Conference misery::feline_v1

         Loki does this too, but only with paper balls.  If you scrunch
    up a piece of paper into a ball - look out!  Loki is right there.
    You then have to throw it for him, and he'll retrieve it, and you'll
    throw it, and he'll retrieve it, ... .  He too is not the first
    one to give up.
    
         He also brings his string (rope, actually) to us for a game
    of "chase the string" and cries if we ignore him.

    Mao plays fetch too with an added twist (literally).  She likes
    to play it with a small superball.  We bounce the superball and
    she jumps, sometimes 4 or 5 ft, and either catches the ball or
    bats it back to us.  She LOVES her game and also enjoys playing
    it in the bathtub (we have sliding doors rather than a shower
    curtain) because of the way it bounces around crazily.
    
    re: string. The funniest thing I've ever seen is one cat running
    through the house with one end of a string in its mouth while
    another cat chases the other end.  (Sometimes I think they don't
    need us!)
     N
    

    
    
    	T.K. loves to play fetch too.  He comes running at the sound
    	of a beer opening and if you don't give him the cap, watch out,
    	he may follow it into the trash can!  Generally there are between
    	5 and 20 beer caps on the floor at a time.  Sometimes, T.K.
    	will come over to me with a beer cap in his mouth and want to
    	play!  I was doing homework one night and he dropped one on
    	my books.  So I threw it, went back to studying, and a couple
    	of minutes later I looked down to see him waiting patiently at
    	my feet with the cap on the floor beside him.  So I threw it
    	periodically and kept studying.  If he didn't want to wait for
    	the next toss, he came back up on the table and dropped the	
    	cap one book and sat on another.
    
    	He also comes running to the sound of homework being crumpled
    	and will chase the balled up paper but rarely brings it back.
    
    	Karen
    

     Snowy loves to play fetch. Her favorite toy is an woven cotton
    hair ring; you know, the kind with elastic inside. One of my step
    daughters used to keep a small basket of them on her dresser. They
    kept disappearing. We finally found a bunch of them under the
    refridgerator. We now keep a number of them in a drawer in the kitchen.
    Whenever we enter the kitchen, she runs to the drawer and howls
    until we take out a ring for her. I'll toss it to the end of the
    room; she'll run to it, pick it up, trot back with it, and drop
    it just far enough away from me so I have to move to pick it up.
    This is her favorite game.
    
    A variation of this which is easier on dad is to tie one of these
    rings onto a small fishing pole. You can now sit and watch TV while
    exercising the cats. Make a short cast, twitch it a few times and
    BAM! Set the hook. Oh wait. Wrong notesfile :-) Seriously, though,
    of course there's no hook on it.
    
    The Doctah

    Niniane plays fetch with paper balls.  In fact, I can't crinkle
    up anything to throw it away, because if I do, Niniane is right
    there beside me, looking up as if to say, "Ok Mom, I'm here, throw
    it!"  We sometimes play a game where one of us sits on the couch,
    and bounces the paper ball off the coffee table.  It bounces two
    or three feet into the air, she jumps, catches it and brings in
    back.
    
    Boogie will sometimes bring her toy (the Cat Dancer is her favorite)
    over to you and meow for you to play with her.
    
    The funniest thing I think I ever saw was Boogie racing in circles
    in the kitchen with one end of the Cat Dancer in her mouth while
    chasing the other end which remained frustratingly out of reach,
    and Niniane racing around right behind her!
    
    Who needs TV!?
    
    Mary-Michael

    Gee, Silver Fetches too!  But she won't do it with her regular toys
    or a crumpled up piece of paper.  She likes the twisties from garbage
    bags, or from a loaf of bread, or the thing you take off the top
    of a gallon of milk.  We'll sit on the sofa in the living room and
    I'll put the twisty next to me and fling it with my finger toword
    the tv.  Silver runs after it, grabs it, plays with it a little
    bit and then brings it back for me to fling it again.  
    
