If you have a playful cat who loves to play games like chase and pounce, and scamper off with her prize, there’s a chance she’ll like playing fetch as well.
First, you need to find an object to fetch that excites your cat, that’s small enough for her to carry (but not so small that she could choke on it). Things that produce a pleasing sound when they hit the floor or have unpredictable rolls and bounces are especially good fetch toys. A crumpled ball of aluminum foil, bottle caps, and the plastic lid rings that come off milk jugs have all been used as items to fetch by self-taught kitty fetchers.
Some cats will fetch the toy by mouth, others will bat it across the floor. In either case, the hard part is to get your cat to understand that bringing the item back means he gets to chase it again.
Important – never toss the item to your cat. He’ll think you’re nuts. Cat games are about chasing mice, and mice never run toward a cat. Your cat won’t even consider it a game unless you toss it away from him.
Get down on the floor and toss the item just a few feet away. When your cat goes after it, hold your hand out and say “bring it here!” When he bats it in your general direction (most likely this will be a random accident), pick it up and reward him with praise and/or a treat. If he picks it up in his mouth, take it from him and reward him. Immediately toss it again. As your cat catches on to the game, throw the object further away.
Careful – don’t let your cat train you! If your cat isn’t really fetching the toy – as in actually bringing it back to you, don’t keep fetching it yourself! If you do, your cat is teaching you to fetch! Just end the game and try again another time.
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