Can you teach an animal to write?

[Camman1984]

I am going to have a tressym familiar because it is adorable and my vedalken sees it as a further step toward the perfect cat.

It can understand common, but cant speak. It is also intelligence 11, so could I teach it to write or use cue cards?

[HappyDaze]

No, writing requires hands. Cue cards might work. But the best answer is a keyboard.
https://blazepress.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTI4OTkzOTAzNDI4MTE5MTcx/1.webp

[ButzSanchez]

Now if you had an ape...

[Camman1984]

No, writing requires hands. Cue cards might work. But the best answer is a keyboard.
https://blazepress.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTI4OTkzOTAzNDI4MTE5MTcx/1.webp

Either that or sovereign glueing a pen to its tail

[fbelanger]

Show him how to read.
Then to cast mage hand.
Then he will be able to write.

[Segev]

No reason a creature that has unman-level intelligence and the ability to fully understand a language couldn’t learn to write it they could figure out a way to make the letters. Even with claws, perhaps.

[DrKerosene]

I’m a fan of a keyboard, but using a bunch of Magic Mouth spells.

I believe “The Arcane Programmers Guide” has worked out the cost of a phonetic keyboard situation in one of the subsequent comments.

[Mutazoia]

A cat could write with a pen held in its mouth. (And before you nay-say me, I've seen things written in a similar manner IRL, so no reason it can't be done in a fantasy game.)

[Dr. Cliché]

Just going to leave this here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zPGmv0hv1Y

[Democratus]

This seems like it would be highly dependent on how your portray animals in your world.

Worlds can scale from "entirely mundane" all the way up to "Narnia". The closer you move to the latter, the more likely you can teach animals to write.

[WaroftheCrans]

You're referring to a familiar, so remember that this isn't an animal, but rather a spirit that you have a connection with, that is taking the form of said animal.
I imagine it can write, as its not an animal at all. Teaching it to write would be as simple as telepathically giving it the instructions to do so.
Edit: In that vein, is it truly autonomous at all? Or is it just an extension of your will, much like necromancy.

[Amdy_vill]

parrots have been taught to write so i would say you cat or weasel could. if its as smart as a human than you could do it. because it is celestial, fey or fiend I can see an argument that i doesn't need to learn how to write, it probably already does know how.

[Lvl 2 Expert]

Show him how to read.
Then to cast mage hand.
Then he will be able to write.

Verbal and somatic components, performing either in an animal form is exclusive to high level druids in 5e.

Maybe the cat can be taught some sort of sign language?

Honestly the keyboard would be perfect if you could get away with inventing one in the setting (which you probably won't), not to mention memey.

[Maelynn]

Most animals lack the opposable thumbs or fine motor skills to be able to hold a pen and write intricate symbols with it such as letters.

However, writing doesn't require you to hold a pen.

- drag a paw in the sand
- dip a claw in ink
- squeeze a juicy fruit and rub the juice
- hold a pen or brush in your mouth

There are lots of alternative ways to 'write'. You could find inspiration in humans that have no or hardly usable hands, animals that have been taught tricks (like the painting elephant), etc.

If an animal or spirit is able to read and understand written letters, then it's logical to assume it will be able to write them. With a bit of practice, probably.