    She's pretty smart about it, too.  A lot of times it won't land
    right in front of the tv.  When it doesn't she'll go looking for
    it in her bed, on top of the TV, behind the tv, or somewhere near
    the fireplace.  It is so funny to see her looking for it.  
    
    The first time we played fetch, I tried to get the twisty in front 
    of the tv most of the time.  Well, one time it accidentally landed 
    behind the tv.  She looked all around for it, but couldn't find
    it.  She came back and looked at me and said, "All right, where'd it 
    go?"  I went and took it from behind the tv, she followed me
    the whole way.  The next time it didn't go in front of the tv, that
    was the first place she looked.                  
                                                     
    Smart cat!!                                      
                                                     
    Holly                                            
                                                     
                                                     

    Schnapps too likes the thing you take off the gallon of milk or OJ.
    She frequently brings them to me when I'm trying to sleep.  There
    must be twenty or so hidden under sofas and other furniture.  My future
    sister-in-law discovered these fetching tendencies about a year ago.
    I was amazed!  Her purring is incredible when we are playing this game.
    It's really cute when it goes under a table or something and she can't
    get it.  She'll roll over on her side and keep looking under the table
    until we do something about it.
    
    Tequila also chases these plastic things.  She has yet to catch onto
    the fetching game, but tries to pretend their bracelets.  
    
    They should market these things!!!  I couldn't BUY a better toy.

My Tsunami fetches with the twist ties of note .6 and the plastic rings of
note .7. 
 
Twist ties are her favorite.  She brings them to me ALL THE TIME!!!
I've gotten into the habbit of keeping them and diverting her attention
after about an hour of throwing them each night.  (I only stop the game for 
my own sanity.)  Sometimes it works, other times she just sits there and 
stares at me with a hurt look.  Then, of course, I can't resist and we 
play fetch for another hour.

My garbage always goes out with rubberbands holding it shut because the
twist ties are either lost or too mutilated to use.

    Yep, the milk jug rings are the best, followed by tin-foil balls,
    (ARGH!! I get the woolies just thinking about that one!) and Senor
    Mouse.
    
    aja will fetch any of these things for as long as I'll throw it.
    
    She makes funny, chirpy noises when she brings it back...
    
    Edd

    
    If your cat likes twist-ties, a safer alternative is to buy a package
    of old-fashioned pipe cleaners.  The fuzz won't pull off the wire, and
    I fold over the ends just to be sure.  Our big calico cat is crazy
    about them!  She begs me for a new one every day, and periodically, we
    have to clean dozens of them out from under the microwave cart (this is
    also a good game, with four cats trying to 'help'). :^}
    
    Sandy
     

    
    
        my friend's cat "clyde" (who is also my "godson") plays fetch
    with the small clear plastic caps off of non-aerosol pump sprays...
    he loves to chase after them...loves the noise they make when you
    tap them on the table..and when he carries them back to you in his
    mouth, he's breathing heavy so it fogs it up..!!! sometimes he drops
    them in his water bowl and carries them (full of water!) back to
    you....he does this for hours on end and it's hilarious!!!
    
         it does seem rather silly to see these cats engage in a game
    that most people only assume dogs can do....cats are far more
    intelligent than dogs and i personally think their version of
    fetch is more amusing and more fun for all invovled....
    
       of course he started out doing this with rubber bands, but now
    the caps are his favorite...and it is funny to watch them actually
    bring this stuff back to you for you to throw again..and again..
    
    
        kat
    
    

      Just out of curiousity....Are any of the cats mentioned in this topic
    Siamese by any chance???  
    
      Reason I ask..."fetching" and walking without much difficulty on a
    leash are both traits of the Siamese. I had a Siamese ("Rama Thai" was
    his name--and the name REALLY fit his personality--means "Free King")
    who used to love to fetch....in fact, he trained ME!!...
    
    
    
      I'd be careful giving rubber bands and those milk carton rings to
    cats to play with unless they are modified first. Any plastic or rubber
    in a ring such as that can be dangerous if the animal were to get it 
    caught around the muzzle. It could restrict or cut-off breathing, or
    even cause other injuries. I DO let mine play with them, but I always
    cut them so they are not a closed ring anymore. That way, they cannot
    catch on anything....and the cats still love to play with them...
    
