Train to play fetch?

zissou'smom

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Don't worry, I'm not making her into a dog! I just wondered how to get Zissou to play fetch. She almost gets the idea...just not quite. She lets me pick up her toys to throw for her, and knows when I go get one out of the box that I will throw it. It seems like once or twice she's broughten it back for me to throw, but I want to for real play fetch like I have with other cats. We play the throw-dry-food-down-the-hall game, and she's learnt to come back towards me before I throw a new one, but not with toys.

Can you train a cat to do this? She is the sort of cat you could, if desired, toilet-train-- smart, young, very social and affection-seeking, etc.
Any advice appreciated! I know some of you have cats who play fetch. Did it just come naturally, did they train you, or did you just sort of start it, or did you train them?
 

jennyr

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Mine started it sort of naturally and I encouraged it by throwing their toys when they brought them back. I also madde them jump and fight me for the toy a bit in between so that they got the idea of a game. But some cats take to it others never do. Persil is hte only one of mine who has continued to play fetch beyond kittenhood and now she or any human can start hte game - she will join in at once.
 
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