A pet peeve of mine is when “dog people” encounter a particularly affable cat the like to extoll “its just like a dog”

No sir, this is a cat with cat behaviors that contain depth and sophisticaton. It fetches like a cat

A first of its kind study shows that fetching is much more common in the feline world than previously thought. Researchers at Purdue University hypothesize that cats fetch mainly for play and bonding with humans.

Via Gizmodo:

Based on data from over 8,000 cat owners, the scientists found that about 41% of cats exhibited classic fetching behavior. Some owners used the word “fetch” directly to describe their cat’s playing style in their responses, while others instead remarked that their cats like to “retrieve thrown objects or toys.” Dogs were still the champs at fetching, though. Based on responses from 78,000 dog owners, the researchers found 78% of dogs would play fetch regularly.

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

And an interview with the study author Mikel M. Delgado from PLOS ONE

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