Dear Sinéad and Siouxsie,
My Mama thinks I'm an unusual kitty because I love to play Fetch! She obligingly throws my toy mice for me, but she shakes her head and tells everyone she meets that she has a unique kitty. I don't think it's so odd at all, will you tell her that I'm quite normal?

Evie
--
Meow, meow, mew, purrrrrrrrrrrr

Sinéad: Well, Evie, you're really not unusual at all. Lots of cats like to play Fetch. There are actually cat breeds noted for enjoying the occasional game of fetch-and-retrieve, including the Bombay and the Burmese.

Siouxsie: Games are great ways to entertain yourself and to train your human.

Sinéad: And playing games keeps us fit and sleek, too.

Siouxsie: You've done a good job training your human to play with you. But don't tell your human you've trained her; humans generally have shaky self-esteem and need to feel that they have in fact trained you.

Sinéad: I forgot to mention that Siouxsie likes to play Fetch, too. Hee hee hee!

Siouxsie: How many times do I have to tell you--I'm not playing Fetch, I'm making Mama play Throw! It's kind of fun to watch your human repeat a mindless task over and over again.

Sinéad: Mama said she'd never had a cat that liked to play Fetch before she adopted Siouxsie.

Siouxsie: I'm not playing Fetch, Mama's playing Throw! And if I have to say it one more time....

Sinéad: Oh, stop being such a blowhard. Whatever it is, Fetch or Throw, it's still a fun way to pass the time and interact with your human. And lots of cats do it. So you're not weird at all, Evie.

Siouxsie: Maybe you've got some Bombay or Burmese in you, though. Mama says Sinéad and I do, because we're shiny and black and have beautiful golden eyes.

Sinéad: Although I look more like a Bombay because I'm so lithe and slender and elegant.

Siouxsie: Are you calling me fat? I'm not fat, I'm big-boned!

Sinéad: That's not what Doctor Sarah says.

Siouxsie: Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

JaneA: Ladies, please.

Sinéad: Anyway, Evie, this fetching thing is clearly within the realm of normal feline behavior. And it certainly is fun. Fetching is unusual behavior for most breeds of cats, but it doesn't indicate any sort of troublesome abnormality. Bombay and Burmese cats also have a reputation for being among the more people-oriented of cat breeds, so it's not surprising that they would initiate games with their humans.

Siouxsie: Evie, your fetching behavior is perfectly normal and nothing to be worried about. And maybe it means that you have some royal breeding in your past, too.

Sinéad and Siouxsie: Meow, meow, mew, purrrrrrrrrrrr right back at you, Evie!

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail Sinéad and Siouxsie at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the advice in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.