Do Cats Understand Your Words? Scientists Conducted a Study
A study reported by Daily Mail shows that cats do not understand the meaning of words but react to acoustic parameters of speech: pitch, volume, timbre, and intonation. They recognize their owner's voice and emotions, but follow commands thanks to associative memory, linking sounds with events. Cats distinguish the voice of a loved one among others and change behavior when addressed affectionately. People, when talking to pets, intuitively raise their voice and slow down speech, as with babies.
Many cat owners are sure that their pets understand human speech, but a recent study reported by Daily Mail refutes this notion. Experts concluded that cats do not decipher the meaning of words but perceive only acoustic parameters of sounds: pitch, volume, timbre, and intonation. Animals also recognize the voice of a specific owner and its emotional coloring. A cat's reaction to commands, for example, running to the sound of a rustling bag of treats, is explained not by understanding language but by associative memory: the pet links certain sounds with pleasant events. Despite the myth of indifference, cats distinguish the voice of a loved one among hundreds of others and track their movement around the apartment by ear. A cat's behavior changes when addressed affectionately, while it reacts reservedly to strangers' voices. Interestingly, people talking to cats intuitively raise their voice and slow down speech, mimicking the manner of communicating with babies. The lack of ability to understand words does not mean a lack of attachment: cats remember family members and form emotional bonds.