Mary Allen
Dogs (in most cases) listen to their owners when called. Cats, on the other hand, often ignore the calls of their owners. But why is that? Does that really mean your feline friend doesn’t like you? Learn more here.
First things first, your cat is unlikely to be ignoring you because she doesn’t like you. Your velvet paw recognizes you by your voice and also hears your call – but nevertheless consciously decides against reacting or even coming to you. What initially sounds illogical explains the story of the cats.
Cats Deliberately Ignore Their Owners
A study by the University of Tokyo shows that domestic cats can hear the calls of their owners and distinguish them from other voices. At the same time, however, the whiskered noses often make a conscious decision to ignore these calls. If you have a particularly good relationship with your cat, there is a greater chance of a reaction – some cats will react by meowing, for example, or even run to the owner.
Don’t Take Offense at the Lack of a Response
But don’t worry – the lack of reaction from the kitty is not based on the fact that it has a problem with you. The whole thing has a completely different background: Historically, cats were simply never trained to respond to calls. Not so with dogs, which have been trained for centuries to obey calls and commands.
It is best to see the positive side of this cat behavior: If your velvet paw actually reacts when you call it – maybe even runs to you – then that is a particularly great reward. Basically, you should take your cat as it is and never be disappointed or sad if it doesn’t obey you. Nature just hasn’t planned it yet.