Cat news shocker! They ignore their owners, study confirms

Charlotte Observer ^ | 04/29/2014 | Kathy Antoniotti

[boatbums]

The agony of unrequited love. It may be what keeps us devoted to the felines in our lives. A recent study confirms what cat owners have long known. Our cats understand us when we talk to them, they just don’t give a fig about what we have to say. A study by two University of Tokyo researchers determined cats recognize their owners’ voices from those of strangers. With the owners out of the cats’ line of vision, researchers played recordings of three strangers calling the cats’ names followed by a call from the cat’s owner and then by the call of another stranger. Researchers charted the cats’ reactions by measuring a number of responses, including head movements, tail and ear movements, eye dilation and vocalization or whether they moved their paws. When strangers called their names, the cats had no reaction to the voices whatsoever. When the cats heard their names being called by their owners, they moved their heads and ears to locate where the sound was coming from. Researchers say it proves that while cats can distinguish their owners’ voices, their responses are not communicative. In other words, he hears you just fine, he just doesn’t care what you want from him.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/04/28/4871733/cat-news-shocker-they-ignore-their.html##storylink=cpy

[Fawn]

My cats know their names, wait for me, come when called, and talk to me.

[Texan5]

My 3 cats ride well in pet carriers, so long as they have a towel or blanket to hide under. My Husky will ride without complaint, if I want her to-she is 15, so we have been in tune for a long time.

As soon as I have something secured to start building, I will start leaving a window down in the 4x4 for a couple of hours in the evening for the neighbor’s cat to investigate, but I can’t leave the window down after dark-raccoons and other critters will get in and make a mess...

Depending on what is for sale at rock bottom price at the time, I will be only 1 to 5 miles away, but the cat’s owners are just weekend people, not part of the community, so they won’t ever know a thing.

[Texan5]

I found Midget girl in the woods when I was hiking-she was trying to be invisible under an oak tree, in the fallen leaves-her sister was nearby, and their small size and tabby coats kept them semi-visible-Midget has 4 white paws and vest, but the rest of her fur is grayish tan brindled with charcoal spots and stripes-so she blended right in.

Sadly, Midget’s sister died in a fall from the loft at my former home in a chase with my Maine Coon. She was always feral, never very friendly at all, but Midget is a Velcro cat, quietly clinging, and a bit of a ‘fraidy cat.

[Viking2002]

I actually did catch one of hers, not long before he got neutered. I forget what button he pushed but it was the wrong one on the wrong evening. But, the direct application of steel-toed shoe to his applesack, combined with the surprising amount of forward thrust I generated, sent the little SOB from the kitchen, lengthwise through the living room, and into the spare bedroom, where he didn’t come out of for three days. Needless to say, to this day he thinks we’re best buds now. He understands the alternative. He comes when I call him, and sleeps on a log ottoman next to my computer desk in the evenings.

[boatbums]

We enjoyed the "Cat" show on Mallory Square in Key West. That guy was able to get his kitties to jump through hoops (various sizes), balance on tightropes and stands, stay in one place and do certain tricks repeatedly, etc. He was GREAT! When we asked him how he was able to do this, he told us that he starts them young and can tell right away if they would work out for the show. The only rewards he needed to use were regular dry kibble cat food and lots of affection and respect. I don't know if he is still there, but it changed my mind about what cats can learn.

Our two respond and know their names and that of the other, sometimes come when called (if they're in the mood) and are overall the sweetest additions to our lives. We love them very much.

[justiceseeker93]

Our two respond and know their names and that of the other, sometimes come when called (if they're in the mood).

My intuitive guess is that they don't really "know" their names (they don't have (human) linguistic skills), but they respond rather to the inflection of your voice, to which they are accustomed. You use different inflections when you call each of them by name, and they can tell the difference.

Yes, cats can be trained to do things that dogs do, and maybe in some instances, more.

There are also stories of cats who are lost having the directional sense to return home to their owners from many miles away. Wouldn't experiment with that, though.

[4yearlurker]

My daughter has a Scotty dog named Gus. He is the king of ignoring you. He reminds me of a Honey Badger 'cause he don't give a sh!t.

[exDemMom]

They were looking at the wrong cats.

It does not matter which cat I call. They all come running. They are busy not ignoring me at the moment, doing little things to get attention, like jumping on the keyboard so as to add their unintelligible comments to my post.

[exDemMom]

you can only affect how they turn out if you raise them from the time they are a small kitten properly.

Even then, individual personality quirks have a big impact on how they turn out.

I had a cat who had been born in my closet, and so was socialized from day one. She was always very timid and skittish. She liked to be nearby, but was almost impossible to handle. I currently have a couple of cats who were feral until about 4 months of age, who remain somewhat skittish. They cannot be picked up, but they do like to be petted. Their behavior is not much different than that of the timid cat who was born in my closet.