they only listen when you talk to them

Cats are known to be independent and thankless creatures. As the “owner”, you sometimes feel like the emperor’s lackey. But is this really the case? Cats seem to have more empathy than thought.

They can distinguish between the interesting speech addressed to them and the endless chatter of people among themselves. And then they also hear the difference between the text messages of their carer and those of strangers. The cat thus filters the communication and is only interested in the voice of its owner if it is addressed to him. The domestic cat is not only interested in food-related texts. It is a clear sign of the strong bond between the domestic cat and the guardian.

Pitch and intonation
The pitch and intonation of human speech can vary widely. For example, people often speak in a higher pitch towards babies and pets. Previous studies have shown that the pitch of human speech changes when pointed at cats, but less is known about how cats react to this. A small French study on the reactions of sixteen cats to the pre-recorded voices of their owners and complete strangers should clarify this.

Charlotte de Mouzon and her colleagues at the University of Paris Nanterre wanted to know how cats react when they hear their owner talking to them on the tape recorder and compare this with the spoken texts of their carer to adults. The reaction of the cat to the voice of strangers towards cats and humans was also analyzed.

baby cats
“When talking to cats, humans tend to use a higher pitch, which is very similar to how humans talk to babies, although the characteristics of cat-led speech tend to be less spoken than features of baby-centered speech. We usually do this unconsciously and it probably has to do with providing care and attracting attention,” explains Charlotte de Mouzon. Scientias.nl.

She continues, “Cats have long been seen as independent, ungrateful creatures who don’t care about their owners. However, they are quite capable of forming and maintaining strong bonds with their human guardians. The fact that they react to the specific way we talk to them – and not just when we offer food – implies that we are more than just providers of food. We are a central part of their social environment.

Most cats showed a decrease in behavioral intensity when they heard audio clips with a stranger’s voice calling their name. Upon hearing their owner’s voice, they suddenly became more alert. They turned their ears to the speakers, moved further around the room, and their pupils dilated as they heard their name spoken by their caretaker. The team concludes from these findings that cats develop a one-to-one relationship with their owners and enjoy a strong bond.

Cats are ignorant
“This is the first time a study has shown that cats can distinguish between human speech directed specifically at them and speech directed at other people. It was surprising to see that cats had little or no response to strangers talking to them in cat-directed voices. The cat only listens to the voice of the cat’s guardian(s), and only when the owner is talking to the cat. So very selective,” says De Mouzon at scientists.

“These findings give a new dimension to the interpretation of the relationship between humans and cats. This bond is strong, as evidenced by the way humans and cats interact with each other. We live in a society where pets are now part of the family. Many people consider their non-human companions to be members of their family and sometimes even their children. For this reason, it is interesting to understand human-pet relationships and to study the underlying mechanisms. If we understand this relationship better, we can also pay extra attention to promoting animal welfare,” concludes De Mouzon.