Researchers have long been interested in the question of whether a cat truly recognizes its owner as a familiar person. We reveal what they have discovered through their investigations.

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Many owners experience that when they come home at the end of the day, their pet goes to the door and greets them with loud meowing or purring. However, if a stranger enters the apartment, the same cat hides or expresses its displeasure. But what does science say about this? Can a cat really identify its owner?

Often it seems as if the cat happily welcomes its owner’s arrival

This is why people think that the owner is familiar to the cat

“We cannot ask a cat whether it recognizes us or remembers us, so we have to infer the answer from its physiology and behavior,” explained animal behavior researcher Mikel Delgado.

Over the years, researchers have conducted several experiments to test cats’ ability to distinguish between people. In one study, for example, they examined how an animal reacts when it hears its owner’s voice compared to that of a stranger.

Most cats responded more intensely to their owner’s voice.

In another study, researchers played various recordings to the animals in which owners and strangers said things like “Do you want to play?” or “How are you?” When strangers spoke, the cats did not react, but when they heard their owner’s voice, they became alert. They stopped what they were doing and moved toward the sound.

The experiments suggest that cats remember the unique characteristics of their owner’s voice, such as its volume, tone, and pitch.

Your voice may be familiar to them

Your appearance and your scent may also help

Cats likely use other cues as well. Experts believe that, to some extent, they can recognize a person’s unique physical appearance (that is, their size and shape), distinguishing them from a spouse, a child, or a stranger.

According to the animal behavior researcher, a cat’s sensitive sense of smell may also play an important role in identifying different people. It is so refined that the animal can even detect that another cat living in the same household has been to the veterinarian.

Your voice, your appearance, and your scent can therefore all contribute to your cat’s ability to recognize you

But what about cats that react just as enthusiastically to every person? Does this mean they lack the ability to distinguish between people? According to Delgado, not necessarily. The explanation may simply be that they are friendlier and more curious than average. This may be related to the fact that they were very well socialized in the first weeks of their lives.

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