10-Month-Old Maine Coon Learns 4 Impressive Tricks To Show Dogs How It's Done

The dog's long history of trainability has nabbed it actual day jobs, from sheep herders to service animals. However, it's not necessarily something you'd attribute to the dog's assumedly more independent counterpart, the cat. That is until you meet Robin the Maine Coon in one especially viral TikTok. This 10-month-old's got an impressive knack for learning tricks that might put even the most obedient dog breeds to shame.

Robin's a fast learner. At only 10 months old, his dad's already taught him four tricks he can do on command, and we get to witness all of them! The video features the fluffy grey and white kitty sitting, standing, rolling over, and eventually fetching — in that order. Though it takes him a couple of tries to complete his roll, his four-trick showcase is still quite the feat.

Over 445,000 people agreed. "My dog refuses to roll over, and here you are with a dang cat!" mused one baffled viewer. Many commenters also shared one pretty funny sentiment that Robin is some sort of cat-dog hybrid. "A dat," if you will, as one viewer suggested. Another commenter even asked if the TikToker's cat barks!

No doubt Robin's skills are impressive, especially for such a young kitty. It makes you wonder: is there actually any truth to the popular belief that dogs are easier to train than cats? Animal behavior experts will be the first to tell you that both cats and dogs are trainable with a fair amount of patience and care.

However, recent findings point to some truth to the aforementioned myth. A 2023 study in Scientific Reports found that dogs are more responsive to social cues from humans than cats are. Thousands of years of evolution and human companionship that later earned dogs the moniker "man's best friend" are likely why. The same study also found that cats are often harder to test; under 60% cooperated long enough to even complete this study.

This surely speaks to the cat's fairly independent history, having essentially domesticated themselves for better access to food and shelter. There are certainly some more sociable, less independent cats out there, though. The Maine Coon (like Robin) is a notably easy-to-train cat breed, just like the Abyssinian and the Bengal — an energetic cat breed even dog people will love. Remember, benefits like developing a stronger bond make training your cat totally worth it — even if it is a bit tougher than dog training!