Watch: Kitten Act Like “A Dog In A Cat’s Body”

Quick Smiles:

• Pippin the rescue kitten loves playing fetch like a dog
• Owner Jessica Huang shares Pippin’s antics on TikTok
• Animal trainer Julie Tottman shares tips for training cats

Meet Pippin, a rescue kitten who has a unique favorite game. According to his owner, Jessica Huang from Ohio, Pippin is not an ordinary cat; he’s more like “a dog in a cat body.” This became evident when Huang posted a video on TikTok under the handle itscuriouscharlie, showing Pippin learning how to play fetch.

Huang adopted Pippin in 2023 from the same shelter in Cleveland where she got his older feline sibling, Charlie, a year earlier. Since then, she has discovered that Pippin loves three things: laser pointers, annoying his older sister, and playing fetch. “We noticed this strange habit where Pippin would pick up objects with his mouth, exactly like a dog,” Huang told Newsweek. “It wasn’t long until we realized he could fetch!”

@itscuriouscharlie

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♬ Cha Cha – ZEDDY WILL

There’s been debate over whether cats can be trained like dogs, but there is evidence to suggest they can. Some cats have even learned to play fetch without being trained. Julie Tottman, an animal trainer with credits in Game of Thrones and Harry Potter, told Newsweek that “consistency, fun, and patience are key” when training cats. She recommends starting with the basics, like asking the cat to sit, lie down, or stand in one spot.

Huang had a head start with Pippin, as he seemed naturally inclined to fetch. “Pippin came from the shelter with a little toy mouse and whenever we would throw it, he would run to it and pick it up with his mouth,” she said. However, teaching him to bring the mouse back took some time and “lots of running back and forth.” Eventually, Pippin realized he would get what he wanted if he brought the mouse back.

Pippin’s fetching skills have been a valuable addition to Charlie’s TikTok account, which has over 10 million views. Huang hopes that videos like this one show that cats are more than just adorable balls of fluff. “We film our cats’ amusing behaviors to show that cats don’t just sleep, they have personalities, albeit somewhat strange, just like humans,” she said. And Pippin has certainly proven that!

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