Cats take a message…
A couple of articles that came up on my social media feed last month reminded me of the saying “dogs come when called, cats take a message and get back to you.”
The articles were covering the subject of cats playing fetch; or more specifically the fact that while cats WILL play this game, unlike dogs they’ll set their own perimeters for when they do.
It’s a long standing debate between cat and dog lovers; whether a dog playing the game so readily signifies more intelligence. The studies found that cats absolutely have the capacity to play fetch, but they won’t do it with just anyone.
From my perspective, the studies confirm a number of things. Cats very much have their own opinions regarding what they want to do. They’re absolutely intelligent enough, but they have to want to perform the task being requested of them. And more importantly, it matters who’s asking. The fact this is relevant, at least in my opinion, is because it actively dispels the myth that cats have no loyalty or affection towards specific people.
There are a couple of links below with more information on the studies:
https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/dec/14/cats-play-fetch-on-own-terms-owner-survey-finds
(Image source: Vet Street.)