Does your pet know its name? Most of us with dogs as pets are sure that a dog knows its own name, and often the names of other pets in the household. It takes only a few days or a week, for a dog to learn its name; it helps if it is used especially with affection or praise, like “Hey, Rusty, you are such a good dog!” But what about cats? Does a cat recognize its name?
I can tell you from personal experience that cats do recognize their names. They also recognize the names of other pets in the household. If I speak sharply to one cat, something like, “Sparky, leave that yarn alone!”, another cat in the household will suddenly look at Sparky to see what he is doing. And Sparky will look at me with surprise at being caught doing something he shouldn’t do.
Cats also may respond to familiar sounds, like a door opening, or the can opener, or dry food being poured into a bowl. We had a cat that did not like our big screen TV – when she heard it click to turn on, she left the room. I once had a cat that would come when I clapped my hands. He might have been in someone’s yard two houses away, but I could call his name and clap my hands and sure enough, in a few minutes I would see him making his way through the tall grass at the back of the yard, heading home.
So, back to language, experts think cats may know more words than we realize, maybe up to 30 human words, like “treat” or “food”, “yes” or “no”, but a cat may have a better understanding based on your tone of voice combined with the words. It is thought that words, along with how you use your voice (calm, sharp, soothing, abrupt) all help your pet to understand what you are trying to communicate. Experts think your cat may eventually be able to recognize 20, 30 or even 40 words.
So the next time someone hears you talking to your feline housemate, tell them you like a cat that listens, when you’re speaking of pets.
__>^..^<__
