New Study Finds Over 40% of Cats Enjoy Playing Fetch

Research Reveals Many Cats Love a Game of Fetch

Last Updated: August 18, 2025

Featured Photo: sophiecat/Shutterstock

When Mikel Delgado, senior research scientist at Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, adopted three sister kittens from a shelter, she was surprised to see them engage in classic fetch behavior—bringing toy mice to her, waiting to have them thrown, and then retrieving them. Although a lifelong cat owner, Delgado had never observed this in her previous pets.

Intrigued, Delgado teamed up with colleagues Judith Stella, senior research scientist; Candace Croney, professor and director of the Center for Animal Welfare Sciences; and James Serpell of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine to investigate how common fetching is among domestic cats.

Using data previously gathered by Serpell, the researchers surveyed 8,224 cat owners and 73,724 dog owners. Their findings, published in PLOS ONE under the playful title “Making Fetch Happen: Prevalence and Characteristics of Fetching Behavior in Owned Domestic Cats (Felis catus) and Dogs (Canis familiaris),” show that 41% of cats and 78% of dogs engage in fetch.

Key Findings

• Approximately 41% of cats and 78% of dogs fetch.
• Cat breeds most likely to fetch: Abyssinian, Bengal, Siamese, and Siberian.
• Male cats and dogs fetch more often than females.
• Younger animals are more frequent fetchers.
• Living with dogs reduces fetching behavior in both species.
• Indoor cats are more likely to fetch than outdoor cats.

These results challenge the stereotype of cats as aloof. Many cats enjoy interactive play and view bringing a toy to their owner as a social invitation.

“Bringing a toy to us is a social request,” Delgado explains. “People often mischaracterize cats as independent, but they truly relish these interactions with their owners.”

This article originally appeared in the award‑winning Modern Cat magazine. Subscribe today!