The exquisite taste of cats has long been known. Many owners of meowing pets are familiar with the situation when the pet categorically refuses food and water.
And due to the exotic nature of its tastes, a cat can perhaps leave pregnant women behind. Serve some people squash caviar, and others some cucumber. For some, only fresh meat, while others go crazy over potato peelings. Some people love watermelons, and others need cheese cookies. It’s not for nothing that taste is considered one of the most complex senses.
Answer options
4
sour
bitter
salty
sweet
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Features of a cat's taste buds
Taste is the quality of a substance entering the oral cavity; information about it is transmitted to the central nervous system. This happens thanks to special sensitive receptors that are “built-in” into the cat’s tongue. They, in turn, are “hidden” in such elements of the tongue as papillae.
Different groups of papillae on the tongue of a tailed pet have their own purposes:
- Thread-like (conical) ones serve to lick fur, hold food on the tongue, and also to perceive pain and the temperature of food.
It is the filiform papillae that create the feeling of roughness when a cat licks our hand; she needs them to groom her fur and hold food in her mouth.
- Mushroom-shaped - located along the perimeter of the tongue, named after the shape they have.
- Leaf-shaped - along the edge of the tongue, the largest of all papillae.
- Grooved - at the root of the tongue. A cat does not have many of them, much less than a dog or a person.
The taste buds include mushroom-shaped, leaf-shaped and grooved papillae. Scientists suggest that with the help of mushroom-shaped and leaf-shaped papillae, animals distinguish between sour and salty tastes, and with the help of groove-shaped papillae, bitter.
Taste buds have only mushroom-shaped, leaf-shaped and circumvallate papillae
Newborn kittens are already able to distinguish the taste of food.
Cats are better at smelling than humans. But we have much more taste buds - 9000 versus 473 in cats.
A cat's tongue is sensitive to temperature. Pets will not eat food from the refrigerator.
True, not because they fear for the health of their throat. It’s just that their food in the natural environment has a body temperature of 30–45 ° C. Moreover, this food is alive. Carrion has a much lower body temperature, and cats do not eat it (this applies not only to our purrs, but also to the more formidable and wild representatives of this family). That is, instinct tells the animal that the food from the refrigerator has been “dead” for a long time, and it is not worth eating due to the threat of poisoning by toxins.
What tastes do cats not taste?
Any owner of this pet knows about the refined and refined tastes of cats. In terms of exotic taste preferences, these charismatic creatures can compete with pregnant women when they refuse elite ready-made food or natural meat, eating potato peelings or watermelon with gusto. What motivates a cat when it chooses food? How developed is her perception of taste? Can she distinguish all its shades?
What tastes are different?
The centers of the sensory organs are located in the brain, which in cats, relative to body weight, is heavier than in other species of predatory mammals. Information about the taste of food is transmitted to the brain centers from the papillae located on the underside, sides and tip of the tongue. Cats have much fewer of them than humans: according to various sources, about 500 versus our 9000. True, each such mushroom-shaped “taste sensor” has a huge number of receptors that are capable of detecting the finest flavor nuances.
Mammals distinguish four tastes: sweet, salty, sour and bitter, and there are separate receptors for each of them. In the 70s of the last century, scientists were able to establish that there is a taste that many predators, including cats, practically do not feel - sweet. They, it turns out, have very few receptors necessary for its identification. This is apparently explained by the specifics of nutrition. Herbivores need carbohydrates, of which sweet foods contain large amounts. Predators do not need to be able to choose sweet foods; they require protein foods and meat. But cats are truly adept at recognizing squirrels.
Apart from the sweet taste, which cats hardly detect, everything else is available to them. Moreover, these animals have receptors that can identify several special, additional types of taste. As for the attractiveness of each species, it is very different.
Good to know. Cats tend to remember the taste characteristics of a particular product for a long time. They clearly establish the connection between the food consumed and the consequences it caused. In the future, when choosing food, these animals are guided by past experience. Therefore, the cat will not eat the dish that led to eating disorders in the future.
Bitter
Cats have the most negative attitude towards bitterness. Moreover, the threshold of sensitivity in cats to bitter taste is very high, higher than in canines, raccoons or bears. Experts advise using this feature to wean your pet from gnawing on wires or other objects. To do this, just spray them lightly with a bitter solution.
Sour
On the contrary, cats love sour food very much, so they eat sour cream and fermented milk products with great pleasure, as well as ready-made food, in the production of which acids are used as preservatives. Receptors that recognize acid are located throughout the surface of the tongue. However, constant use of food with a high pH level can lead to the development of urolithiasis (urolithiasis) in the animal.
