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. 2023 Dec 14;13(1):20456.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-47409-w.

Fetching felines: a survey of cat owners on the diversity of cat (Felis catus) fetching behaviour

Jemma Forman  1 , Elizabeth Renner  2 , David A Leavens  3
Affiliations

Fetching felines: a survey of cat owners on the diversity of cat (Felis catus) fetching behaviour

Jemma Forman et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Domesticated animals are famous for the ease with which they can accommodate to diverse human environments and roles, but less well-studied is the ease with which domestic animals can manipulate their human caregivers to their own ends. For example, domestic animals may start and end their play behaviour with humans at times of their choice. Here we present the results of a survey of 924 cat owners who report fetching behaviour in 1154 cats. The overwhelming majority (94.4%) of these owners report that fetching emerged in the absence of explicit training. Fetching was primarily first noticed when the cats were less than one year old (n = 701) or 1-7 years old (n = 415). Cats initiated and terminated fetching bouts more often than did their owners. Thus, cats who fetch demonstrate independent and co-ordinated agency in the onset and maintenance of fetching behaviour with their human partners. Additional findings highlight the diversity of objects fetched and the diversity in household demographics. Our thematic analysis reveals owners' perspectives on (a) the process of a fetching session, (b) the initial acquisition of fetching, and (c) the circumstantial factors that influence fetching patterns. In summary, cats who fetch largely determine when they engage in fetching sessions and actively influence the play behaviour of their owners.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Histograms illustrating (a) the number of retrievals in the most recent fetching session, (b) the number of fetching sessions per month and (c) the age of the cat when fetching was first noticed. Frequency counts are presented above each bin. Four cats were reported to retrieve 0 times in the most recent session, 35 cats had less than 1 monthly fetching session and 12 cats were reported to be less than one month old when fetching was first noticed.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Horizontal bar chart illustrating cats’ favourite object categories to fetch (N = 1154). Percentages are presented alongside each category.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Pie charts illustrating who the owner considered to (a) initiate fetching sessions on average and (b) end fetching sessions on average (N = 1154). Red segments represent the owner, green segments represent the cat and grey segments represent both the cat and owner as equals. Percentages are presented within their respective segment.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Final thematic map illustrating three main themes (ovals) with branching sub-themes (boxes).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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