Say “Whiskers” – and your cat knows it’s them
Cats don’t come bounding over like dogs, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t listening – they just respond more subtly.
Takeaway
Pet cats tell their own name apart from similar-sounding words, even when a stranger says it.
What the study did
- Japanese researchers played cats four ordinary words in a row, then the cat’s name.
- Cats grew bored of the words (less ear and head movement), then perked up again at their own name.
- House cats separated their name from housemates’ names; cat-café cats did not.
- Most cats still reacted when a stranger said their name (13 of 20 habituated cats).
The numbers
Show data table
| Group | Value (cats) |
|---|---|
| Exp 1: nouns, owner’s voice (9/11) | 9 |
| Exp 2: housemates’ names, house cats (6/6) | 6 |
| Exp 2: housemates’ names, café cats (3/9) | 3 |
| Exp 3: nouns (13/21) | 13 |
| Exp 4: stranger’s voice (13/20) | 13 |
Data source: Saito et al. 2019, Sci Rep 9:5394, Results text of Experiments 1–4 (e.g. 'nine out of the eleven habituated cats', 'All six habituated cats from ordinary households', 'only three out of nine habituated cats from the cat café', 'Thirteen out of the 21', '13 out of the 20'). Denominators are habituated cats, shown in labels.
Limitations
Small samples, Japanese speakers only, and ear/head responses don’t prove cats understand a ‘name’ as we do.
Citation
Saito A, Shinozuka K, Ito Y, Hasegawa T (2019). Domestic cats (Felis catus) discriminate their names from other words. Scientific Reports. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40616-4
For general information only; it does not replace advice from your vet.
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