Can Cats Understand English?

Cats are wonderful creatures! They are fun, playful, inquisitive, and extremely intelligent. Sometimes, it seems like cats can follow every little thing we say.

Other times, we speak directly to our cats and they just get up and walk away. This begs the question: can cats actually understand English, or not?
​
In this article, we will attempt to answer this question, and more! So, if this is of interest to you, then read on!

​Can Cats Understand English?

​No. Cats cannot actually understand English. They cannot interpret the human language because they do not possess the cognitive skills to do so, and they do not have a human physiological structure. 

Cats can, however, understand human language, thinking of it in the same way that we would think of a cat’s meow. In other words, cats can understand sound and make themselves familiar with it. In this way, they are very similar to dogs. Like dogs, cats can understand a command after receiving it repeatedly when it is connected to an action. 

However, cats never seem to be appreciated or acknowledged for this in the way that dogs are. This may be because they are hard to read sometimes. While they may have picked up human cues, unlike dogs, they may choose to ignore them and won’t always respond in the best way

Why Does It Seem Like My Cat Can Understand Me?

There are various reasons why it seems like your cat can understand you sometimes. Let’s check them out in more detail below! 

Positive Reinforcement

Cats love positive reinforcement! If you reward them with a treat after they perform a trick or a command, then they are more likely to do it again!

Because cats can be assimilated to sounds, it is implied that they will be able to communicate in various languages provided they are assisted and taught. The same can be said for dogs!

Cats Are Able To Learn Simple Commands

Cats seem like they can understand you because they can actually learn simple commands, such as “stay” and “sit”.

However, as previously mentioned, cats find it much easier than dogs to ignore or forget commands if you do not reward them after you have followed their instructions.

Therefore, just like with dogs, it is vital to reward cats after they have listened to you. This does not only apply to English, but any language you speak! 

Additionally, according to research, cats can actually learn around fifty phrases and commands - even their own name!

Now, being able to understand fifty words in any given language may not seem like a whole lot, but this is all your cat is going to need to understand. Think “yes”, “no”, “eat”, and “food”. 

So, this means that it is important to only teach your cat the words that they are going to need. In other words, only teach them what is going to be useful to them.

Cats Respond To Meows

Did you know that cats will typically respond to meowing more than they will respond to commands given to them?

That’s right! Cats are more often to come running to you if you begin meowing more so than if you use commands in your own language. 

This is because they believe that when you meow, you are trying to communicate with them specifically.

This is especially true if they meow at you, and you meow back. A cat will eventually learn how to make the link between your meow sounds and speaking to you directly.

Cats Only Made Sounds When They Became Domesticated

That’s right! If humans and cats never created the relationship they have today, then cats would never have made any sounds at all! Cats communicate with each other more via body language, as opposed to communicating orally. 

So, this means that when a cat meows, it is mainly for the benefit of humans. This is because a cat understands that humans will respond more to oral communication than they do to body language.

​So, while cat owners think they are training their furry friend through their meows, it is in fact our cats that train us!

In fact, a meow is supposed to mimic the cry of a baby, which is a cat’s way of trying to get human attention. This highlights the intelligence of cats - but also how they can be manipulative. 

​The Cat And Human Relationship

Yes, even though cats cannot understand language literally, they do understand humans. However, they understand humans differently than dogs do. Dogs will interact, respond, and play with humans in a totally different way from cats.

​For example, dogs see when their owners are stressed or angry with them, and will often respond by bowing their heads. This shows that not only do dogs recognize that they may have done something their owner dislikes, but that they consider humans to be superior. 

Contrastingly. Cats do not see humans as superior to them. Cats will interact, respond to, and play with humans in the same way they would with other cats. This is a perfectly normal and characteristic behavior for them!

​Final Thoughts

So, there you have it! Cats do not understand English or any other language. This is because they do not have the skills to interpret human language.

However, just like dogs, cats can be taught commands and to associate certain words with an action. For example, cats can learn “sit”, “food”, “stay”, and even their own name! 

However, unlike dogs, cats are far more likely to ignore commands, and even forget them if they are not rewarded for them. In fact, a cat is much more likely to respond to its owner meowing at them compared to giving them a command. 

Cats only communicate orally because of humans. With other cats, they are more likely to communicate with body language.

​However, cats recognized that humans are much more likely to respond to oral communication, and so they imitated crying babies to try and communicate with us effectively.