Fetch!
27-Apr-05
In my life, I have owned three dogs, and been a part of two others’ lives.
Lady was the only dog who played “ball,” but she didn’t retrieve very well– she’d run off and grab whatever you threw, but she would not bring it back to be thrown again, and would instead run around with it, and then chew it, and play tug of war, but she would not bring it back, drop it, and wait for you to throw it again.
I’ve had four cats. Of these, none have been big “play” kitties, once out of kittenhood. Except for the Cat Dancer toy, which seems to be a hit with every cat everywhere.
Alladin fetches. I swear to god, he fetches. I throw a mousie, he runs and attacks it, then picks it up in his kitten-sharp mouth and brings it back, drops it next to my feet, so I can throw it again.
He does this with the mousies. With the “cat jacks” (they’re little plastic things that he likes to play with). With the feathery-wand toys (he likes to pick them up and carry them with the plastic wand pointing forward– I don’t know why).
Throw. Run-pounce-tackle. Bring back toy. Drop toy. Repeat as necessary.
On Monday night while I was upgrading to OSX 10.3, we played fetch during the upgrade. I think he was in kitten heaven– an HOUR of fetch.
I don’t think I’ve ever known a kitten who could stay attached to ANY activity for a whole hour.
Oh, and he now outweighs Allegro, who at last weigh-in was 12.5 lbs. His head hasn’t changed into the “adult cat” shape just yet– it’s still in that weird adolescent cat form, where it’s part kitten, part cat. But getting there.