The correct way to get a cat's attention is to sing "Here, kitty kitty" instead of saying "Come here cat". Cats may be able to detect when their owner is talking to them by listening to their tone of voice.
A higher-pitched, sing-song tone is adopted by most people when talking to animals and humans. Previous research has shown that dogs are more likely to pay attention to baby talk, but less is known about how cats respond.
To investigate, Charlotte de Mouzon and colleagues from Paris Nanterre University observed how 16 cats responded to hearing their owner or a stranger say something to them, by recording changes in their behavior, such as moving their ears or tails, suddenly stopping what they were doing, or their pupils di
When their owner called their name, 10 of the 16 cats displayed a constellation of behaviors suggesting increased attention. Cats showed more interest when they heard their owner speak in a tone usually used to address their cat, but not when a stranger used this tone, or when their owner spoke the same sentence as if addressing a human.
There is mounting evidence that one-to-one relationships are important for cats and humans. The idea that cats are attached to their owners is supported by the fact that they only react to their owner.
Potentially, the relationship works both ways, as cats have been observed to purr differently when trying to solicit food from their owners, compared with, for example, when they are being stroked. The fact that cats show a greater reaction when their humans specifically address them brings a new aspect to the relationship.
Although it's not surprising that cats are more responsive to their owners' voices, the fact that they seem to be filters out insignificant information is interesting. A lot of human partners don't hear what the other partner is saying because they're focused on something more immediate. Although it is not so strange because one thing has meaning, and the other has less meaning, cats are also filters.
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cat owners shouldn't feel embarrassed talking to their pets in this way. She said that she talked to her cats as if they were children. It can help to reinforce the bond between cats and their owners if people admit this. They understand that we are paying attention to them.
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