Cats - do they know their names ?

[bomb]

Our cat always responds when we call his name, and he will come out of hiding from the undergrowth. Does he really know his name, and know that we are calling him to come home ??

or, is he just looking for another pouch of grub !

[MitchT]

More likely recognises your voice. Try calling a completely different name.

[bomb]

did someone call me ??

[bexVN]

Yes they know their names.

Just the other day my young daughter was pointing to our cat who was dozing. I said 'that's Lucy' at which Lucy lifted her head slightly glanced over to me then promptly dozed off again.

Tone of voice can count for a lot (just as it can for dogs) but my two bonded cats Fitz and Ren knew their own names.

[Freakuk]

We have two cats, brothers. One knows his name the other hasn't got a clue both seven years old and we've been using their names from day one.

[Digitalize]

They know groups of sounds, the specific words aren't important.

[Sylvaforever]

the sound of a spoon rattling the rim of an opened tin of cat food is universally recognised. .

[EV11NED]

We've got 3 cats, Molly, Jack and Tigger. They all know their own names and respond when called. All arrived at different times too.

[bomb]

I'm convinced he knows his name as he always responds. He will come when called ( most of the time !), and looks up when we call / talk to him. I know all of his little ways, and can read him like a book.


he aint' as daft as you'd think !!

[croyde]

I always think that if you are using their name from day 1 as little kittens then they must know that sound.

[V40Vinnie]

Hades and Athena act like they know their names. You can go into the garden and call in any tone and usually they'll come in. The Rabbits and the Guinea pigs respond to anything with the right tone

[Fastchas]

Undoubtably, my Milo, a bluepoint Siamese would come every time. He could be asleep upstairs, my 3 year old would call 'Milo' and he'd wake up and trot downstairs to whoever called him.

[Jasandjules]

croyde said:

I always think that if you are using their name from day 1 as little kittens then they must know that sound.

However we have three rescues. They all had different names when we got them. They all respond to the names we gave them (took a couple of weeks but there we go).

And I can call a specific cat of an evening and that cat will turn up..

[croyde]

Was gonna ask that.

Renaming a cat. Guess you can

[Munter]

croyde said:

Was gonna ask that.

Renaming a cat. Guess you can

The thing is. Does the Cat know it's got a new name. Or does it think you're (Only Fools and Horses reference alert) Trigger calling Rodney "Dave".

[otolith]

Depends what you mean by "know their names" - they certainly recognise that certain specific noises humans make are relevant to their interests!

[otolith]

Of course, T.S. Eliot had his own view on this

http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/tselio...

[SimesJH]

I think they do know their own names. Ours seems to, though he has his normal name of Mercury and a nickname of Lumpy (due to him sleeping underneath our duvet when he was a kitten and leaving a small kitten-shaped lump in the material) and responds to both.

I'd go one step further and claim he knows the sounds of our cars as we park on the driveway. He always comes to greet us and, as deftly and cynically observed by another PH'er, his affections are usually aimed towards receiving a tasty pouch of Sheba in gravy. He doesn't approach others who use our driveway.

He can be particularly cunning at aiming his attention towards those who are more likely to feed him, or who offer him the comfiest (largest and flattest) lap to sleep on. That's usually me these days.

[otolith]

Oh yeah, they recognise car engines. At the old house ours used to materialise whenever we arrived home.

[bexVN]

Many many yrs ago we lived in a town centre opposite a multi storey carpark. We had a little black and white moggy who would wait for my Dad to get home in the early hours and go over to greet him at the carpark. Never went to anyone else's car.

She never knew her name (Tammy) though she spent a lot of time in my parents shop when young so she got used a noise people made when fussing her!! (or puss, puss!) And that's how we always called her talked to her etc funny really when thinking back, seems strange now but wasn't then!