Cats are often seen as aloof. Yet, a groundbreaking study reveals they may be more tuned into human language than we thought. Research led by cognitive scientist Saho Takagi from Abazu University in Japan shows that cats can associate words with specific objects or images faster than human babies. This marks a significant step in our understanding of feline intelligence.
Earlier research has established that cats can follow human pointing. They can recognize their own name, and even discern who is in charge of their food. But until now, it was unclear if cats could learn other human words like dogs do.
Takagi’s new study set out to explore this by testing whether cats can associate spoken words with images, an ability earlier studied in 14-month-old babies. According to Takagi, these findings show that cats might be “hard-wired” to learn human language.
THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
The researchers tested 31 adult pet cats through a simple experiment. It involved playing the caregiver’s voice over an audio track. The track included made-up words, while the cats watched short cartoon animations. Two animations were used: a unicorn-like creature and an expanding red-faced sun. For each, the cats’ caregivers used distinct, invented words – ‘keraru’ for the unicorn and ‘parumo’ for the sun.
The experiment involved showing the cats the animations four times, pairing the word with the image. When the audio and image matched, the cats seemed to lose interest after a few rounds. Yet, when the researchers switched the audio so it no longer matched the image, the cats spent 33% more time staring at the screen. They showed signs of confusion or curiosity.
CATS OUTPACING BABIES?
While this study’s results are impressive, the comparison to human babies isn’t straightforward. In the 1990s study on 14-month-old babies, infants were shown only one-syllable words. These words were spoken by unfamiliar voices. In contrast, the cats in this study heard three-syllable words spoken by their caregivers.
Despite these differences, the study shows that cats can learn picture-word associations quickly. They do this after just a few repetitions. This suggests that they might be quicker than human infants in certain aspects of language learning.
WHAT THIS STUDY MEANS FOR FELINE COGNITION
This study challenges traditional views of feline intelligence, revealing that cats pay more attention to human speech than earlier believed. Some cats even had dilated pupils when the audio mismatched the image, indicating heightened attention.
According to the authors, this research opens up new possibilities for understanding how animals, including cats, process human language. It also highlights the complexity of communication across different species.
FUTURE RESEARCH
The study’s authors hope to explore whether other animals share this ability. They want to see if animals can associate human words with objects, or if this skill is unique to cats. Further research could offer deeper insights into the cognitive abilities of animals. It could show us how they interact with humans in ways we’ve yet to fully grasp.
