by Grigorina S
Recently, a friend of mine was complaining that her cat wasn’t coming (or even acknowledging her) when called. My friend had spent a lot of time looking for the perfect cat nameand was at her wits end how to make her cat respond to it. That’s why we’re going to talk about whether cats know their names and why they choose not to come when called.
Keep on reading.
However, a Japanese study published in Scientific Reports gives us confirmation. Cats actually recognize their names among other words.
During the study, most of the cats reacted in some way by moving heads or ears when somebody pronounced their name.
However, they had difficulties distinguishing their name among the names of fellow cats, so if you have multiple cats, they may all think they share names!
What the study shows is that cats can make connecting between the words they hear and the action. You say a cat’s name a dozen times a day in positive and negative situations.
Your cat learns that something is going to happen when she hears these sounds.
However, it’s not clear up to what extent they understand our words and if they connect “Misty” with their identity.
As T.S. Elliot says in The Naming of Cats, scientists will never discover the cat’s true name. So, we can only speculate what goes round in our cats’ heads when they hear their names.
Don’t get me wrong. You can bribe cats with food, but once they have had their full, they do as they please.
They are not like dogs whose instinct is to do everything in their power to please their people.
What’s more, a study has confirmed that cats recognize their owners’ voice, they just don’t always care to respond to it.
Most of the cats in the study responded in some way when their owner spoke, but they didn’t show any inclination at getting up.
That means that when you call your cat, she knows you’re the person shouting like a crazy person.
Of course, outdoor cats might not respond to their names because they are too far away to hear you or they are in heat. The worst scenario is that something bad has happened to them.
On the other hand, an indoor cat that doesn’t come when called and spends most of her time napping might be sick.
So, you have to know your cat’s habits to determine if there is a reason for panic.
CAN YOU TEACH A CAT TO RESPOND TO HER NAME?
Some people believe that cats are untrainable. While dogs are easier to teach than cats, felines can learn quite a lot if they are properly motivated.
Despite your best efforts, remember that cats are individual creatures and that they value their freedom.
And sometimes when they are engaged in some activity, even food is not enough of a temptation to make them come running to your side. You just have to learn to live with that.
Recently, a friend of mine was complaining that her cat wasn’t coming (or even acknowledging her) when called. My friend had spent a lot of time looking for the perfect cat nameand was at her wits end how to make her cat respond to it. That’s why we’re going to talk about whether cats know their names and why they choose not to come when called.
Keep on reading.
However, a Japanese study published in Scientific Reports gives us confirmation. Cats actually recognize their names among other words.
During the study, most of the cats reacted in some way by moving heads or ears when somebody pronounced their name.
However, they had difficulties distinguishing their name among the names of fellow cats, so if you have multiple cats, they may all think they share names!
What the study shows is that cats can make connecting between the words they hear and the action. You say a cat’s name a dozen times a day in positive and negative situations.
Your cat learns that something is going to happen when she hears these sounds.
However, it’s not clear up to what extent they understand our words and if they connect “Misty” with their identity.
As T.S. Elliot says in The Naming of Cats, scientists will never discover the cat’s true name. So, we can only speculate what goes round in our cats’ heads when they hear their names.
Don’t get me wrong. You can bribe cats with food, but once they have had their full, they do as they please.
They are not like dogs whose instinct is to do everything in their power to please their people.
What’s more, a study has confirmed that cats recognize their owners’ voice, they just don’t always care to respond to it.
Most of the cats in the study responded in some way when their owner spoke, but they didn’t show any inclination at getting up.
That means that when you call your cat, she knows you’re the person shouting like a crazy person.
Of course, outdoor cats might not respond to their names because they are too far away to hear you or they are in heat. The worst scenario is that something bad has happened to them.
On the other hand, an indoor cat that doesn’t come when called and spends most of her time napping might be sick.
So, you have to know your cat’s habits to determine if there is a reason for panic.
CAN YOU TEACH A CAT TO RESPOND TO HER NAME?
Some people believe that cats are untrainable. While dogs are easier to teach than cats, felines can learn quite a lot if they are properly motivated.
Despite your best efforts, remember that cats are individual creatures and that they value their freedom.
And sometimes when they are engaged in some activity, even food is not enough of a temptation to make them come running to your side. You just have to learn to live with that.
