Cats Recognize Their Owners Voice But Choose To Ignore It

Smithsonian ^ | 12-2-13

[Dysart]

Cats, according to new research, recognize their owner’s voice. They just can’t be bothered to react to it.

Researchers in Japan arrived at this conclusion after performing experiments with twenty house cats. They played recordings of the cats’ owners’ calling to their pets in whatever cat-talk voice they typically used. They also played recordings of three strangers calling to the cats, using the same words.

To quantify the cats’ reactions, the researchers recorded how often cats moved their head, tail, paws or ears, or whether they meowed or dilated their pupils. While the cats showed a significantly greater response to their owners calling their names than to strangers doing so, they did not bother to get up in either instance, the researchers found.

As the Independent explains, the authors think cats’ dismissive attitudes are a product of their evolutionary history over the past 9,000 years:

As early societies developed agriculture, these cats moved in to prey on the rodents that were attracted to stores of grain. In the words of the paper’s authors, they effectively “domesticated themselves”.

“Historically speaking, cats, unlike dogs, have not been domesticated to obey humans’ orders. Rather, they seem to take the initiative in human–cat interaction.” This is in contrast to the history of dogs and humans, where the former has been bred over thousands of years to respond to orders and commands. Cats, it seems, never needed to learn.

Read more: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/12/cats-recognize-their-owners-voice-but-chose-to-ignore-it/#ixzz2mMyn7FKZ Follow us: @SmithsonianMag on Twitter

[dforest]

So I am not alone! My husband walked through the room and I mentioned the title of this thread. I coulda swore I saw a little smile shoot out the side of his face. It was then I knew, he knew, what I was thinking. LOL

[carlo3b]

I have always been a dog kind of guy, and have had one my entire life with short durations without one.. I have had cats from time to time especially on our ranch..

However, about a month ago a kitten adopted my son and me, and has become my heartthrob.. The first 2 weeks she avoided us like the plague, but slowly became a sweetheart, and a lover girl, licking and kissing, meowing and purring on my lap and my shoulder.. Be still my heart.. :)

[who knows what evil?]

And one of them comes running if we get cheese from the refrigerator; she knows what the packaging sounds like.

Our four LOVE turkey from the deli, and will come running from the four corners when they hear the butcher wrap crinkling. Unfortunately for them, the cheese wrapper sounds the same. They hate cheese. If it's turkey, it's a nice day. Cheese? Then it's puke on your pillow or in your shoes.

[fatnotlazy]

Dogs come when they’re called.

Cats take a message.

[SoCal Pubbie]

Same here.

[Nifster]

they paid for that research??????

[dforest]

My kitties love attention. They also like to make sure I get up in the morning to feed them at 5:30. They start in about 5:00, walking on my head, knocking over stuff, you know the routine. It always works! LOL

[tapatio]

These two have been together since the day my granddaughter was born.The cat follows her everywhere.

[Battle Axe]

A few years back I had a vet do a house call for something with the cat. I forget what it was for. After he had completed his exam and shots etc. he let the cat go. Off she ran. Then the vet said Oh dear, I forgot to give her xyz shot. I bet you'll never catch her again.

Yes I can I said. I hit the electric can opener. Around the corner she came. We grabbed her and finished the treatment.

[lonevoice]

[SnuffaBolshevik]

Beautiful picture and story.

[Dysart]

You should secure a grant and repeat this experiment. Somewhere there’s a buck to made in connecting the dots between the sound of a can opener and its power to summon cats. I’m sure it’s evolutionary. If only someone were intrepid and curious enough to investigate.

[visualops]

1 of our cats knows all food prep sounds, but especially the microwave door, and will come running meow talking. So I always say, yes Booboo, I’m making your /whatever and then ignore him lol

[stylecouncilor]

Ping

[miss marmelstein]

My cat actually will go against my wishes. If I ask her to do something (you know, stop tearing the curtains to pieces), she will evilly continue with a big grin on her face.

[ToastedHead]

Two can play at this game.

Grand Master Fluff is staring at me and I am pretending not to notice.

[CrazyIvan]

Mark Twain claimed he had a henpecked uncle who had gone deaf years ago but could still hear the word “whiskey” whispered three rooms away with the doors shut.

[al_c]

Cats choose to ignore almost everything.

[Dysart]

Two can play at this game. Grand Master Fluff is staring at me and I am pretending not to notice.

I see. Report back with any definitively overt moves on GMF's part to gain your attention such as pulling up pinterest on your laptop or bringing you a bundle of flowers instead of dead rats.

This will be a sure sign that your feigning detachment only strengthens his resolve. From that we can infer a reverse psychology stratagem on behalf of GMF; and we can extrapolate that to all cats, I suspect. More study needed.

[hometoroost]

Great picture. We have an 18-pound Maine Coon that adopted us after he was abandoned in our neighborhood. Unless it’s nap time he generally has to be in the room with someone and often on a lap.