Cat's don't know their names yet...any help?

Okay, so i've had my male cat, Zoe, for about ten months already, and i've had my female cat, Haliey, for about five or six months. Not sure if its a problem, but they don't seem to know their names, either that, or they just ignore me. When i call either one of them, they just continue to do what they're doing, which is usually laying around, haha. At meal times, i'll call for them if they're in the other room, "Haliey, Zoe, Food!" i'd yell lots of times, but they don't come. So I'd just go grab which ever one is more accessible and bring them to the food, the other follows, and they eat. So basicly they don't know their names. Is there anything i can do to teach them their names? if you need more info, ask and i'll letcha know. thanks for any help.

I'm assuming that you know that they can actually hear? Also, I was thinking that maybe their names are too similar sounding to them, and maybe they can't tell who you're calling. It seems really odd that they don't know their names. I know my cats do...

oh, they can hear. we have their feathery and stringy toys that we don't want them to play with unsupervised in their specail cat drawer in the kitchen. And theirs a bunch of toys and stuff in there with bells, so when we open it, it makes a bunch of noise. and when they hear that noise, they come running ready to play.
I guess the names do sound familer, but we don't call Zoe so, we usually, almost always, call him Zo. but that could be the reason. i dont know.

my cats name is trisha but answers to heyu come here!!
i can say trisha( the name the people at the APL gave her) all day long and she will never even move.

i will say hey u, and she will pick up her head and meow at me.
so i guess her name is now hey u.

but it could would be cause i always would say stuff, hey what are you doing things like that when playing with her so now she thinks that is name? hehe but it takes time i think before they will respond. I only ever had one kitty what would come when called. no matter where in the house she was. the rest i had just kinda think about it

Oh heck all 8 of mine know there names That's why I named the last 3 Ziggy, Zazzy, and Zinger I just call the the 3 Zs, basically they do know there names quit well, sometimes they don't act like it Unless I say "LOOK WHAT MOM'S GOT" then they hear really well

Animals don't know names, they know sounds. With that in mind it's always better to pick a name that has strong emphasis on certain parts of the name.]

I agree with the poster that said the names sound too similar and they probably don't know who you are calling.

Zoe and Hailey both end in a strong emphasis of "EEE".

My 2 cats know their names quite well too. Chynna (strong emphasis on the CH and NA"), and Abby (strong emphasis on the "EEE").

haha, theimp98, i think i'll try that. I guess it all depends on the cat(s) themselves. I'll keep trying and if they don't make an improvement i'll think about chaning one of their names, maybe. thanks for the advice people.

Are they white cats? Possible deaf? While cats a lot of time ignore us, if your's are doing this ALL the time, I suspect some sort of deafness. Do they look up at you when you speak?

If they are not deaf, then perhaps they don't like the name you chose - try some different sounding names and see if they respond to something else.

i don't think Wonton knows his name. However, he responds if i make a lip smacking noise (you know that noise you make to call cats - i'm assuming ppl here know what i'm talking about ), and he also comes if i call "here boo boo...come here!". so...whatever works

it's possibly because they're young still, that they don't respond to their names yet. it might just take some more time... i also agree with what natalie_ca said.

All of my cats know their names but that does not mean they come when I call them.

Jasper and Igor will come running if I even whisper their names

Gizmo barely raises an eyebrow

Moochie may or may not come depends on his mood

Button will always come to my daughter but rarely to me

Uno will come 90% of the time

Charmin is everybodys best friend and will come to anybody that calls her. But she favors my son and he gets her attention 100% of the time

My three kittens are starting to know their names but if they are in full play mode they completly ignore me

I think it really depends on the cat. Remember they own us. Do you come when they call? LOL

Cats might not come when you call their name (I know mine usually don't), but try to look for any signs that they recognize the name (ears perk up, they look at you, etc.) That might help.

heeh ok, i thought i would test something when i got home from work.,

so i am sitting here playing a game on the computer kitty is watching the bird tv( i just have the window open so she can bird watch better) i said her name trisha like 4 times and no respone at all.

i then said hey u.. and she went oh uh!(at least it sounds like that) then turned around and come to the end of the desk near me.. so i give her a little pet on the head, and she goes back to watching the birds,..

soo i guess its offical, she thinks her name is hey u.

I think they know their names just fine.

I just think they don't care whether you're calling them or not.

Every time I feed I use a distinctive, high pitched sound and they have become habituated to responding to it. I began this with a hope towards developing a system whereby they would respond if they ever accidently got outside and I do think it would work.

I use their names also, and I think they know them really well. But that doesn't mean I will get any kind of reaction when I call them.
They're still cats.

Neo will sometimes respond to his name, but Sapphire doesn't react to any particular word. She responds to the lip smacking thing sometimes. If it weren't for that, I'd worry she was deaf.

all great advice. thanks guys.

Cats simply come if you're offering something better than they are doing...

My Lovey always comes to me calling him and to the sound of the sandwich meat bag being opened

Rocky comes when he wants to or when BF calls him usually....

i'm guessing that your cat's know their names....they just don't feel like answering to them.

all my babies (except Elly, she's only had her name for 2 weeks) know their names. whether they respond to them is a different story. example: Chloe completely ignores me when i'm barking her name to get her to stop clawing the couch, but at breakfast all i have to to is say her name in a normal voice and she's there like a shot. it's the old 'what's in it for me' game.

that's my experience, anyway.

She just thinks "Heyu" is a better sounding name then Trisha....lol

Evan my fish know there names ..lol... and they come when called ...

Zoey comes when called

Kandie acknowledges someone said hers

Gigi is the one with issues..lol and she is a dog