A team of experts from Kyoto University in Japan carried out a study that says cats remember the names of their owners and people around them. 

They conducted a study on 48 cats who lived with at least two other pets, either at home or in a cat café.  The findings were reported in the journal Scientific Reports.

Each animal was exposed to a tape of its owner speaking the name of a cat with whom they shared their home. Then either an image of that cat or a photograph of a different cat at their house appeared on the computer screen.

When the photo did not show the cat whose name had been called, 19 cats from different families glanced at it for a longer time, which is a common behaviour when animals are surprised.

Also Read|Study: Sharing memories may enhance well-being in children

They conducted two investigations, according to The Telegraph, to discover more about cats’ cognitive abilities. Their reactions were recorded every time a name was called, whether it was a cat’s or something completely unrelated.

Also Read|Oestrogen may heighten risk of dementia in women: Study

Scientists believe that if a cat glanced at a photo for an extended period of time, it was a definite indication that the feline knew the genuine name of the photographed animal.

Also Read|Study: Carbs, sugary foods may impact oral health

“Household cats paid attention to the monitor for longer when the wrong name was called, indicating an ‘expectancy violation effect’ the researchers said in the study, which was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Another experiment had 26 cats who were shown photographs of their owners or their own. The researchers discovered that felines had a stronger bond than humans, but that they could learn their owners’ names. The researchers discovered that felines had a stronger bond than humans, but that they could learn their owners’ names.

“This study provides evidence that cats link a companion’s name and corresponding face without explicit training,” the researchers wrote in their paper.

Also Read|Study: Exercise may treat depression and diabetes induced by COVID-19

According to them, the larger the family and the longer they have been with the group, the more likely they are to remember a name.