Did you know that cats can recognize their own names? A study published in 2019 showed that, in fact, they do. The lead author of the study is a behavioral scientist named Atsuko Saito from Sophia University in Tokyo, who proved through past research that cats are aware of their owner’s voice.
The name recognition study observed cats living in households and cat cafes. The researchers concluded that based on the phonemic differences, cats can differentiate the content of human language. They found that cafe cats do know their own names and can differentiate them from general nouns but not from other cats’ names living in the cafe. House pets were able to discriminate their owners’ voice saying their name, versus hearing a general noise or another animal’s name.
Why Is My Cat Ignoring Me?
If cats are able to recognize their names, why don’t they come running when we call them? The answer is much simpler than one might think: it’s simply because they’re cats. We often compare dogs and cats, but we shouldn’t expect the same types of behaviors from these two very different species. Cats tend to be more aloof and independent than dogs, so they may not always see the need to respond when you say their name.
If your cat comes running when you call their name, consider yourself lucky! Cats that readily engage with you and respond to your vocalizations are much more fun to live with than those who don’t. Such cats are often described as “dog-like” due to their extra devotion to their people.
Be Patient If You Change Your Cat’s Name
In some cases, a cat might not know its name. For example, if you have a kitten that has just been given its first name, or if you adopt an adult cat and choose a new name for it. An adopted adult cat might have had multiple names in the past depending on the circumstances, so it’s understandable if they don’t respond to their new name right away.
If your cat doesn’t come when you call its name, it’s possible it hasn’t learned its name yet. The good news is that cats can easily learn their names. Although your cat would probably learn its new name with enough time and patience on your part, there are ways to speed up the learning process a bit.
How to Teach Your Cat Its Name
Although it might sound odd, you can train your cat to know its name. The process is similar to teaching any other behavior. Follow these simple steps and your cat will be recognizing its name in no time!
Try not to use your cat’s name too frequently. If you say your cat’s name excessively, they will start to tune it out like background noise. When teaching your cat a new name, only use the name during training sessions. Later down the road, you can say their name more often; by then, they should recognize it. Create a positive association with your cat’s name by pairing it with something appetizing such as tiny pieces of chicken or their favorite snack broken up into smaller chunks.
Only give your cat very tiny treats (about the size of a pea or smaller) so you can reward it multiple times during a training session without making it too full or ruining its diet. Immediately after saying your cat’s name, give it a treat. Say its name again and give another treat; do this 10 times within several minutes, then take break. As you continue training sessions, be sure to casually say your cat’s name along with other words. Only reward them with a treat when their name is said. This way, they will associate the treat with their name instead of just the sound of your voice. Practice this game every day for as long as it takes until your cat recognizes its own name.
