Making fetch happen: Prevalence and characteristics of fetching behavior in owned domestic cats (Felis catus) and dogs (Canis familiaris)

Fetching appears to be largely spontaneous in the domestic cat. Forman et al. found that only around 6% of cats who fetch were trained to do so. The extent to which dogs are trained to fetch is also unknown but is likely much higher. This study did not distinguish trained from spontaneous fetchers in either species. Future studies could explore the effects of human training on fetching behavior.

Conclusions

Fetching is observed in both cats and dogs, and at higher rates in cats than previously reported (40.9%). Some fetching was observed in most breeds of cats and dogs, although some breeds were more likely to fetch than others. Fetching was more prominent in cat breeds originating in the Far East and in dog breeds from the Retriever, UK Rural, Poodle, Pointer and Spaniel clades. We have proposed multiple hypotheses and open questions for future research as to why fetching behavior may be observed in both companion species, despite their different domestication histories.