    JM

re -1:
Tsunami is not Siamese.  She is a brown and black tiger.  
She trained me too! 

The plastic rings I give her are from frozen orange juice containers.
They are not complete circles, just long, curly pieces of plastic.  The only
way I would worry about her hurting herself with them is if she started 
eating them, but she doesn't so I guess it's safe. 

    Re .12:
    
      This kinda goes along with the note about Ragdolls.  Just as we
    can't attach stereotypes to housecats, we can't to Purebreds either.
    
    Fetching and walking on a leash are two of the things that my housecats
    do better than the birmans and none of them are siamese.
    
    Birmans aren't generally known for being highly intelligent (there
    are exceptions of course, but having lived with so many of them
    I think it say to say that most aren't) and siamese are more alert
    active and therefore considered more intelligent.  This may be why
    they seem to take to fetching and walking on a leash.
    
    Jo

    pardon the typo's, it has been a long day.
    
    Jo

    referring to .0 (I'm the mother) ... Neither Smokey nor Bandit is
    Siamese.  They are just housecats.  Bandit will chase but not fetch.
    However, Smokey is the one who trained me when he was about 4 months
    old.  He is EXTREMELY intelligent.  For example, one or two "no's"
    will stop him from performing an action.  Helearned house rules
    very easily and still is very spirited and affectionate.  He is
    always trying new "tricks" and likes to expiriment with his double
    paws.  He uses the extra "fingers" like a giant thumb (he is right
    handed) and actually picks up objects with a pincher movement.
    
    Cathy (smokey & bandit)

    Well, although Mao is not siamese in appearance I believe she
    has some siamese blood in there somewhere.  She has the body structure
    of some of the less "long-faced" siamese types and her vocalizations
    sound like siamese.  She is also the best fetcher and the only one
    of the four cats who will really "walk" on a leash.
      In fact, we've taken her on hikes through the Braintree conservation
    land which she loved.

         Nope, Loki's a good old American Shorthair orange tabby (looks
    like Morris :-) ).  He's *loves* fetch, but I've never tried him
    on a leash ...

    Niniane is a blue point Siamese.  I have found that she seems to
    be the smartest of the bunch.  If Niniane, Boogie (silver tabby),
    and Dream (exotic shorthair) are playing with a paper ball, and
    I accidently toss the ball in back of something or in some way out
    of sight, the other two will look up at me and expect me to go get
    it. Niniane will go and get it and bring it back.  On another tack, 
    Charm, is a seal point Siamese.  When we first brought Dream in, 
    she was very shy.  She would hide underneath the stairs in the
    basement.  Each day I would crawl underneath the stairs and give her 
    some undivided attention for about a half hour.  One day I crawled
    under the stairs and who was waiting for me but Charm, who promptly 
    rolled onto her back for a tummy rub when she saw me. Charm had
    figured out this was the time and place to get extra attention!  
    Guess I'd been neglecting her by her estimation! 
    
    Mary-Michael

      OOOPS!!! I didn't meant to 'stereotype' a breed!! I realize that many 
    non-Siamese cats are easy leash-cats, and many will also fetch. It just
    seems that the Siamese have a greateer proclivity for both as a rule
    than most other breeds.
    
      Also...on the milk carton rings.... Around Worcester Mass, some of
    the milk companies have a type of cap that comes apart when opened, and 
    the ring that comes off of it is a solid circle. I know the type that
    someone mentioned on orange juice, and I beleive that this type is
    safe. It's easy to make the solid ring type safe by simply cutting it. 
    I got worried one day whan one of mine got hold of a non-broken one,
    and she had the darned thing caught over her teeth and top of her
    muzzle....It didn't cause any damage, but I was worried aobut the
    potential...
    
    JM

    RE: .20
    
    As a matter of fact, Silver is a Korat.  Korats come from Siam.
    Korats are not siamese cats, but they are the original cat of Siam.  
    In fact, it is believed that Siamese cats were offspring of Korats.
    
