Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga.
Cats are not generally admired for their knowledge of human language, and compared to dogs and primates, they are less responsive to our commands and pleas. Some blame this on their independent nature or ambivalence; others think that cats don’t listen to people unless they are feeding them.
Cats are smart and understand our emotions, but they’re not eager to please, and they don’t mind ignoring us when we call their names. My cat responds to a few words, including his name, and he is familiar with my body language. She’ll never learn 2,000 words like Koko, and although she’s less affectionate than my Siamese cat, she responds more when I call her.
Olga’s Understanding of English
One of the first, and undoubtedly his favorite, words he learned was “hungry.” If he is asleep, and I ask him if he is hungry, he immediately wakes up, whispers, and runs to me. He’s rarely asleep at dinner time, but the few times he is, I try it and I’m surprised at how quickly he reacts.
He understands what “no” means, but most of the time, he doesn’t care about the meaning and keeps ripping the blinds, scratching the recliner, or shredding the toilet paper. He would walk away for a moment and give me an irritated look, but he wouldn’t stop destroying unless I approached him. I don’t often yell at him when he strays, and if I do, he doesn’t get too upset.
Unlike my old cat, Olga does not hold grudges and is not afraid of loud voices. She seems to understand “good girl” because she calls her tail when I say it but doesn’t respond to “bad girl!” Because he is slow to move his head when I close the back door, I have to say, “Move,” and he usually avoids it.
Discipline Using Lectures
That’s the extent of his language skills, and I don’t think most cat owners expect their pets to respond with many words or phrases. However, I know a few who think that disciplining their pets by teaching them for a few minutes is beneficial. No, and I’ve only seen it work in movies because cats and dogs respond better to words or short phrases than to paragraphs and essays.
It’s entertaining to watch them explain to their cats that their behavior is inappropriate, they won’t get any treats if they keep acting up, and they’re disappointed in them. Lassie and other fictional heroes can understand compound sentences, and you may have seen a movie or show where an injured or trapped character gives complex instructions to an animal. The dog or cat runs for miles in search of rescuers or someone to defuse the bomb.
Having a super smart pet that understands everything you say may sound appealing, but I’m glad Olga only knows a few words. He won’t be happy if he listens to me talk to other people about him. He will know when I leave the country, take him to the vet, or switch his wet food to a different brand.
This article is part of a series by Christopher and Olga.