Salty
Cats can distinguish this flavor, but their sensitivity to it is not very high. The fact is that the amount of sodium chloride in animal food is optimal for the predator’s body, so there are usually no problems with its additional intake. So your pet will eat salted dishes, but without much passion, and will most likely ignore a highly salted product. By adding salt to your cat's food, you can get her to drink more water - salty foods always make her thirsty.
Additional flavors
In addition to the “basic” salty, sour and bitter, cats distinguish several other tastes:
- "Umami."
This is a taste close to salty, it is also called broth or meat. Like any predatory animal, the cat has a positive attitude towards it. - Taste of water.
It's surprising, but cats have separate receptors on their tongues to detect the taste of water. This explains the fact that cats love to drink water from the tap - it is always fresh there. Therefore, at least a couple of times a day, try to change the water in your pet’s drinking bowl. - Amino acid.
Nature has given cats the ability to identify the presence of carboxyl-amine organic compounds - amino acids - in food. Meat contains these substances in large quantities, so your pet can easily determine the freshness, fat content and other qualities of meat products.
This is interesting. Cats are able to taste not only the degree of freshness of prey, but also determine whether it is alive and how much time has passed since its death. That is why your pet will always prefer food with a temperature of 35-40°C - this is the temperature of freshly caught game. Cats don’t like food from the refrigerator not because they are afraid of catching a cold, the animal simply believes that the “prey” has been dead for too long, and intuition suggests that it may be toxic.
The development of taste centers in animals begins in the mother's womb. By the age of six months, kittens can already fully distinguish all tastes. According to research, taste receptor cells in predators are renewed every four days. Experts say that kittens in most cases inherit their mother's food preferences.
What is the taste like?
Taste is one of the most complex senses of cats. To understand a cat's sense of taste and give him the best, you need to know how his taste buds work. The latter are located on the sides of the tip of the tongue and on the underside of the cat. Animals feel the taste of food that has entered the tongue with the help of sensitive papillae located on it.
The taste can be sweet, bitter, salty, sour.
- Salty taste . Animal foods contain optimal levels of sodium chloride. Cats and cats can add a little salt to their food, so they feel the taste brighter and eat with more pleasure.
- Sour taste . Cats recognize sour smell and taste. Moreover, the sour taste is attractive to them. What cat would refuse a bowl of sour cream?! A rhetorical question. And what cat doesn’t want some kefir at night? But foods high in acids are detrimental to your cat's health.
- Bitter taste . On the tongue of cats there are various receptors for the sensation of bitter taste, which explains their capriciousness in food. In the wild, cats do not eat carrion. And the latter is not without bitterness. Bitter taste for cats is a warning about poisonous and poisoned food.
What tastes do cats distinguish?
Scientists have conducted research on the taste preferences of the cat family. Various stimuli were applied to the papillae of the tongue. And as a result, it was revealed that cats distinguish between salty, sour, bitter and do not distinguish between sweet.
Salty
Cats like salty food. It has been noticed that when salt is added to food, the fluffy beauty eats it more willingly. As you know, the blood of all living creatures living on earth tastes salty. And predators, unlike herbivores, do not experience salt hunger; they receive sufficient amounts (sodium and chlorine) of Na and CL from caught rodents and birds.
It is these elements that ensure exchange between cells and the external environment. CL is necessary to maintain the acid-base balance in the animal’s body; it helps the formation of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Na serves as a conductor of nutrients to cells and removes unnecessary things from them.
Sour
The animals also like sour things, which feed manufacturers immediately took advantage of. They use phosphoric acid as an acidic additive. But exceeding it in food is fraught with kidney diseases for your pet.
You can pamper your pet with sour cream from time to time.
Bitter
Cats don't like bitter food. They will taste bitterness even in minimal concentrations, which reduces the possibility of cats being poisoned by toxins contained in spoiled foods. Therefore, representatives of all felines under no circumstances will eat carrion in the wild, and pets will not eat rotten food from a bowl. This makes it very difficult for your cat to give medications. The animal immediately develops a gag reflex.
This feature of the cat family is a salvation for people if they need to keep wires or furniture intact. They are sprayed with bitter sprays and deodorants.
Other flavors
There are other tastes that distinguish specific cat receptors:
- One of them is called meat, broth taste or umami. His cats feel much better than people. Using receptors of the same name, they distinguish between the freshness of the product and the type of meat consumed. Salts of glutamic acid, which they are able to recognize, are contained in any animal protein. It’s not for nothing that manufacturers add monosodium glutamate to sausages and sausages to give them a pleasant taste. If you add a little of this salt to your pet’s food, he will take the meal with great pleasure, even if there is no meat in it. But you can’t overdo it, because the cat may become addicted.
- Your furry pet has receptors responsible for the taste of water. This is why animals love to drink running water from a sink, rather than stagnant water from a bowl.
