research, it’s often associated with dogs, but cats can also fetch.

Researchers have discovered that four out of ten cats enjoy retrieving toys and objects for their owners, with breeds that have ties to the Far East particularly keen to play.

An online survey of over 8,000 cat owners found that 41 percent said their cat sometimes, often or always retrieved items they threw away, significantly higher than previous estimates.

Scientists have found that cats are more likely to fetch if they are generally more active and playful and if they live indoors.

While cats of all breeds sometimes fetch, it is more common in Burmese, Siamese and Tonkinese cats, they found.

These breeds originated from cats that were brought to the Far East early in the domestication of the cat. This makes them genetically distinct from other cat breeds.

Of the nearly 74,000 dog owners surveyed, 78 percent said their dog sometimes, often or always tried to retrieve sticks, balls or other objects.

They found that dogs who retrieve also tend to have higher trainability scores.

Retrieving was reported by most dog breeds, but some breeds, including Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, and English Cocker Spaniels, exhibited this behavior more often.

In general, dog breeds developed to herd livestock or serve as hunting companions were found to retrieve more often than other breeds.

Retrieving was reported for most dog breeds, but some, including Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, and English Cocker Spaniels, were more likely to exhibit this behavior (stock image)

The study also found that in both cats and dogs, retrieving behavior was less common in females, older animals, and animals with health problems.

Researchers from Purdue University in the US said: ‘Although cats and dogs are very different in many ways in their behaviour and in the way they have become companion animals, we find it fascinating that so many of them share this very interesting behaviour: retrieving!’

‘We hope that our research will inspire further research into the relationship between retrieving and playing, hunting and social interactions in both cats and dogs.’

Although retrieving shares many similarities with natural hunting behavior, the results suggest it has more to do with play than predation, the authors said.

The domestication process ensured that many of the behaviors of young animals were retained into adulthood, including perhaps the playful retrieving behavior that helped wild animals learn to hunt.

The findings were published in the journal Plos One.

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR CAT? THE 13 SECRET SIGNALS CATS GIVE TO THEIR OWNERS

Cats are often portrayed as distant and lonely creatures who spend their days thinking about their owner’s death. But such descriptions are far from the truth.

Our feline friends are constantly letting us know that they love us, whether through their whiskers, tail, face or body language.

In her illuminating new book, Kitty Language: An Illustrated Guide to Understanding Your Cat, author Lili Chin, with the help of animal behavior experts, explains how to interpret your pet’s movements.

Below are some of the most common behaviors and what they may mean.

Our feline friends are constantly communicating their feelings of affection to us, whether it’s through their whiskers, tail, face, or body language