Are Cats Smarter Than Babies? Study Shows Cats Learn Words Faster Than Infants

france, japan, university of vienna - A recent study reveals that cats may learn words faster than human babies, shedding light on feline intelligence.

A recent study suggests that cats may be smarter than human babies when it comes to learning words. While cats are known for not always responding when called by their owners, previous research has shown that felines do recognize their names.

Cats, like babies, learn human interactions through observation. However, the study indicates that cats may learn words at a faster rate. In the experiment, thirty cats were shown pictures while fantasy words were spoken simultaneously.

The purpose of the experiment was to see if cats could associate words with pictures and how quickly they could make the connection. The cats were shown combinations multiple times until they became bored.

Researchers then switched the images and words to test the cats' understanding. When the wrong word was played, the cats reportedly looked at the pictures almost 33% longer, suggesting they knew something was amiss.

Most cats learned the correct names after seeing the combinations four times, averaging a total of nine seconds. This was notably faster than human babies, who require at least four 20-second intervals to remember words, according to the researchers.

The study also revealed that cats respond to a human voice but not to a computerized voice, indicating a preference for human speech. These findings contribute to our understanding of cat-human interaction and complement previous research indicating that cats recognize their names when called by their owners.

The experiment involved sixteen cats owned by French veterinary students. The results showed that cats did not react when strangers called their names, but perked up when their owners spoke to them in a 'normal' tone. The cats displayed increased interest when their owners called them, with some even moving toward the sound.

According to Saho Takagi of Azabu University in Japan, who led the study, cats may comprehend more than they let on. Takagi encourages cat owners to communicate more with their feline companions.

While it remains unclear whether cats or dogs are smarter, dogs have been shown to recognize up to 89 words and learn around twelve new words per week. Dogs can remember these words for up to two years, but the scientific approach differs from the study on feline word recognition, making direct comparisons difficult.

Shany Dror, a cognitive researcher at the University of Vienna, highlights that the key factor is that animals can recognize words at all, regardless of their intelligence level.