Imagine a 23-pound cat. Now imagine a 23-pound cat leaping into the air, catching milk rings from the tops of plastic milk jugs–and returning them to his owner for another toss. Frito has always had an attraction to anything ring shaped and lightweight enough to be carried about in his mouth. Hair bands, bracelets, and especially the little plastic milk jug rings were far more valuable to him than any commercial cat toys. It wasn’t long before Frito and his dad human were playing games of fetch together–with Frito jumping over obstacles to catch the milk rings in mid-air or running down the stairs catching the rings before they hit the bottom. How was Frito the cat trained to fetch? There are five simple tips that explain both how Frito the cat learned his favorite trick–and how you can teach your own willing feline to fetch as well.
Develop a playful relationship with your cat. As cat owners know–cats are not always ready for games and human interaction. It’s important, before attempting to condition a cat to perform tricks, that the cat is accustomed and willing to play with his owner. The cat does not necessarily need to be a kitten–Frito was over a year old before he learned to fetch and catch milk rings in the air–but, should be playful and excited to interact with his owner.
Find something that the cat wants to fetch. Does the cat have a favorite toy or plaything? Anything small and lightweight enough for the cat to grasp in his mouth and carry is perfect for a game of fetch–and if it’s something that the cat already enjoys then he is much more likely to participate in the training session!
Be consistent with training. Frito’s human followed a consistent pattern initially in their early games of fetch. He threw the milk jug rink–and once Frito ran to it, he would immediately make a hand motion and say, “Bring it”. In the beginning, Frito’s human did a good bit of his own fetching until Frito caught on to the rules of the game. Using a consistent hand command and phrase along with a demonstration helps the cat learn what is expected.
Training a cat to fetch requires practice and patience. Expect a lot of unreturned fetching props in the beginning. Be patient, keep playing–several times a day is possible–and, most importantly, try to use the same toy during training. While your cat may love many toys enough to fetch, training will likely be easier if the cat is not distracted by something new and interesting.
Reward the cat for every successful fetch and return. As soon as Frito learned to return the milk jug ring to his human–he was immediately rewarded with petting, praise and another toss of the ring. It’s important to praise the cat for his successes or he’s likely to move on to something that he finds more rewarding.
Cats are amazing jumpers and runners. Once your cat learns to simply fetch a toy for you, begin to add obstacles and additional feats to your cat’s game. Frito loves to leap off a stool into the air to catch rings–and guests are amazed by his skills. Teaching Frito the cat to fetch has provided hours of entertainment during his ten years.