What words does your cat know?

matts mom · Aug 24, 2013

So I'm getting supper ready last night and I call out " c'mon boys" and they both come running for dinner. a little while ago, little one(the kitten) was all around my feet meowing plaintively and I say " what is it? Are you hungry? Do you want food?" and the words 'hungry' and 'food' draw pathetic mews from him. So that's three I count from the 11 week old kitten(not counting his name)

I'm curious...what words do your cats know?

cassiopea · Aug 24, 2013

They both understand their names, and when I call either of them with "Morgana" or "Camelot", said cat would come right away, wherever I am in the house or room. Even just to look at me if they are sitting close by. I could be talking with someone else, where they don't pay heed, but if I say their name amidst all the other human chatter going on, they look, turn and come over.

They also both highly comprehend "Din Din" or "Nom Nom's" (Not a suprise here!

)

Camelot seems to understand "Kissies" if I ask or comment, and will immediately lick my cheek.

Morgana comprehends "Fais Do-do" "Do-do time" "Bed time" and she knows I'm on my way upstairs to go to bed, either walks with me or scatters up ahead, and right away crawls in with me to snuggle.

They both seem to get "Poopies" "Potty" "Play" "Chase"

There might be more, just have to pay attention to myself and them to completely recall!

blueyedgirl5946 · Aug 25, 2013

They know their names and "let's eat". Speedboat knew "kiss mama" because when I told him that he gave me nips on the chin. Max knew "I am going to hide from you" because I taught him to play hide and seek. I can't think of anymore right now.

dejolane · Aug 25, 2013

Hungry, and they also know the sound of the can opener.

cccdlx · Aug 25, 2013

I have 8 and I would swear they understand almost everything I say when I talk to them. I love the eye contact and attentiveness.

Mostly they understand commands like 'knock it off' when they are getting hissy with each other. 'Get off' for counter top infractions. 'Stay', usually keeps them out of a room, but not the bathroom. 'No' for numerous occasions of course, even when I go to the kitchen and it's not clock time to feed them. Clock time is sooo different from kitty time. My favorite has to be 'it's OK' when they are asking for permission to tread on me. Some don't ask though, so a sharp little 'ouch' is often followed by an apologetic look and sweet snuggle/purr session.

catbythesea · Aug 25, 2013

Brenna knows: "Brenna," "Paws down," "Kitty kitty" (means come here in this household), "No!" and "Go to your spot" (as long as I'm carrying her food bowl), and probably also, "Good girl! Good kitty!" Oh, and also also, "play." We've had her about 4 months now, so I'd say we've only started teaching her. Hopefully she'll learn a lot more with time!

Warbear knows: "Warbear," "Warbear, no!" "Good girl! Good kitty!" and "Ouch!" (Ouch is for when she puts teeth or claws on us, even if it doesn't hurt, as a reminder not to do that.) She's a kitten, so not as much has sunk in yet for her.

Our foster, Peanut, seems to know: "Peanut," and "tap tap tap," which is the noise we make with our knuckles on the floor to let her know her food is available. She's fairly blind, so we try to give her extra verbal and environmental cues about what's going on. We've had her with us since July, so almost 2 months. Probably over time she'll learn more specific words.

cccdlx · Aug 25, 2013

HA HA!!! CatByTheSea You don't teach them, They train you. They often refuse to obey until you give them the command they want to hear. Very simple..'Dogs have owners...Cats have Staff', you just have to figure what they want you to do.

wildhoneybee · Aug 25, 2013

My mothers cat knows 'Teddy, bed' for when he has to go into his bed in the utility room so that we can set the alarm when we are going out. (Not as bad as it sounds - his cat flap is also in there so he can go out if he wants).

My cats are Dutch and just sit and look at me like I'm crazy when I talk to them - I guess they'll learn some English in time!

mservant · Aug 25, 2013

I believe Mouse knows his name and various nick names I use but chooses whether or not to respond.

It's hard to tell with him as he is pretty good at communicating what he wants, and if he isn't interested in what I'm saying he just ignores it. Words like 'snack', 'fish', 'tooth time' and nomanom' will tend to get a consistent response though it could just be the rattle of tins or tubs that he picks up on.

'No' and 'Ouch' are definitely understood and responded to, if not immediately then after a 'cheeky look'.

I think he also understands 'bird', 'fetch' and 'hide' . He would go to his favourite bird toy if I said bird when he was little- and would bring back for me to throw again if I said 'fetch'. As he got wise he realized I'd go and pick it up - once he'd trained me to be his slave.. He will start playing hide and seek in response to hide although he initiates it more often. None of these are 100% as he does only respond when he wants.... Mostly he tells me what to do!

