Cats have long fascinated humans, as it can be hard to figure out what goes through their heads. They have unique forms of communication, which include sometimes responding to commands and sometimes ignoring them.
That begs the question: can cats understand human words? The answer is a tentative yes, but they don’t process language in the same way that we, or even dogs do. Let’s find out how they interpret human speech.
How Do Cats Perceive Human Speech?
Cats don’t have the same cognitive ability we do. They don’t understand words but can associate words with actions. For example, we may hear “food” and think nothing of it until we can comprehend the sentence. Cats may hear the word and immediately associate it with feeding time. Not only that, but cats can associate body language or even smells with certain actions.
If you want to develop a deeper relationship with your cat, it’s important to learn how they communicate with us, and how we can better communicate with them. For example, while they may not understand “Do you want a cuddle?” on a linguistic level, they can associate this pattern of sounds with being handled.
Cats have incredible hearing and are able to pick up subtle changes in tone, pitch, and rhythm. If you want them to perceive your speech, then it needs to be predictable, routine, and simple. For example, “Do you want chicken?” may be hard for them to recognize but saying “Do you want food?” every single time is much better.
Do Cats Recognize Their Names?
Another common question on this theme is do cats recognize their names. This has been shown to be an unequivocal yes. They can distinguish their name from other sounds, even when spoken by a voice they’ve never heard before.
When their name has been called, cats have exhibited behaviors such as head turning, ear twitching, and tail movements. For most cat owners, it becomes quickly apparent they know their own names.
However, cats are independent. Just because their name has been called and they recognize it, that doesn’t mean they’ll respond. They may just choose to ignore you. This is an important point as when responding to human speech, it’s always good to remember that cats just sometimes do whatever they want.
Associative Learning: A Key to Understanding
Do you want your cat to understand your words? If so, then it’s vital to understand associative learning. We’ve touched on this already, but cats will learn human words when connecting them with specific outcomes.
Through repetition, cats will learn to link words with experiences. Over time, this means they can build up a small vocabulary of words. They may not understand what these words mean, but they will understand the action linked with them.
You can teach a cat tricks and you can also teach it to respond to words. The trick here is to pick short and distinct words. Instead of “Do you want to sit on my lap?” you can simply just say “sit” or “lap” instead. You can even pair this with an action or gesture to reinforce the behavior.
For actions you want them to take, you can pair the behavior with a reward. You’ll need regular practice for them to remember these words, and patience is required. With time and consistency, your cat will learn to respond to specific vocal cues.
Do Cats Communicate Back?
Cats communicate back to us in several different ways. Only a small part of that is through vocalizations. Meowing can be their way to demand food, greet you at the door, or signal their unhappiness. Other vocalizations are a little more obvious, such as hissing and growling.
Purring is their way of showing contentment and is almost always a good sign. However, they may also do this as a way of self-soothing. Added to this, slow blinking is a sign of affection and forward-facing ears show they are curious.
Then there is the tail, which is perhaps their biggest mood indicator. An upright tail is usually a good sign unless it’s quickly wagging (annoyed) or puffed up (aggressive). A downward tail while moving is usually a negative sign.
How You Can Communicate with Your Cat Non-Verbally
There are also ways you can communicate with your cat non-verbally. A slow blink is often referred to as a cat’s kiss and is used to show trust and affection. If you reciprocate this back to them, they you are showing your affection right back. However, prolonged staring can feel intimidating.
Body language can also be important. Coming down to your cat’s level will show you are non-threatening and can encourage them to come closer. You should also look to avoid any sudden movements as this can startle them and make them retreat. It’s always best to approach cats in a calm and deliberate way.
It’s always best to match your emotions with your body language and tone of voice. Using body language that isn’t typical of your actions can be confusing to them. As we mentioned, to communicate with your cat it’s always best to be simple and predictable.
How Cats Compare to Dogs in Understanding Words
Cats and dogs can both be incredibly clever but in different ways. This reflects the reason they were domesticated. For dogs, it was to work closely with humans, such as sled pulling and sheep herding. Cats weren’t domesticated to be close to humans, and instead for pest control.
It means cats have kept much of their independent nature. They are less motivated to learn commands, and therefore it’s harder to teach them. It means cats aren’t less intelligent than dogs but have merely evolved to have a different relationship with humans.
It’s this independence that should always be taken into account. Can cats learn human words? They can learn associations with them, but they’ll always prioritize their own interests over pleasing their owners. Therefore, they’ll never be trained in the same way a dog can be.