    She does seem to love to fetch.  Pita, my other Korat hasn't really
    gotten the hang of it yet, though.  Oh well, it takes time.  She's
    got a good teacher (silver).
    
    Holly
    

    
    Puffin used to fetch her teddy bear until we got Buttons.  Now they
    have more fun chasing each other around.  One time Puffin even brought
    her food dish to us when she wanted her dinner (boy did I wish I
    had the camara ready for that one).
    
    Joanne, Puffin & Buttons
    
    P.S. Puffin is a calico
    

    Tenzing loves to play fetch with rolled up aluminum foil balls.
    She has to think she's retrieving on her own initiative though.
    If you tell her "good girl", or "bring it back", or even look
    at her too attentively, she comes racing back without the ball.
    Don't know if she wants to maintain the illusion that it's all
    her idea, or if she's easily distracted from her task (she's
    sometimes not too bright) but it's pretty funny.
    
    Karen, Tristan and Tenzing.

      My Tiger loves to catch and fetch the small Kitty Balls found
    in pet stores. These are the sponge type as he can pick them up
    easily. He will also act as a catcher and pick them out of the air
    if tossed near him. His other favorite toy is the nylon tie wraps
    that we use for computer harnesses. I find this much better and
    easier for him to work with rather than the metal and paper ties.
    The nylon tie wrap takes a beating from Tiger. He throws it up in
    the air, slams it around the kitchen linoleum,and pushes it under
    the scatter rugs, only to dive under the rug for retrival. I just
    got to put him on video..
                                    Arthur Parks
    

    Tarot likes to play squash in the hallway, he spends hours jumping
    around catching the squashy rubber ball in his mouth and then throwing
    it back against the wall.
    
    Isis is the retriever, she also likes to make piles of anything
    lying around after Tarot has chased and left it, ie hazelnuts, 
    balls, chocolate wrappers etc.
    
    Both mine are half burmese which might account for them always being
    one step ahead of me!
    
    Kate

    Sneakers doesn't "fetch", but does play "catch".  I can throw
    a toy up in the air, and he loves to catch it in his paws,
    sometimes jumping a couple of feet into the air!
    
    Maybe he should looking into playing for the Sox...
    
    Pam

    re .24
    
    Tigger, Einstein and Tarbaby also like the sponge-type balls.  It is
    really cute when they play with them.  My kids are not declawed and
    they will bat at the balls and at some point a claw will get stuck in
    the ball.  At that point, the attached cat waves a paw a few times to
    shake the ball loose and as it is released, it heads for the ceiling. 
    The cat then leaps to make an aerial attack.  It is really fun to
    watch.
    
    Denise

         Another vote for pipe cleaners....they have to be Muffin's
    favorite toy.  She'll fetch them, hide them under things (and then
    can't get 'em out, of course), drop 'em in her food bowl....and
    when one starts to wear out, she drops it in her water dish so we'll
    throw it away and give her a new one!
    
    
    Bob

    Koko likes to play fetch with her spongey balls.  Its funny to watch
    her watch us, waiting for us to throw it.  We usually throw it down
    the long hallway into the foyer where there is tile.  Needless to
    say when she reaches the tile she slips and slides all over the
    place catching the ball.  Finally she proceeds down this long hallway
    with a ball hanging out of the side of her mouth.  Everyone who
    watches her is amazed - yes only dogs can fetch - ha!  Then there's
    the times where she catches the ball in her mouth, or catches up
    to the ball we've thrown on the carpet and her butt is moving to
    fast so she'll stop her face to bite the ball and her butt flips
    over cuz it cannot stop...
    
    Then when we are to busy to play with her she takes her spongy ball
    to the top of a chair and drops it down the seat and chases after
    it!
    

    Did you ever try playing in the bathtub?  Mao also likes to play
    with her little superball or ping-pong ball in the bathtub.  She'll
    sit there and bat the ball up the back of the tub - the ramp - and
    then pounce on it when it comes rolling back down!  
      Nancy DC