How much language do cats understand

This is a common question as well as an important one. Good news, chances are, your cat knows their name. But they might not know what their name means. Your cat may know that you use their name to talk to them or get their attention. There are also some theories that cats might associate their name with scratching and petting, getting food, or other pleasant interactions that often call for their names.

If two of your cats are closer than the others, you might get both of their attention without getting the attention of your third cat. Some cats take to commands right away, mainly breeds like Bengal cats. While there is some disagreement on this subject, most experts think that cats understand some commands. That comes from the very different evolutionary origins of cats and more servile animals like dogs. We domesticated dogs, but in a very real sense, cats domesticated themselves. In fact, cats are very similar to dogs in that they will absolutely learn words when they determine learning such words is beneficial to their lives.

According to science, cats are capable of learning roughly 50 different words and commands, which includes their names and any words related to tricks. They will meow at you and you will attempt to imitate this sound and meow back, and eventually they will just learn to associate this talking with you. Were it not for human involvement, cats would have no reason to ever make a sound. Oddly, the whole business of cats meowing is primarily meant for communication with humans as we respond to it more frequently than simple body language.

Cats know we respond to them best when they meow, so they imitate the sound of a baby crying as best as they can to get our attention. So, can cats learn to understand English? Italy - Italia. Latvia - Latvija. Malaysia Bahasa. Netherlands - Nederland. New Zealand. Norway - Norge. Philippines English. Poland - Polska. Puerto Rico English. Republic of Singapore English. South Africa. Sweden - Sverige. Switzerland Suisse. Switzerland Schweiz. United Kingdom.

United Arab Emirates English. United States. For Dogs. But the cats may not see it that way. The simple message I would like to get across is if you do want to have more than one cat, go about it in a careful way—and be prepared to give up on it if it doesn't work. All rights reserved. Bradshaw recently shared some of his insights with National Geographic.

How did you get into cat behavior? What do you do in your research? Why did you conclude that cats don't "get us" the way dogs do? Is that accurate? Why do some cats treat one human member of the household differently? Why do cats knead us? Can you train cats? What do you want owners to know about their cats? This interview has been edited and condensed. Share Tweet Email. Read This Next Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London.

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