If you have a playful cat who loves to chase, pounce and scamper off with her prize, there’s a chance she’ll like to fetch as well.
First, you need to find an object that excites your cat, that’s small enough for her to carry (but not so small that she could choke on it). Things that produce a pleasing sound when they hit the floor or have unpredictable rolls and bounces are especially good. A crumpled ball of aluminum foil, bottle caps, and the plastic lid rings that come off milk jugs have all been used as items to fetch by self-taught kitty fetchers.
Some cats will bring back the toy by mouth, others will bat it across the floor. In either case, the hard part is to get your cat to understand that bringing the item back means he gets to chase it again.
First step – never toss the item to your cat. He’ll think you’re nuts. Kitty games are about chasing mice, and mice never run toward a cat. He won’t even consider it a game unless you toss it away from him.
Get down on the floor and toss the item just a few feet away. When he goes after it, hold your hand out and say “bring it here!” When he bats it in your general direction (most likely this will be a random accident), pick it up and reward him with praise and/or a treat, like a kibble of food. If he picks it up in his mouth, take it from him, and reward him. Immediately toss it again. As he catches on, throw the object further away.
Careful – don’t let your cat train you! If kitty doesn’t make an attempt to bring it back, don’t keep going to get it yourself! Just end the session and try again another time.