Do cats come to there names or come to a familiar voice?

Question

i was curious if cats know there names or do they just come when called b/c the voice is familiar to them? i would like to believe my feline friend comes to me b/c she knows her name. what do you all think.

Answer 1

it depends on your cat's attitude. they do know their names, though. if they're friendly and someone new calls them, they will usually approach. cats are also very trainable. mine is potty trained:)

Answer 2

Oh yeah, they know their names and certain words. I don't know if they have the vocabulary of a dog, but they certainly know a few words.

I've got one that will escape (she's not allowed out) sit outside, and just look at me when I tell her to come in the house. When I start counting she knows she has until three to get her big butt in the house or I'll leave her out there. She'll actually sit there on one and two, but start to get up and sloooowly walk towards me on three.

Answer 3

i think both, i have a two cats one kitten and the kitten only comes when the microwave dings you call and call him and he point blank refuses he d**n noes that your calling him but he wont come but the second you ding he comes running the other two come out if you shout their names or if you say HAM they come running.

Answer 4

it could be, I know my cat comes (sometimes) when I call/ say his name, if he doesn't come I at least get his attention. So it is likely  that he could be acctually calling

Answer 5

All four of mine come to the name, if say a neighbor stops by they don't know the voice they call them by name and they come running:)  

Answer 6

I think they come to a familiar voice because they can't really understand us to know their name.

Answer 7

Well I have noticed that a cat will turn its head & look when it is called by a stranger but will only actually respond to or follow the person if the voice is familiar, they also use their sense of smell to sniff if the person is known to them.  

Answer 8

Animals apparently have trouble with long words therefore its not a good idea to call your cat Archibald Gregory II or something as they only take in the first few syllables and the last few syllables of words Therefore a name like Rex or Toby that is short are good names.

They become familiar to the sound of their name rather than the name itself therefore if you have a cat called Toby but you called Roby because it sounds the same the cat will respond but if you were calling them by a totally different soounding name they wouldn't. So in a way yes they come to their names.

  

Answer 9

both i have a cat and she comes to both  

Answer 10

It's kinda both, and it also depends on the cat.  Some cats won't come when they're called no matter what.  Others will come when called by their names.

I've always trained my cats to come to me when I whistle.  But they also know their names and will come to that too.

If I call my cat with just a high-pitched "kitty, kitty, kitty", my cat will come but so will the neighbors' cats!

Answer 11

i think they know the sound of the 2 syllables which normally goes up-down

for example my cat is called percy, he almost always responds to his name especially if you pronounce it like puuurrrseeee

Answer 12

I think both.