Can cats understand words?

I was walking to work the other day when I saw the following poster nailed to a tree:

LOST
MALE GINGER TABBY CAT
MAY ANSWER TO THE NAME ‘EARL’

And it got me thinking. Would a cat actually answer to a word? Do they have the cognitive capacity to respond to verbal cues?

It is true that cats can vocalize over 130 different sounds, and that they only make the “meow”-type sounds around humans. Given a lot of anecdotal evidence that they make sounds that imitate human words in circumstances that seem to show that they expect a certain result from making those particular sounds, it isn’t a stretch to draw the conclusion that cats can comprehend human verbal cues.

However, most cats aren’t very good at answering to anything. They’re much better at ignoring you when you call them.

It seems possible. Our cat definitely reacts to the word “snack.” Or even anything with the “sn-” beginning when it’s time to be fed. Cats are especially motivated to learn when it has something to do with food.

This indicates it is possible.

My cats all know their names. They will respond. But I don’t know if they would to a strangers voice.

They don’t respond to words exactly, but sounds. They can learn to differentiate a fair array of different sounds. I read a study once that claimed they are most responsive to fricative (sh, ch), dentive (T) and sibilant (S, soft C) sounds.

All of my cats (I have four) respond to their names, though two (Patches and Dutchess) will usually turn their heads when I call either name, since they sound relatively similar.

Mine understands NO and “come on”.

She can also shake hands (well, paws). I would grab her paw and shake it while saying “shake”. I figured for a while she was responding to my putting my open palm in front of her, but I would say “shake” without presenting my hand and she would offer her paw to me.

We had a cat who understood the phrase “tuna fish sandwich.” My husband would ask me for one and Rocky would be in the kitchen before I was.

In my youth, we had a cat who understood words like “out.” We had to spell it lest she start yelling.

Some words, sure. I don’t think their up to a discussion of Hegelian Philosophy, but “no,” “good kitty,” and their names are easily understoood by even the most obtuse feline.

But I, possessing an English Credential, apparently can’t spell “they’re” correctly. Thus proving that my cats are smarter than I am.

My understanding is the reason they use ‘meow’ is because this is what they want to say to us. It is actually 2 ‘cat words’ put together. One ‘word’ means that I accept you (for now), the 2nd is I will defend myself, or attack if I feel it needed. Sometimes cat owners will just get the ‘me’ part of the meow, which indicates the cat has no intention of attack, which is a much more friendly jesture.

Sometimes the cat can even recognize a very important word when their humans are spelling it out, in a vain attempt to prevent the cat from getting excited. This can work both ways: going into beggar-overdrive after hearing a food word, or hitting the mattresses (actually, the spaces underneath) after hearing “vet”.

I don’t think this is cause for immediate worry, though. It’s not as if I’ve spied them poring over diagrams for atom-smashers or something. :smiley:

All of my (8) cats know their names. My Siamese used to sit by the door leading to the screened porch in the old house and say “Ooooooooouuuut”.

You’ve just got to watch out for the right ones. I think they’re up to something.

America’s Funniest Home Videos ran a memorable clip of a cat resisting an attempt to give it a bath, as it howled, “Nooooo! Nooooo!”

There was also a funny clip from another episode of the same show where a cat spoke a number of gibberish sentences, including “Old Don piano” and “All the live-long day.”

I have seen cats mimic birds. First time I saw it I was shocked…they (two of them who I was cat sitting for) were pretty good at it. When I mentioned this to the owners they were not surprised and mentioning it to other cat owners many were not surprised. I can only guess it was the cats’ attmepts to lure the birds closer but I do not really know.

My two cats definitely each know their name. One is dumber than a brick and the other is rather bright but both definitely respond (usually just open their eyes, turn their head and look at you before ignoring you again). You can be chattering away, talking about anything and everything and even talking to the cats about the cats and mostly you get no response but their names will get their attention if only for a moment.

Beyond that I suspect my cats “understand” some words but given the cat prediliction for ignoring most things it is difficult to tell. They will respond to other words it seems (catnip, food, no, ball, etc.) but they do not respond with enough regularity to really be certain. If they are interested in one of those things at that moment they seem to respond to the word. Other times you get totally ignored. I do not know if it is because they really have not twigged to the word or are just uninterested at that moment.

Cats are quite intelligent enough to associate particular sounds with particular objects or events, such as “out,” “food,” etc.

I tell this story and I expect skepticism about it, though it’s the truth: We had a cat once who mastered speaking about 20 English words (insofar as feline vocalizing equipment will match a human language), apparently because she was discouraged and disgusted at our inability to learn the meaning of her different calls. She would use “aaooouuuuwww” for “out,” “ppfffooooooo” for “food” (the “ppfff” mimicking a spitting sound she apparently indended for /f/), “mmmmmeeeeehhhww” for “milk,” and several others to represent, insofar as she could, the English terms for things she wanted. Apparently she figured that if we were too dumb to learn Cat, she would have to master English. And it was bemusing for me to have a short conversation with my cat, in the same language! :wink:

My cats know the word FOODS, which is what I say when it’s dinner time. It works when other people say it too, so it’s not just my voice they respond to. Ditto TREATS and CATNIP.

They do know their names and will come in from other rooms when called by name. My cat Dolphie will even answer me with a with a “mrmrmrmr-AaaahhhOOOoo” type sound, followed by squeaks if I don’t then pet her immediately, or purring if I do.

So yes, I think they can understand some words. Very concrete ones, but hey, that doesn’t set them apart from a lot of the people I know.

Each of my cats will come when their respective name is called.

And the was-male one is quite clear on communicating what was-he wants:

“Ooooowwwwtt”

“Chooooooowwww”

and “Chooooooowwww NOOOOOOWWWW!”

As for letting me know the litter box needs cleaned, he does that with a withering stare.

I asked He Who Waveth The Spectacularly Imposing Kitty-Tail

ME: Pardon me, your Exquisite Fuzziness, but is it true that you catfolk can understand human words?

HHWSIKT: To the extent that Those Who Doth Operate the Can-Opener have actual thoughts, and can give voice to them, well, yes, of course.

ME: Are you sure you’re not assessing the validity of human thoughts on the basis of whether or not their contents are interesting or useful to you?

HHWSIKT: You seem to be trying to make a point of some sort. I think you are begging the question though. The validity of human thoughts, like the validity of anything else in this limited world, is of course a function of whether or not the contents thereof are interesting or useful to me.

ME: Yeah, yeah…look, I think this is about whether or not kitty-cats have the mental skills to recognize sound patterns and correlate them with the context in which they occur.

HHWSIKT: ::gives slanty-eyed askance treatment:: Your behaviors with the most useful patterns aren’t the silly sounds you make. I noticed you picked me up and put me outside whenever I went to sharpen my claws on the sliding screen door, and were quite rapid in doing so. This was useful information, so whenever I wish to go outside I make sure I have your eye and then I raise up and start clawing the screen door. If the vocal sounds you make give me a useful handle on how to manage you more effectively, I’ll make use of it, but with a couple of minor exceptions they have not proven that useful or interesting to me. ::cat yawn::