All the internet is recently aflutter over the question of whether or not cats

[conuly]

(or your own cat, specifically) recognize the names the humans give to them. Many people have opined on the topic of animals that know their names, but don't come when called.

Rarely is the question asked: Do you recognize the name your cat has given to you? And if you recognize it, but sometimes ignore it, should you feel bad?

*******

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Comments

[archangelbeth]

Dickens, part Siamese, taught Ivan how to talk, and they would talk to each other. (Ivan would also scruff Dickens, in a May-December neutered romance...) Sadly, Ivan was lost to cancer, and now Dickens... just yells, when he's lonely. Humans sometimes work as attention, but often not... quite.

It's really kind of sad. O:(

If he has a mouse and it's still alive, he will often come when I call for Mighty Hunters, because I trade live mice for gooshy food. (And eject the mouse.) He once sped into where I was and nearly dropped the rodent on my foot!

Friskie has yells for what she wants, which is mostly food or petting, and the pitch for how much she thinks we're not getting the message.

From Friskie (Dickens' mom) and Dickens, even though they dislike/hate Flicker and she views them as targets (Dickens less-so now; he fights back and truce seems to be lasting longer)... Anyway, Flicker learned how to talk. So now she goes "Urrrrr? Murrrrr? Oooowwrh!" for food and often for petting, and if I pick her up, she whines, "Nuuuuuur!" and wants down.

She also taps people with a paw if they're not petting her and she wants pettings.

[conuly]

She also taps people with a paw if they're not petting her and she wants pettings.

She's trying to show you what to do. Callie does that too.

[archangelbeth]

Choplicker would do it as well. Flicker wants to walk around while being petted, 90% of the time, which is a bit... Well, it goes "shiv-paw," then I pet, then she wanders away again, comes back, waves her paw or strokes me with it, lather, rinse, repeat.