Do cats recognize their names? 🧐

In a new study in the journal Scientific Reports, Atsuko Saiko, a psychologist at Tokyo’s Sophia University showed that they do know their names—even when called by a stranger.

Her past experiments have revealed cats can interpret human gestures to find hidden food, recognize their owner’s voice, and beg for food from a person who looks at them and calls their name—all of which suggested that felines know their names.

In a series of four different experiments, the team discovered cats showed a meaningful response to their own names—even after hearing four similar-sounding nouns or the names of other cats living in the home or the cat café. 

The cats showed interest not only when their owners called their names, but even when strangers did. It’s possible cats may have learned to pair the sound of their name with rewards, such as food and petting, Saito explains.

So yes, cats recognize their names. But that doesn’t mean they care 😪

Source — National Geographic UK