Most people think that cats are just very independent pets. However, they’re smarter than we think, especially when it comes to word association. Recently, a study took a deep dive into domestic cats and their ability to link words with objects. Keep on reading and discover what the results are!
Are Domestic Cats smarter than Human Babies?
The fact that cats are smart is no news. The cat family is known to be great fighters who use smart tactics to hunt their prey. However, it was thought that they were only like this because of their biology. As it turns out, cats are smarter than we think! A group of scientist have proven this by testing their capabilities to understand spoken language.
Using a set of tests, scientists discovered that cats react accurately to verbal cues associated with specific objects, such as toys or treats, for example. The results of these tests suggest a deeper level of comprehension than previously thought.

The researchers also found that cats can identify and differentiate objects based on spoken words better than human infants can! They outperform the associative abilities of babies, who rely more on visual and tactile feedback!
These Word Association results challenge the stereotypes!
If you’re an avid TikTok scroller and interact with cat videos often, you’ve probably seen that humans have found ways to communicate with their cats. This is by making specific “cat noises” or by crackling a bag filled with treats. However, the results of the studies have discovered that cats can understand more of the human language than you think.
It proved that our little furry friends are more attuned to their environment and our language than we realize! So the next time that you’re having a conversation with someone, make sure your cat is not eavesdropping! Or try it out for yourself and explore a new way of communicating with your pet!
