PSA: I looked up how many words my cat actually understands and the number was way lower than I expected

I was reading a study from the University of Tokyo that said most house cats only reliably respond to about 20 to 40 distinct words or sounds, which is a lot less than the full conversations I thought we were having. My cat, Beans, proved this today by completely ignoring 'dinner' but sprinting to the kitchen at the sound of the can opener, which wasn't even for him. Does anyone else's pet have a very specific, non-verbal trigger that gets them moving?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark_hayes14d ago

Yeah, that tracks. My cat has maybe three words she actually knows, and they're all food related. The real language is in the sounds. The specific crinkle of a treat bag from two rooms away gets a faster response than her actual name. She also knows the exact squeak of my office chair when I get up, which apparently means 'maybe about to feed you'.

victorhill14d ago

That specific crinkle of a treat bag is a universal cat language.

scott.jana5d ago

Can you hear the fridge door open too?