Cats know their names—why it's harder for them than dogs

Cats know their names—why it’s harder for them than dogs

New research in Japan’s cat cafes(kaˈfā,kə-) reveals(rəˈvēl) our pet(pet) felines(ˈfēˌlīn) are more attuned(əˈt(y)o͞on) to us than we thought.

By Carrie(kari) Arnold

Cats know many things: how to catch mice, what the sound of the can opener means, and even how to take over the internet(ˈin(t)ərˌnet).

But the one question cat expert Atsuko Saito always gets is whether cats recognize their own names, an ability that’s well known in dogs.

In a new study in the journal Scientific(ˌsīənˈtifik) Reports, the psychologist(sīˈkäləjəst) at Tokyo’s(ˈtōkēˌō) Sophia University showed that they do know their names—even when called by a stranger.

Cats are Saito’s favorite animal, and after studying primate(ˈprīmət,ˈprīˌmāt) cognition(ˌkägˈniSHən) in graduate(ˈɡraj(ə)wət) school, she set her research sights on the oft(äft,ôft
)-misunderstood pets. (Is everything you think about cats wrong?)

“I love cats. They’re so cute(kyo͞ot) and so selfish. When they want to be touched, they’ll come by me, but when they want to be left alone, they’ll just leave,” she says, laughing.

Her past experiments have revealed cats can interpret(inˈtərprət) human gestures(ˈjesCHər) to find hidden food, recognize their owner’s voice, and beg for food from a person who looks at them and calls their name—all of which suggested that felines know their names.

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https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/04/cats-recognize-names-dogs-pets/