Your moggy DOES know your voice... but just ignores it: Evolution means that cats have no need to pay attention to owners

Research by the University of Japan says cats are self-domesticated

This means they do not rely on instructions given by humans

Despite their independence, cats are reported to be as affectionate as dogs by their owners

Every responsible animal lover knows it’s one of the first things to teach a pet - how to respond to their own name.

But new research shows that although cats recognise their owners’ voice, they choose to ignore when they are being called because of the way the species evolved.

A new study from the University of Japan suggests that because cats are able to ‘domesticate themselves’ they haven’t relied on the human voice for instruction over the centuries.

Independent: A new study from the University of Japan suggests that because cats are able to 'domesticate themselves' they haven't relied on the human voice for instruction over the centuries

They have a reputation for being an aloof and independent species- in contrast to their canine counterparts.

And the study proves that cats are now unresponsive to their owners because they didn’t need to take notice of humans throughout the evolutionary process.



Researchers found that when owners couldn’t be seen and called to their cats by name, the pets moved their heads in the direction of the noise and pricked up their ears in response.

When the same experiment was carried out with a stranger’s voice, the cats were found to be significantly less responsive.

In both cases, they recognised the call and choose not to respond to it.

Atsuko Saito and Kazutaka Shinozuka, the researchers who led the project, said: ‘This cat–owner relationship is in contrast to that with dogs.

‘Cats do not actively respond with communicative behaviour to owners who are calling them from out of sight, even though they can distinguish their owners’ voices.’

Relationship: Historically speaking, cats, unlike dogs, have not been trained to obey a human's orders

The study tested twenty cats at home and analysed their responses to each call by measuring their movement, vocalization and eye dilation.

The reason for the cats indifference is believed to be rooted in the early domestication of the species.

‘Historically speaking, cats, unlike dogs, have not been domesticated to obey humans’ orders. Rather, they seem to take the initiative in human–cat interaction.’

Genetic analysis shows that the common ancestor of the modern housecat was Felis silvestris, a small wildcat that came into contact with humans more than 9,000 years ago.

The species is then thought to have domesticated itself without answering directly to humans.

Despite their independence, cats are reported to be as affectionate as dogs by their owners.

The study said that ‘the behavioural aspect of cats that cause their owners to become attached to them are still undetermined.