On the whole a lot of his responses are probably more attributed to the non verbal communication and voice tone rather than the actual words, and he does seem to know when I'm saying his name / talking about Mouse or talking about mouse/mice which is pretty impressive!

I swear he can tell when I'm on the phone to the vet which is weird!

dejolane · Aug 25, 2013

Mousey. I threw the toy mouse and I told Thunder to find it,and she did.

nurseangel · Aug 25, 2013

They know their names, as well as each other's names. Daisy knows her multitude of nicknames. They know "no" but pretend they have no idea what that word means.

Daisy and Speck know "kiss-kiss". Speck knows "chin". "Look at Speck's beautiful chin," I say. Then he will raise his head so that his chin can be scratched.

A little off topic, but since DH has changed shifts at work, I have become a clock-watcher. I know Daisy can't tell time, but she will start looking at the clock, too, approximately 30 minutes before he arrives home. Then as it gets closer to time for him to arrive, both cats will gravitate toward the door and wait on him.

catpack · Aug 26, 2013

My crew knows: eat, play, sit, feather, bird, chipmunk (one comes to visit daily,) bed, stop, let's go and down as well as their name and others in the house.

In addition, Max knows stay, high-five, jump, circle and shake/paw. He gets bored easily and is very food driven; so, I teach him new "tricks" ever so often. =)

catbythesea · Aug 26, 2013

cccdlx said:
HA HA!!! CatByTheSea You don't teach them, They train you. They often refuse to obey until you give them the command they want to hear. Very simple..'Dogs have owners...Cats have Staff', you just have to figure what they want you to do.

Brenna is extremely smart. She tells me what she wants, and we compromise on how she asks for it. See, we both want the same thing - happy Brenna, and happy CatByTheSea Household. So, I teach her ways to ask for things that get both of us what we want. You can call that training, teaching, compromising, learning, whatever. I wouldn't call it "obeying," though. It's more about communicating and developing a good relationship. It goes both ways, or it's not working. So, yes, she's telling me what she wants and needs from me. I'm also telling her what I want and need from her. It's only fair. And it works great... she's a very polite and confidant kitty, and while she knows that she can get me to do things for her, I know that I can get her to do things for me, too. I take care of her by feeding her when she is hungry, and she takes care of me by keeping her paws off the counter while she watches me get her food out, for example.

blueyedgirl5946 · Aug 26, 2013

Thinking about my Rainbow Bridge cat, Speedboat, I am not sure how many words he understood. What I do know is no matter what anyone said to him, he always talked back.:nod:

mservant · Aug 26, 2013

CatByTheSea said:
Brenna is extremely smart. She tells me what she wants, and we compromise on how she asks for it. See, we both want the same thing - happy Brenna, and happy CatByTheSea Household. So, I teach her ways to ask for things that get both of us what we want. You can call that training, teaching, compromising, learning, whatever. I wouldn't call it "obeying," though. It's more about communicating and developing a good relationship. It goes both ways, or it's not working. So, yes, she's telling me what she wants and needs from me. I'm also telling her what I want and need from her. It's only fair. And it works great... she's a very polite and confidant kitty, and while she knows that she can get me to do things for her, I know that I can get her to do things for me, too. I take care of her by feeding her when she is hungry, and she takes care of me by keeping her paws off the counter while she watches me get her food out, for example.

Thank you CatByTheSea, this is so well explained and feels just right for how this home works too - I hope.

sez2929 · Aug 26, 2013

I think they recognise a lot. I train my cats to understand hand signals (they always get rewarded for good behaviour) but a lot of the time they recognise tone of voice more than the word itself.

Winchester · Aug 27, 2013

Every cat in the house knows his or her name and, most of the time, if I call a cat, he or she will come to me. Except for BooBoo, who is deaf. And he knows sign language; he and I have been working on some signs that he can understand. If he's sleeping and doesn't hear the thunder of the herd as they rush to the kitchen for a meal, I'll go looking for him. I awaken him, then gently put my hands together three times; then I crook my finger to say, "C'mon, buddy." And he'll get up and head out to the kitchen with me. He knows that showing him my fist means that he needs to come sit in my lap and rub his muzzle against my fist. He purrs the entire time. He and I are working on some other hand signals, too; he can't hear, so we look for other ways to communicate.

If he's lying on the back of the couch (a favorite spot) and he thinks I'm working on providing a snack, but he's not sure, he won't waste the energy to come out to the kitchen.....he might be wrong and that doesn't get him anywhere. So a lot of times, he'll perk up, but he'll wait til I come into the living room. Til I've got 2 hand presses done, he's off the couch and heading for the kitchen. He can't hear, so he's dependent on my hands sometimes.

