Most cat lovers probably have no doubt that their purring charges know what they’re being told. So why when you call a cat it doesn’t move? Recent research has revealed what causes their selective listening. Have you ever felt like your cat is deliberately ignoring you? Well, you’re probably right. Cats are notorious for their irreverent attitude, and while few will openly admit it, many cat lovers secretly envy dog owners for being able to call their pets and be sure they’ll come.
A group of scientists from the University of Tokyo decided to study cat intelligence to find out if cats know their names and if they are evolutionarily predisposed to obey commands. The results of the tests carried out on these furries shed light on the question.
Do cats recognize their names?
A total of 78 animals took part in the experiment initiated by Dr. Atsuko Saito, an animal behaviorist at the University of Tokyo. The cats came from Japanese homes and cat cafes. Given the frequent ban on keeping pets in rental apartments and houses, these types of premises are very popular in Japan.
During the experiments, the researchers wanted to check whether our cats had the ability to learn the meaning of human words and whether they could distinguish their name among other words. Cat owners were asked to say four words of similar length, followed by their cats’ names. The cat’s reactions were recorded for detailed analysis.
The results of the Japanese scientists’ research were published in the magazine Scientific Reports and they leave no doubt: animals do not remain deaf to our calls. Of course, it turned out that the cats know their names very well, and the caretaker addresses them.
A group of Japanese researchers showed that while randomly spoken words held little interest for them, cats showed visible responses to the sound of their name, as they associated it with a positive stimulus (e.g., a meal or a game) or punishment for misbehavior. Although cats very often let people’s words through their ears, at the same time they react much more willingly to the name when it is spoken by their guardian, with whom they are strongly emotionally attached.
Compared to pets, cats in cat cafes scored slightly lower on tests, which apparently has to do with the environment they live in. Being in a room where they hear many human voices and various terms can confuse them.
Cats understand when you call them by name. Why don’t they answer?
Based on the experience, the following conclusions have been drawn: cats understand what we tell them, which does not mean that they will come running when called. Unlike dogs, they are not used to reacting with a sudden start towards the guardian at the sound of the words he pronounces. Their behavior may be limited to clipping their ears, turning their heads, meowing or wagging their tails.
Human cat friends respond to their names when they have a purpose; when a certain situation simply pays off for them and some sort of reward awaits them. This is why they sometimes ostentatiously ignore any attempt at contact – they do it consciously and deliberately.
“Cats didn’t evolve to respond to human commands,” says Dr Saito in an interview with New Scientist, who also points out that cat behavior is nothing personal. “They will communicate with humans whenever they want. They already are.
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