Here is How Cats Process Human Words

A study has revealed that cats can process human words through associations.

The research, conducted by Azabu University, builds on earlier studies suggesting that cats can recognize not only their names but also the faces of familiar people. This latest finding shows that cats understand more of what we say to them than previously thought. They process human words by associating them with images.

Human words are stored in a cat’s brain along with images

Researchers conducted an experiment with 31 adult house cats to assess whether they could link spoken words to images on a screen. Each cat took part in a simple word-and-image association test, similar to those used to measure language comprehension in human infants. The cats were shown short animations accompanied by nonsense words.

Each cat watched two animations, one associated with the word “keraru” and the other with “parumo.” The videos were repeated until the cats looked away. After a break, the animations were shown again, but this time with the words switched.

While the cats watched the videos, researchers analyzed their reactions. They observed that the cats stared at the screen longer when they heard the words played in reverse order compared to the original association.

Some cats even had dilated pupils, a classic sign of confusion and focus. These reactions indicated that the cats were trying to understand the change, proving that they had associated the original words with the correct images.

A discovery that could open new doors

The fact that cats can associate words with objects in their environment is significant in multiple ways. It could improve our relationships with our pets, allow for the development of new training methods that make everyday activities easier, and pave the way for further research.

In the future, researchers may conduct similar studies on more household pets, potentially reshaping how we communicate with other species. For now, it’s clear that cats are more than just passive observers in our homes. In fact, they might be more connected to us than we ever imagined.