Teaching cats how to fetch

Hey guys i need help, I been teaching it how to fetch but he doesn't learn. I don't mind if he doesn't learn it but it would be fun if he did.

How did u teach your cat to fetch? every detail would be great thanks.

I didn't - I've had cats that just fetched paper, etc. naturally - they either do it or they don't.

Charlie likes you to throw balls of paper for him to catch (while he's sitting in the big plastic tub) but he hasn't actually brought the paper back to throw again.

Some of my cornish rexes were natural fetchers - Tommy was the best - he'd wear YOU out

I think that cats that fetch just do it because they've figured out it's the quickest way to make the human throw the toy again so that they can kill it again.

So it's sort of hard to try to teach it to them if they don't figure it out themselves (and want to). I'd probably try finding what sort of toy your cat is most likely to carry in his mouth and play with that a bit. For me it's a plastic thing you pull off milk bottles, it's light enough and always has a plastic handle sticking out so it's easy for the cat to pick it up.

Good luck!

I agree with the above two. In fact, this applies to most everything a cat learns. If it's something they want to do, then you can reinforce it by rewarding it so they do it when you want them to. But if they don't want to do it, then you're just out of luck. None of my cats fetch. Though they're pretty good at chasing after something I throw, but I end up doing the fetching.

"So first, your memory I'll jog,
And say: A CAT IS NOT A DOG."
- T. S. Eliot, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

Oh, and ditto to the observation that "they either do it or they don't".

My Twinkie wags his tail and points (lifts his foot and stares at something) and also likes to roll around in the dirt --- I'll have to direct him to T. S. Eliot. (Good quote, BTW)

I do have a feeling that Charlie will eventually catch on - simply by watching Keno when she gets the toy and brings it back. He is catching on with the "Find It" game to hunt down treats that are hidden in the house. He shadows Keno in looking for them - sometimes finds them first

Chevy just did it one day while I was tossing the ball down the hall!!! It is so cute! I didn't teach him anything. He gets lazy though and sometimes will have mom get it. It depends on his mood. Summer never showed an interest.