BooBoo has taught me that when he comes into the bathroom and sits on the toilet, I am to pick him up and Bounce with him. We Bounce for as long as 10 minutes sometimes; if it's not long enough to suit him, he comes back into the bathroom and we do it again. Bouncing is simply me throwing him over my left shoulder and bouncing him while I sing a very silly song to him while we're walking through the house. He can't hear the song anymore, but he can probably feel the vibrations from my singing. He plays with my hair and purrs away. He will be 18 years old, so any time he wants to Bounce, we Bounce.

For the rest of the gang:

No - I think every animal soon learns what NO means...not that they care.

Lunch - Do NOT say Lunch in my house unless you are really, really serious. It can get ugly; they know what that word means

Dinner - See above

Really?!!! - When Tabby was a kitten, she was always hungry. It got to the point where she'd come to me for a snack and I'd say "Really?!!!" And she started to associate that with food. So all I have to do is say "Really?!!!" and she comes running to the kitchen.

Are you ready? - Meaning "Are you ready for lunch or dinner?" That's a Mollipop thing. Same as "Really?!!!" for Tabby.

Treat! - That's how I count cats when somebody is missing. I say "Treat!" and all cats come running. That way, I can count heads and make sure everybody is present. (It can get ugly when somebody in the house is talking about Trick or Treating at Halloween. Doesn't matter how you say it; they know that Treat means a treat. Even if I'm talking on the phone and I say the word, ears will prick and eyes will get big. They can always hope.

Right before Mollipop settles down with me in bed at night, she'll lean her face up to mine. I'll pucker my lips and she will lean in and just barely touch her mouth to my nose. Just barely. Then she gives a big sigh, cuddles into my arm and drops off to sleep. Every night like clockwork.

matts mom · Aug 27, 2013

blueyedgirl5946 said:
Thinking about my Rainbow Bridge cat, Speedboat, I am not sure how many words he understood. What I do know is no matter what anyone said to him, he always talked back.

That's like my Sassy cat...She's also crossed now, but we used to talk every morning, and if I passed by the room she was in, she'd greet me with Mow-row(two-toned musical meow). I could never pass by my black Beautiful lady without a greeting

nurseangel said:
They know their names, as well as each other's names. Daisy knows her multitude of nicknames. They know "no" but pretend they have no idea what that word means.

Daisy and Speck know "kiss-kiss". Speck knows "chin". "Look at Speck's beautiful chin," I say. Then he will raise his head so that his chin can be scratched.

A little off topic, but since DH has changed shifts at work, I have become a clock-watcher. I know Daisy can't tell time, but she will start looking at the clock, too, approximately 30 minutes before he arrives home. Then as it gets closer to time for him to arrive, both cats will gravitate toward the door and wait on him.

Matt watches for my hubby to come home, too

I'm sure they know the time-frame that our spouse goes to work for.....

Winchester said:
Every cat in the house knows his or her name and, most of the time, if I call a cat, he or she will come to me. Except for BooBoo, who is deaf. And he knows sign language; he and I have been working on some signs that he can understand. If he's sleeping and doesn't hear the thunder of the herd as they rush to the kitchen for a meal, I'll go looking for him. I awaken him, then gently put my hands together three times; then I crook my finger to say, "C'mon, buddy." And he'll get up and head out to the kitchen with me. He knows that showing him my fist means that he needs to come sit in my lap and rub his muzzle against my fist. He purrs the entire time. He and I are working on some other hand signals, too; he can't hear, so we look for other ways to communicate.

If he's lying on the back of the couch (a favorite spot) and he thinks I'm working on providing a snack, but he's not sure, he won't waste the energy to come out to the kitchen.....he might be wrong and that doesn't get him anywhere. So a lot of times, he'll perk up, but he'll wait til I come into the living room. Til I've got 2 hand presses done, he's off the couch and heading for the kitchen. He can't hear, so he's dependent on my hands sometimes.

BooBoo has taught me that when he comes into the bathroom and sits on the toilet, I am to pick him up and Bounce with him. We Bounce for as long as 10 minutes sometimes; if it's not long enough to suit him, he comes back into the bathroom and we do it again. Bouncing is simply me throwing him over my left shoulder and bouncing him while I sing a very silly song to him while we're walking through the house. He can't hear the song anymore, but he can probably feel the vibrations from my singing. He plays with my hair and purrs away. He will be 18 years old, so any time he wants to Bounce, we Bounce.

For the rest of the gang:

No - I think every animal soon learns what NO means...not that they care.

Lunch - Do NOT say Lunch in my house unless you are really, really serious. It can get ugly; they know what that word means

Dinner - See above

Really?!!! - When Tabby was a kitten, she was always hungry. It got to the point where she'd come to me for a snack and I'd say "Really?!!!" And she started to associate that with food. So all I have to do is say "Really?!!!" and she comes running to the kitchen.