Tasty and healthy diet
Knowing what tastes animals distinguish, the owner can create a delicious menu for him. But we cannot neglect the usefulness of the products.
Since this animal is a predator by nature, and for centuries it has received protein from caught prey, it is simply vital in the diet of a pet. Proteins are involved in regulating all processes occurring in the body. With their help, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones are formed. And when protein is broken down, amino acids enter the body, which are responsible for the predator’s vision; during the animal’s pregnancy, they participate in the formation of the fetus.
Throughout its life, a pet needs different amounts of protein. In adolescence, young cats and cats require up to 30% protein in the food they receive; for adult cats, the percentage is slightly lower, about 25%; nursing mothers should be fed kitten food to provide the younger generation with the necessary proteins and amino acids.
A cat is a carnivore; it does not need to chew its food; its teeth are designed for grinding and tearing food. When preparing a diet, it should be remembered that these predators cannot obtain all the nutrients and vitamins from boiled food. Their body is adapted to eating raw meat. In the wild, a cat eats mice and birds, and these are not just pieces of raw meat - they are warm-blooded game. Warm food is better absorbed. And the caught prey is a completely balanced food. There is meat, bones, skin, tendons, and internal organs.
This must be taken into account if you want to create healthy nutrition for your pet. It should include:
- meat 90%;
- cereals;
- dairy products;
- offal (chicken heart and liver).
To prevent your cat from becoming infected with parasites, raw meat for its nutrition must first be frozen for 2-3 days.
Photo gallery: foods that are most palatable to cats
The cat eats sausage not because of its high meat content, but because of the monosodium glutamate added to give the product a “meaty” taste
A cat can and should be pampered with raw meat, but the product should be thoroughly frozen first.
Many pets prefer running water to water poured into a bowl.
Cats like sour cream not only because it is a dairy product, but also because of its sour taste.
Why cats can't detect sweet taste
In carnivorous animals, meat predominates in the diet. The cat simply does not need sugar for its vital processes. In the process of evolution, the body itself freed itself from what it does not need. The cat does not have the receptors responsible for the perception of sweet food. And the gene that is responsible for their formation is underdeveloped. Therefore, these animals do not recognize sweets, and they perceive sweeteners as bitter food.
Eating sweet foods is harmful for a cat because it can lead to metabolic disorders, the most harmful being chocolate.
Why do some pets eat sweets?
Everyone has probably seen how a cat happily licks ice cream. Those who don’t know the cat’s ability to not tolerate sugar think that pussy likes sweets. It turns out that good ice cream contains a sufficient amount of fat, which is what the cat eats with pleasure. Likewise, she can drink whole milk, but will not accept store-bought skim milk. Scientists have discovered that not only domestic cats, but also their wild relatives, such as tigers and lions, do not taste sweets.
In ice cream, cats are attracted to the taste of milk fat, not the sweetness of the product.
Sweets for cats
Most pets' tongues contain taste buds on the cell surface that bind to ingested substances. When something sweet enters the mouth, information about it goes to the brain, mainly because sweetness is a sign of rich carbohydrates. The answer to the question whether cats can have sweets is a definite no.
Cats can't detect sugar in sweet foods.
The benefits or harms of chocolate
Chocolate is very dangerous for cats. An overdose causes intoxication, which often leads to death. We can say that chocolate is not only useless for pets, but also has a harmful effect on their body. This is the reason why cats cannot have sweets.
The toxicity of theobromine and caffeine in chocolate leads to the following consequences when answering the question, can cats eat chocolate:
- vomit;
- diarrhea;
- increased heart rate progresses to a dangerous heart rhythm disorder;
- elevated temperature;
- seizures;
- coma;
- death.
Important! Chocolate products contain varying amounts of cocoa, which affects the amount of theobromine contained in these products. Unsweetened baking chocolate contains the most theobromine, followed by dark chocolate, milk chocolate last, and white chocolate.
If you think about whether cats can have chocolate, you should calculate the dosage. The lethal dose is calculated based on the cat’s body weight and the amount of theobromine in the product that was eaten.
Chocolate does a lot of harm to pets
Reasons why not
Constant consumption of sweets causes diarrhea, lethargy, refusal to eat, vomiting, and stomach upset in pets. Sugary snacks are especially dangerous for aging and chronically ill animals, kittens and pregnant cats. Even a slight taste of sugar in a weakened animal's body can cause hair loss, itching, blurred vision, mouth disease, aggression or panic, tooth loss and a weakened immune system.
Too many sweets when feeding causes thinning of the capillaries, deterioration of the pancreas, adrenal dysfunction, a significant decrease in the digestibility of proteins by the body, early cell death, which subsequently leads to rapid aging.
Important! Eating sweets increases the risk of pancreatitis.
