We all know that dogs respond when their names are mentioned and called.

Not only do they respond, they often come running towards their owner.

Do cats recognize their names amongst the other words they hear throughout the day?

With cats being very well known for doing things on their terms, it turns out that they might just be ignoring us when they hear their name being called.

Studies suggest that cats do in fact recognize their names.

A Japanese scientist conducted a study with 78 cats and found that the cats responded differently to hearing their own name as opposed to similar-sounding words and names of other cats.

To enhance her findings she used people who were strangers to the cats to do an additional study.

She found that although the cat’s response wasn’t as pronounced when hearing a stranger call their name, they did respond.

These findings may suggest that cats get used to the sound of their name but also to the sound of their owner’s voice which then influences their response.

There’s also a chance that a cat may associate the sound of its name with rewards or punishments.

If you say your cat’s name when they’ve been naughty frequently then the cat may demonstrate certain reactions when hearing its name.

My Thoughts

Our cat called Coco definitely responds to his name.

Most times when you call “Coco”, he turns his head and looks at you when strong eye contact.

It’s almost a human-like response.

It amazes me every time I see this because it hits home just how intelligent cats are.

There are of course times when I call him and he refuses to look at me, it’s almost as if I didn’t call him.

I find it funny when I can see that he’s heard me but he’s just not interested.

It’s this typical cat behavior that has given cats the reputation for doing things on their terms at all times.

I’m pretty sure we’ll see more studies on this subject over time and I’m very interested to see what is discovered