Do Cats Really Understand Human Language? The Truth Revealed

If you have ever called your cat by its name and they looked at you the next moment, there is a chance you might have wondered, “Do cats understand humans”?. This question crosses the minds of almost all cat owners. At times, we may also doubt if our feline friends understand us at all.

Well, it turns out, they do understand us, but not in the way we think.

In this blog, you will see how cats interpret human language so that you will be able to communicate effectively with your furry friend next time.

Do Cats Recognize Human Words?

Although cats don’t have the cognitive skills to interpret human words they can recognize when you are talking to them. In other words, cats can understand human language only the way we understand meowing. We can sort of figure out the cat’s emotions by their meowing, but don’t know what they are trying to say exactly,

In an article published by Animal Cognition, scientists experimented to find out whether cats respond when their owners call their names. In this study, three different people called the cat’s name from a room, when the cat’s owner wasn’t present there. The cats responded by turning their heads or moving their ears, but they didn’t respond. Here, most cats reacted less strongly to the third voice.

But when the owner’s voice was played, their response became stronger again. This shows that cats can differentiate human voices and they react more to the voices of their owner compared to a stranger.

Do Cats Understand Their Names?

The same scientists conducted a new study, where they found out that cats respond more strongly to their own names than to other words. They saw that cats didn’t pay attention when neutral nouns were played. However, at the sound of their names, they responded with head and ear moments. Also note, that this was regardless of whether the sound was called by their owner or a stranger.

This also makes sense, since cats associate their name with positive cues like food or playtime. They ignore neutral words since they bring no benefit to them.

Of course, this study doesn’t prove that cats understand the concept of names. But it proves that cats can interpret sounds that result in an action.

How Many Words Can a Cat Learn?

In general, cats are known to understand around 20-40 human words, and some up to 50. However, it would be more appropriate to say cats can recognize and distinguish words rather than understand their meaning.

Our cats associate words with tone, action, and outcome which are linked to activities like feeding, petting or playtime. The words that are repeated most often are the ones cats most likely respond to.

How Should I Communicate With My Cat?

Even though cats don’t understand the language in the same way we do, they do respond positively to their owner’s voice. Yes, they won’t do the things that we tell them to do, but it is highly important to have a chat with them!

Talk with your cat while you are petting or feeding them as it helps in strengthening your bond with them. Even though they won’t understand what you are saying, they will be overjoyed by your love and affection.

Having said that, avoid using harsh tones or raised voices as your cat will associate this with punishment. Repeated use of these tones can promote stress in the cats and also frighten them.

Do Cats Like It When I Talk to Them?

Yes absolutely. You might have also noticed how your cat responds to your talking with meowing, purring and rubbing their body with you. Cats love to hear their owner’s voice and this is why talking is also a great way to boost your bond with them.

Several studies have also shown that cats do recognize and respond to their owner. As you read above, they even understand their name. To make them respond to more words, it is best to reward them with a cat treat while training them. This will help them associate the words with a positive outcome.