Cats are more likely to retrieve objects than previously thought, researchers find

Although it is more common in dogs, 4 in 10 domestic cats also choose to play fetch with their owners, report Mikel Delgado of Purdue University, US, and his colleagues at PLOS ONE.

Dogs are known to play fetch, but some cats also engage in fetch behavior. Fetch may have its roots in the natural hunting behaviors of cats and dogs, but it’s unclear how domestication shaped it into the playful actions we see in our pets today. The researchers analyzed data from online surveys conducted between 2015 and 2023 among cat (Felis catus) and dog (Canis familiaris) owners, which included questions about their pets’ fetch behavior.

Of the 8,000 cat owners surveyed, 41% said their cat sometimes, frequently, or always retrieves toys or objects they throw, significantly higher than previous estimates. They found that cats are more likely to display retrieval behavior if they are generally more active and playful, and if they live indoors.

Although fetch is sometimes played by cats of all breeds, it is most common among Burmese, Siamese, and Tonkinese cats. These breeds are descended from cats that were brought to the Far East during the early stages of cat domestication, making them genetically distinct from other cat breeds.

Of nearly 74,000 dog owners surveyed, 78% said their dog sometimes, frequently, or always tries to retrieve sticks, balls, or other objects. They found that dogs that retrieve also tend to have a higher overall learning ability score.

Most dog breeds retrieve, but some are more likely to do so than others, including Labradors and Golden Retrievers, Border Collies, and English Cocker Spaniels. Dog breeds that were developed to herd livestock or as hunting companions are more likely to retrieve than other breeds. In both cats and dogs, retrieving behavior is less common in females, older animals, and people with health problems.

This study is the first to assess the frequency of retrieving behavior in dogs. It also shows that retrieving is more common in cats than previously thought. Although retrieving has many similarities to natural hunting behavior, the results suggest that it is more closely related to play than to predation, the authors say. The process of domestication selected for many juvenile behaviors that carried over into adulthood, and the same may have been true for playful retrieving behaviors that helped wild animals learn to hunt.

The authors add: “Although cats and dogs are very different in many aspects of their behavior and in how they came to be pets, we find it fascinating that so many of them share this very interesting behavior: retrieving. We hope that our study will encourage further exploration of how retrieving is related to play, hunting, and social interactions in cats and dogs.”