September 26, 2025, 2:56 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Unlike dogs, cats don’t always come running when you call their name. But why is that? Are they not as intelligent as dogs and don’t understand that the word is their name? Or does the cat intentionally ignore my calls and therefore not respond?
Many cat owners know the following situation: You call the cat desperately. Where could she be? Horrifying visions run through your mind. You look under the bed, under the sofa, in the closets, and suddenly–there she is! She looks at you in surprise. Did she sleep so soundly that she didn’t hear the desperate calls? Or did the cat really ignore me on purpose? A study provides clear answers.
Overview
Cats recognize their names
A team of Japanese researchers found that cats understand human language better than one might assume. In their study, they examined 16 cats living in pairs in a household or a cat café. The researchers played each cat a recording of their owner’s voice and another person’s voice. Each recording contained four nouns or the names of other cats, followed by the cat’s own name. The nouns used sounded similar to the cats’ names. While playing the recordings, the researchers observed the cats’ reactions, such as movements of the head, ears, and tail.1
The cats did not visibly react to the nouns. However, when they heard their names, many of them twitched their ears and heads. Although these reactions were rather subtle, the researchers interpreted this as a sign that the cats could clearly distinguish or recognize their names from the other words in the recording. Additionally, the cats could differentiate their own names from those of their feline housemates.
Also interesting: Cats recognize their humans by voice
Cats consciously choose not to respond
Cats know exactly when they are being called. But instead of coming running joyfully, they sometimes respond only with a twitch of the ears or tail. The animal might even consider for a moment whether to come but then decides to ignore the calls. Perhaps because the cat is currently occupied with something else. The question “Does my cat intentionally ignore me when I call her?” can be clearly answered with “Yes, she does!”
Why does my cat ignore me?
The reasons why my cat ignores me could be the following:
- The cat is currently not interested in interacting with her humans
- The animal is having too much fun with another activity (perhaps she’s playing with a fellow cat or watching a bird intently)
- The cat is lying in her cozy spot and would rather continue dozing
In summary, one could say: The cat either sees no need to come or weighs whether it’s worth interrupting her current behavior, like sleeping, hunting, or playing. Cats especially don’t come when we call them outside of their usual feeding times. Because with the prospect of food, most cats are happy to be at the bowl five minutes early. At these times, it’s worth it for the cat to come.
If we call our cat outside of these times because we want to know where she is or need to take her to the vet, the cat might come out of her hiding place the first time. But she quickly learns that it doesn’t necessarily benefit her. Even if we call the cat for cuddling, it may not be successful. While dogs almost always come joyfully at the call of their name, cats think twice about whether to interrupt their activity for a few strokes.
How can I get my cat to stop ignoring me?
Try luring your cat with her favorite food when calling her. This usually increases the likelihood that the cat will come. It’s important to actually give the cat some of the food as a reward afterward–even outside of regular feeding times. Or engage her in a wild game, as this can also increase many cats’ motivation to come to their humans.
However, there is no guarantee of success. While dogs are almost always up for a tasty treat or a fun game, this is very mood-dependent for cats. So it may be that the cat prefers to continue sleeping despite the announcement of her favorite food. Cats have their own minds.
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13 Signs Your Cat Might Not Like You
Sources
- Saito, A., Shinozuka, K., Ito, Y., Hasegawa, T. (2019) Domestic cats (Felis catus) discriminate their names from other words. Sci Rep 9, 5394 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-40616-4
Additional Sources
- cvets.net, “New Research Shows Your Cat May Be Ignoring You” (accessed on 1/16/2023)