Cats know when you’re talking to them – but don’t listen to strangers

CATS know when owners are talking to them, a study reveals — but do not listen to strangers.

The pets were found to become active and excited by their owner’s “cat voice”, which may be similar to baby talk.

But they did not stir when a stranger said their name.

Nor did they respond when their owners talked to other people in normal voices.

It suggests cats cannot ­recognise words they hear in an unfamiliar voice or spoken in an unfamiliar tone.

Researcher Charlotte de Mouzon said: “Our results highlight the importance of one-to-one relationships for cats.

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“They do not seem to generalise the communication developed with one human to all humans.”

Cats are the most ­popular pets in Britain, with 11 million pets across the country and at least one in a quarter of homes.

Ms de Mouzon, from Paris Nanterre University, studied 16 cats’ reactions to different people talking.

She found people changed their speech depending on whether it was directed at people or cats.

Cat chat is like baby speak where the words are shorter, repeated more often and spoken in a higher pitch.

Ten out of 16 cats in the study did not respond to a stranger saying their name.

But when their owners called, the animals turned their ears, walked around and their pupils dilated — all signs of excitement.

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And ten out of 16 did not react to their owner’s voice when it was directed at an adult — but were fired up if they used cat-speak.

Writing in Animal Insights, Ms de Mouzon said: “It shows cats — not so long ago considered independent and ungrateful creatures — are capable of creating and fostering bonds with humans.”