Cat Recapitulation—Part 1

Once again I return to the subject of domestic cats and their connections to humans, as compared to dogs. As I've written before, there are cat people and there are dog people. Each type tends to be predisposed to the characteristics of either canines or felines, and often glare at each other across a wide divide—something akin to Democrats and Republicans, or right wing versus left wing. The political polarization dominating American politics is reflected in the often antagonistic divide among cat and dog lovers.

I wish not to occupy either extreme position here, and will once again declare that I've enjoyed the companionship of both kinds of critters, but I will confess to relating more closely—in the sense of bonding—with dogs, than cats. That's a full disclosure statement—just to be forthright in my feelings, but also to concede to a cousin of mine that, yes, I favor dogs a wee bit, but also appreciate the unique qualities of cats (though my cat feelings are a little subservient to my dog sentiments).

So, with that disclaimer introduction, let me pass on to readers three recent articles about cats—that come from very reputable journalistic sources (two of them from National Public Radio, an honorable source of news and information); all three of which take a close look at the qualities of cats, relative to dogs.

One article summarized the results of a meticulously-planned Japanese experiment that examined to what degree cats are able (or inclined) to recognize their name. It is well known that dogs quickly learn, are attentive to, and readily respond to their name. Speak a dog's name and it is fully heedful of your next utterance. Most people, however, would not expect a cat to be as responsive. That's why the Japanese researchers wished to explore the issue more deeply.

Well, right out of the starting gate, Japanese cats did not do well. Felines who were invited into the lab seemingly were oblivious to the sound of their name. Undaunted, the Japanese researchers reasoned that a more trustworthy test would be to go into the homes of the cats, where they'd be more likely to respond, while in their comfortable habitat. The human experimenters found that cats, in their own home, do sometimes react to their name, by twitching their ears or moving their heads. Unlike dogs, however, who wag their tails and tend to respond with love, cats showed little more reaction than that twitch.

The Japanese experimenters felt that they'd demonstrated cats may indeed recognize their name, but the question arises, do they really identify with it, or do they simply associate the word with food or getting petted? A noted animal expert in a university in Budapest—not associated with the experiment—noted that humans began to train dogs much longer ago than they tried to do so with cats, so maybe that time difference may account for some of the divergence?

More on cat responses next time...