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“Call me by your name, and I’ll call you by mine.” Says author Andre Aciman.
But how is this possible for our fur babies? Especially when they’re clueless about what their articulated identities are.
Regarding cats, it’s safe to say there is no cuteness shortage in the charisma department. They’re adorable, fun to play with, and occasionally excellent listeners.
But do cats know their names?
The Science Behind Naming Cats
Experts from the University in Tokyo tested this question by studying and observing more than fifty felines.
These cats were living in cafes in the vicinity. They tried calling the cats’ names and looked for any details in their responses.
They also tried having their respective owners and random strangers call out the cats. The results they found were that the cats did respond well when scientists called out their names.
To shake things up. This group of experts even tried confusing the cats by calling them words similar to their names. The cats did not manifest the same response.
This study also noted that one of the probable reasons the cats may have remembered their names was that they paired their title’s sound with particular rewards and prices.
The team in charge of this study ran other experiments, as well!
They discovered that cats could understand a human’s body language and gestures.
Cats used this knowledge to find out where their owners hid food from them. The research also established that cats remembered the voice of their owner.
Moments like these led the scholars to confirm that cats remember their names very well.
Training Cats To Hear Their Names: Is It Possible?
Fortunately, for all cat moms and dads, the answer is Yes!
We can train our feline family pals to hear their names and a few tricks and rules of living in a household.
On the flip side, however, science has also confirmed that cats are more challenging to train.
So if you’re bent on raising a sophisticated, participative, well-informed feline, you must be patient and persistent.
What commands or tricks can a cat learn, you ask?
Cat owners can teach cats to:
- Sit
- Lie down
- Roll over
- Greet with their cute little paws.
- Use the washroom
- Sleep on their cat trees
- Eat in their food container
Unlike dogs, cats cannot fetch sticks and bones when thrown at nearby distances.
So don’t waste your time training cats to catch bones!
3 Simple Steps on How To Teach A Cat To Hear Its Name.
When training your cat to hear their name, it’s important to remember that just like other pets, they are generally motivated to do beneficial and entertaining things.
Therefore, using your cat’s favorite treats or their favorite toy (be it a remote control or a rag doll) will come in handy.
Secondly, different strategies work for different types of cats. It is good to remember that cats, like humans, have different personalities.
Some will be charming enough to participate. Some are affectionate, while others are bound to ignore you as their independent creatures.
Cat name training requires determination. Take it from every valedictory speech: nothing great ever comes easy, so take things easy!
Relax now and then, and take a deep breath during the training sessions.
Also, remember not to change your cat’s name too often in a short period to avoid confusing them.
Cats have a considerably short-term memory and attention span than all other equally cute household pets.
Do Cats Know Their Names: Little known Facts
The following are five little-known facts about cats and their names:
- Cats know other cats’ names, especially in a household with more than one cat.
- Cats know their household members’ names! Yes, cats can differentiate people by their names.
- Even though cats know their names, they can ignore someone when called by their terms.
- Cats associate their names with different rewards like food.
- Once a cat is used to their name, it might be hard to rename them.
Conclusion
All these said, have we finally answered the age-old question?
Do cats know their name? Yes! Are we now able to better debate with our dog-lover counterparts should the need arise?
The answer is yes, with every fiber of our mortal flesh and every piece of study dedicated to discovering more about our feline family.
Cats know their names very well!
Purrfect n’ Pawesome is the brainchild of Amanda, who has been into researching and writing about pets to help other pet parents in nurturing their adorable pets. Currently, she runs Purrfect n’ Pawesome along with her team of experienced and dedicated pet experts. Along with being an awesome writer and entrepreneur, Amanda is a cat mom to two innocently spoiled cats, Balanca and Scruffy.
She has been writing about pet care and nurturing and wants to share her readers’ experiences, learnings, and knowledge.
Over the years, she had the opportunity to work with various pet owners having multiple breeds, and that exposure gave her experience and the lessons of a lifetime.
Her family, her entire universe revolves around her two cats, who give her endless support and inspiration to move ahead with her objectives in life. Amanda is a live example of a balanced approach to all parenthood questions we all face in life.
