Do cats recognize their own names?

shorthumbz

Mine certainly have .... I agree with this writer: it's all about their learning to associate their names with something they like -- a treat, attention, cuddles, etc. http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/do-cats-know-their-names/75 Nov 24 12, 2:30 PM

Mommakat

As the owner of 7 of them, I can assure you that mine know their own names. Though one of them I must confess answers all the time mainly because he figures there may be some food in the offing. LOL. Nov 24 12, 10:46 PM

looney_tunes

Cats flick their ears when they hear their names, but any other response depends on their mood and the situation. We had one cat who would come running to the gate to greet us if his name was called; another only ever responded at meal times (and if the call came from the kitchen), and several could be seen to think about it before deciding to respond to or ignore the call. Here's a guide to teaching kittens to recognise their names. http://www.knowyourcat.info/info/nametraining.htm Nov 24 12, 11:34 PM

MargW

It's definitely personality. The ear-flick when they are ignoring you, lets you know they've heard their name but haven't decided whether or not to pay attention. Mine will come if she's hungry, but ignore me if there is something more interesting happening - like watching the birds at the feeder. Nov 25 12, 7:08 AM

euab

Do cats know their names? I ran an experiment today with my four cats. In turn (when theywere all in earshot), I called each one by name to see if they responded. For the most part (cats NEVER respond exactly as one would expect), each cat looked over at me when I called her (they are all female) name. But I couldn't look around fast enough to see if any other cat ALSO responded. I don't think that they did, but I guess this would take a scientific experiment with vids on each cat and all vids synchronized to prove it one way or the other. I understand from what I've read that cats know their human-name and respond to it (mostly), but that they ignore human names for their fellow cats. http://www.catforum.com/forum/37-behavior/67020-do-cats-know-their-names.html Cats cannot understand punishment as humans do, they must be praised and rewarded for desired behavior instead. http://www.rd.com/slideshows/13-things-you-didnt-know-about-cats/#slideshow=slide7 Nov 25 12, 8:34 AM