Are you ready? - Meaning "Are you ready for lunch or dinner?" That's a Mollipop thing. Same as "Really?!!!" for Tabby.

Treat! - That's how I count cats when somebody is missing. I say "Treat!" and all cats come running. That way, I can count heads and make sure everybody is present. (It can get ugly when somebody in the house is talking about Trick or Treating at Halloween. Doesn't matter how you say it; they know that Treat means a treat. Even if I'm talking on the phone and I say the word, ears will prick and eyes will get big. They can always hope.

Right before Mollipop settles down with me in bed at night, she'll lean her face up to mine. I'll pucker my lips and she will lean in and just barely touch her mouth to my nose. Just barely. Then she gives a big sigh, cuddles into my arm and drops off to sleep. Every night like clockwork.

That's a really heartwarming response, thankyou

"Really?!" in my house usually means you're doing something impressively stupid and I have no other words to express myself

Wow, I'm getting the sense that cats can have just as much the broad vocabulary that dogs do

I come out of a dog family, and they all go on about how smart their animals are, and how many words they know....and as a result, I did not sit back and let the cats I've owned rule the house....that's the main reason I never liked cats until I had Sassy-She didn't rule, she lived with me, and talked to me, and learned the house rules

My dad, who doesn't like cats as a rule, actually likes Matt, because he's friendly and outgoing..I hope he likes the new kitten, too. Midnight's learning to be outgoing, and catch certain words now

sez2929 · Aug 27, 2013

Winchester said:
Every cat in the house knows his or her name and, most of the time, if I call a cat, he or she will come to me. Except for BooBoo, who is deaf. And he knows sign language; he and I have been working on some signs that he can understand. If he's sleeping and doesn't hear the thunder of the herd as they rush to the kitchen for a meal, I'll go looking for him. I awaken him, then gently put my hands together three times; then I crook my finger to say, "C'mon, buddy." And he'll get up and head out to the kitchen with me. He knows that showing him my fist means that he needs to come sit in my lap and rub his muzzle against my fist. He purrs the entire time. He and I are working on some other hand signals, too; he can't hear, so we look for other ways to communicate.

If he's lying on the back of the couch (a favorite spot) and he thinks I'm working on providing a snack, but he's not sure, he won't waste the energy to come out to the kitchen.....he might be wrong and that doesn't get him anywhere. So a lot of times, he'll perk up, but he'll wait til I come into the living room. Til I've got 2 hand presses done, he's off the couch and heading for the kitchen. He can't hear, so he's dependent on my hands sometimes.

BooBoo has taught me that when he comes into the bathroom and sits on the toilet, I am to pick him up and Bounce with him. We Bounce for as long as 10 minutes sometimes; if it's not long enough to suit him, he comes back into the bathroom and we do it again. Bouncing is simply me throwing him over my left shoulder and bouncing him while I sing a very silly song to him while we're walking through the house. He can't hear the song anymore, but he can probably feel the vibrations from my singing. He plays with my hair and purrs away. He will be 18 years old, so any time he wants to Bounce, we Bounce.

For the rest of the gang:

No - I think every animal soon learns what NO means...not that they care.

Lunch - Do NOT say Lunch in my house unless you are really, really serious. It can get ugly; they know what that word means

Dinner - See above

Really?!!! - When Tabby was a kitten, she was always hungry. It got to the point where she'd come to me for a snack and I'd say "Really?!!!" And she started to associate that with food. So all I have to do is say "Really?!!!" and she comes running to the kitchen.

Are you ready? - Meaning "Are you ready for lunch or dinner?" That's a Mollipop thing. Same as "Really?!!!" for Tabby.

Treat! - That's how I count cats when somebody is missing. I say "Treat!" and all cats come running. That way, I can count heads and make sure everybody is present. (It can get ugly when somebody in the house is talking about Trick or Treating at Halloween. Doesn't matter how you say it; they know that Treat means a treat. Even if I'm talking on the phone and I say the word, ears will prick and eyes will get big. They can always hope.

Right before Mollipop settles down with me in bed at night, she'll lean her face up to mine. I'll pucker my lips and she will lean in and just barely touch her mouth to my nose. Just barely. Then she gives a big sigh, cuddles into my arm and drops off to sleep. Every night like clockwork.

Oh how lovely! I like to do hand signals with my cats too, I think it gives you a really special bond with them. Reading about your bond with your deaf baby is so touching and made my day. Thank you for that

dejolane · Aug 30, 2013

Bed time rolls around and I stand at the bottom of the stairs and say, come on girls 'bedtime' and Bella & Thunder come running

What words does your cat know?

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In the kitchen with my cookies

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