Do cats know their names?

Question

According to the link, cats know their names. The reason why sometimes cats are ignoring people is because they are more independent than dogs, and they don't feel like they have to respond to people all the time.

Answer 1

According to many notable sources in the natural science and animal science sphere, cats do know their names.

In the research piece "Domestic cats (Felis catus) discriminate their names from other words" conducted by Tokyo’s Sophia University, they specifically note in their abstract that cats' interactions with humans have not been researched in depth to the degree that our interactions with dogs are. In this piece, they discovered that cats also are able to distinguish their own names when called by a stranger. For this study, cats in Japanese cat cafes, 78 of them, were observed and called by their name by strangers.

What was also noted in the study were the advantages that canines have over felines' in responding enthusiastically to their own name. Due to hundreds of years of selective breeding, dogs have been bred to be obedient and specifically responsive to commands. On the contrary, cats "pretty much domesticated themselves when wildcats followed mice and rats into agricultural settlements," as explained by National Geographic.

Dogs have been bred for this responsiveness, specifically to their names, for over 20,000 years. There is still some hope yet for cats though, according to researcher Atsuko Saito from the original Tokyo study. He explains in the study furthermore that cats are projected to evolve due to our new ways of cohabitating with them, something that has changed even in the last few decades. National Geographic backs this claim, explaining "With more and more cats spending their lives inside, in closer contact with humans, a cat’s ability to read and respond to our cues may become even stronger."

Tokyo Study Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-40616-4

National Geographic Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cats-recognize-names-dogs-pets?loggedin=true&rnd=1681743553411

Comments

Great fact check! I appreciated that you directly addressed the claim and included multiple sources to validate the claim. You included extensive detail which is helpful for understanding. Thanks for your post!

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This is a great fact check! Thoroughly explains everything and has a good source!

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Amazing fact check, this was incredibly detailed!

Answer 2

According to an article by Scientific American, “Cats are just as good as dogs at learning...They’re just not as keen to show their owners what they’ve learned.” Yes, cats can recognize their names; they proabably associate them with either reward or punishment, as the article states. A study was performed where cats were more responsive to their names rather than a series of words that sounded incredibly similar to their names. This worked when people they knew said their names, as well as complete strangers. While more trials will hopefully solidify this result, cats do seem to have an ability to recognize their names.

Comments

Good fact check, however a including a like to your source would be super helpful! Thanks!

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Great job! Keep up the good work!

Answer 3

Many sources point towards the fact that cats do know their own names.  According the a CNN article, "...researchers found that cats are able to distinguish their names from other random sounds."  This portrays that cats do know their names, however, this article and Smithsonian article state that that doesn't necessarily matter.  "Of course, this study doesn’t prove your cat actually understands the concept of a name, says Mikel Delgado, who studies animal behavior at the University of California, Davis."  Their is a difference between phonetically understanding the importance of a repeated sound, and actually understanding the identifying meaning that a name portrays.  

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/cats-may-recognize-their-own-names-it-doesnt-mean-they-care-180971892/ 

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/08/health/cat-name-study-trnd/index.html

Answer 4

According to Daily Paws, cats do in fact recognize their name and any other nickname an owner may give them. Cats are very independent animals, they're always aware of what's going on around them, but sometimes they won't go near you when they hear their name. If the cat is not motivated to go near you, then it won't, cats are very smart, so unless you have something to offer, it's not likely that they'll give you the time of day.

https://www.dailypaws.com/cats-kittens/behavior/cat-psychology/do-cats-know-their-names

Answer 5

According to the link I provided, a 2019 study stated that Cats are able to distinguish between their name and other sounds.

https://www.rd.com/article/do-cats-know-their-names/

Answer 6

A multitude of sources point towards that claim.

However, petMD article by veterinarian Ken Lambrecht who claims that not enough research is done (up to 2018) and that it may be selective while also in correlation with voice frequencies that allow the cat to recognize the name.

Does your cat know its name? Here's how to find out | Science | AAAS

According to a Science article by David Grimm cat's do seem to recognize their name in accordance to a study done in Japan, however it is mostly due to repetition and the cat's ability to recognize it with the association of gaining attention. Cats from a cat cafe however tend to not recognize their names as much as that of those who are pets. 

Does your cat know its name? Here's how to find out | Science | AAAS

So, in a sense yes. Your claim is correct but giving it a name alone is not how the cat recognizes their name.

Answer 7

According to an article by National Geographic, a study performed in Japan has proven that cats do know their own names. Psychologist Atsuko Saito at Tokyo's Sophia University observed a total of 78 cats living in cat cafes in Japan performed over a series of four experiments. They had both owners and strangers call the cats names, and cats showed interest in both. They hypothesize that cats pair the sound of their name with rewards, such as food.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cats-recognize-names-dogs-pets?loggedin=true&rnd=1681771188691

Answer 8

This is true, according to rover.com. The website states: A study in the journal Science Report proves cats really do recognize their names when we say them! However, the same study reveals that most cats can’t be bothered to respond.

https://www.rover.com/blog/study-shows-cats-know-their-name/ 

Answer 9

Yes, cats are able to recognize their own names. A study published in Scientific Reports in 2019 found that cats are able to distinguish their own names from other words and sounds, even if spoken by unfamiliar people. The researchers conducted four experiments, including one where they played recordings of the cats' owners and other people saying the cats' names, and found that the cats reacted more to their own names, such as by moving their ears or heads, than to other words or sounds.

Reference: Saito, A., Shinozuka, K., & Ito, Y. (2019). Cats recognize their owners' voices but do not necessarily respond. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-9. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-40616-4

Answer 10

It is true that cats can know their names. However, their response can change based on who is calling them. An article by Reader's Digest explains, “Your cat is more likely to respond to their human’s voice versus a stranger’s voiceIn fact, a study in Japan found that cats showed more behavioral responses when they heard their parent’s voice calling their name than a stranger’s voice.”

An article from Cats.com responds to the claim about cats being more independent. It says, "Less than 10% of cats studied actually moved toward the sound, despite responding to it by turning their head and moving their ears. One scientist found that cats are just as good as dogs at learning. However, cats are less keen to demonstrate what they’ve learned to their owners!"

Overall, cats can be conditioned to respond to their name and have that ability. However, since cats are less inclined to respond, this may not be as apparent compared to dogs. 

https://www.rd.com/article/do-cats-know-their-names/

https://cats.com/do-cats-understand-words