Words Your Cat Understands: Olga’s Language Skills

Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga.

Felines aren’t usually admired for their grasp of human language, and compared to dogs and primates, they’re not very responsive to our commands and pleas. Some blame this on their independent nature or ambivalence; others think cats don’t listen to humans unless they feed them.

Cats are intelligent and can sense our emotions, but they’re not eager to please, and they don’t mind ignoring us when we call their names. My cat responds to some words, including her name, and she’s familiar with my body language. She’ll never learn 2,000 words like Koko, and although she’s less affectionate than my Siamese cat, she’s more responsive when I call her.

Olga’s Understanding of English

One of the first, and undoubtedly her favorite, words she learned was “hungry.” If she’s asleep and I ask her if she’s hungry, she wakes up instantly, whines, and runs over to me. She’s rarely asleep when it’s dinner time, but the few times she was, I tried it and was surprised at how quickly she reacted.

She understands what “no” means, but most of the time, she doesn’t care about the meaning and continues tearing up the blinds, scratching the recliner, or shredding the toilet paper. She’ll move away briefly and give me an irritated look, but she doesn’t stop the destruction unless I approach her. I don’t usually scream at her when she’s misbehaving, and if I do, she doesn’t get very upset.

Unlike my previous cat, Olga doesn’t hold a grudge and isn’t frightened by loud voices. She seems to understand “good girl” since she wags her tail when I say it, but doesn’t respond to “bad girl!” Since she’s slow to move her head when I close the back door, I have to say, “Move,” and she usually moves out of the way.

Disciplining With Lectures

That’s the extent of her language skills, and I don’t think most cat owners expect their pets to respond to many words or phrases. However, I know a few who think disciplining their pets by lecturing them for several minutes is worthwhile. It’s not, and I’ve only seen it work in the movies since cats and dogs respond better to words or short phrases than paragraphs and essays.

It’s entertaining to watch them explain to their cats that their behavior is inappropriate, they won’t get any treats if they keep acting up, and they’re disappointed in them. Lassie and other fictional heroes can understand compound sentences, and you may have seen a film or show where an injured or trapped character gives complex instructions to an animal. The dog or cat runs miles to find rescuers or someone to defuse a bomb.

Having a brilliant pet who understands everything you say may seem appealing, but I’m glad Olga only knows a few words. She wouldn't be as happy if she listened to me talk to other people about her. She would know when I was leaving the country, taking her to the vet, or switching her wet food to a different brand.