Scientists have discovered that cats know the names of their owners and can recognise feline friends.
Japanese study finds cats know the names of their owners and can recognise feline friends
A study, carried out by a team of researchers in Kyoto, Japan, conducted two experiments on 48 cats – (29 lived in a café and 19 were domestic pets).
In the first one, the felines were shown a photo of a cat they lived with whilst a stranger would simultaneously say the name of the cat or an unrelated name.
Research published in the Journal Scientific Reports found: “Household cats paid attention to the monitor for longer when the wrong name was called, indicating an ‘expectancy violation effect.'"
The second experiment, was carried out on 26 newly-recruited cats, who were shown photos of their owners. It proved that even though the connection was stronger for their fellow moggies, they did have the ability to recognise their owners.
They added: “This study provides evidence that cats link a companion's name and corresponding face without explicit training."