Sweets should be prohibited in a cat's diet
Is it possible to give sugar?
Technically, yes. Sugar is not poisonous to cats in small doses. However, it is considered a food that may be harmful to health in the long term. Added sugar should be kept to a minimum in a cat's diet.
Most adult cats only need a couple hundred calories a day, which means empty calories like sugar can add up very quickly. Feeding cats table sugar on a regular basis tends to promote obesity, which in turn leads to other health problems.
Sugar in large doses can be poisonous to cats
Do cats smell sweets?
Do cats taste sweets? Pets do not taste sweets. This can be explained by the fact that cats' DNA lacks the Tas1r2 gene, which is responsible for the sensation of sweetness. Due to this, the pet cannot control the amount of sugar entering its body, which can lead to poisoning.
Important! Artificial sweeteners seem bitter to cats, so they refuse such food. It becomes quite clear why cats can’t have sweets.
Signs associated with cats
According to popular observations, cats intuitively sense change. They say that by observing the behavior of your pet, you can predict the weather, the arrival of guests, an impending illness, a change for the better or misfortune:
- a cat sleeps with its belly up - to the heat;
- the cat curled up into a tight ball - it will soon get colder;
- the cat washes its face all day - wait for guests;
A cat washing itself means the imminent arrival of guests
- a cat reaches out to a person - for a new thing;
- a cat rubbing against a person’s ear means an increase in money;
- The cat sneezed three times - someone in the house will get sick.
By the way, it is believed that if a cat lies on a sick person, then it cannot be driven away, since the animal takes the illness upon itself.
You also need to monitor what part of the human body the pet settles on - they say that healing cats lie down where the source of the disease lies.
It is believed that a red cat in the house attracts money, a black one wards off evil spirits, a white one protects the health of its owners, and a tricolor one is responsible for peace in the family.
This is interesting: Why does a kitten scratch its ears?
Reasons for the popularity of cats
A century ago, cats were bred mainly to hunt mice and rats. Now, for this purpose, a cat is taken into the house only in 10% of cases. The main reason why people now decide to adopt a kitten is the opportunity to interact with the animal.
According to statistics, the main cat lovers are pensioners over 60 years of age (43%) and single women (36%).
Most pensioners keep cats at home
Interestingly, only 25% of cat owners preferred purebred and rare animals - in this case, when choosing an animal, cat owners are guided not only by the desire to find a friend, but also to confirm their status or start a business selling kittens.
List of sweets that should not be given to cats
There is a certain list of products that are strictly prohibited for cats:
- sweets containing sugar substitute: xylitol;
- chocolate. The explanation for why cats can't eat chocolate is that it contains a lot of theobromine;
- ice cream;
- condensed milk;
- fermented milk products with sweeteners and artificial additives.
Sugar in dairy products is very harmful
List of products that you can eat a little at a time
A list of products has been established that an animal can consume in small doses. They contain natural fructose (glucose):
- apples contain many minerals, vitamins and fiber;
- pears also contain minerals, vitamins and fiber;
- Apricots and plums are recommended to be consumed in small quantities;
- melons are used with caution;
- figs, dates, dried apricots;
- raspberries, blackberries, blueberries in the absence of allergies.
The owner decides which option is best for the pet.
Options for replacing sweets
The best substitute for sweets for your pet is natural fruits and vegetables. They contain fructose, glucose and are a source of large amounts of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which are very beneficial for the animal.
Important! In pet stores you can buy specially made sweet cookies for cats. It is enriched with vitamins A, E, D3. Made without GMOs, preservatives and dyes.
What's the harm in eating sweets?
Carnivores that eat meat and fish do not need sweet taste receptors. They require protein, fats, vitamins and other substances. And if someone’s cat likes cake, then he eats it only for the fat, and, perhaps, to imitate and please his owner. Cats and cats do not feel sugar, but simply adore their owners and trust them completely. But every veterinarian will tell you about the harm the taste of chocolate brings to cats. And an excess of sugar in a cat’s body, which does not produce insulin, which breaks down this bulk product, leads to diabetes, as well as intestinal and kidney diseases, and in general, to a decrease in the body’s protective functions. Therefore, we should not risk the health of our little brothers.
For some a cutlet, for others a candy. Do cats have different tastes?
Taste is not a guide to taste - who likes watermelon and who likes pork cartilage. The catchphrase applies to our cats as much as it applies to ourselves. In terms of exotic taste preferences, kote can compete even with pregnant women. Some people run to the kitchen as soon as they smell the squash caviar, others can’t be pulled away by the ears from watermelon, others go crazy over cheese cookies.
I wonder what guides the mustachios when choosing the most desired treat? Do cats discriminate tastes or are they guided only by smell?
What no taste
Cats and cats do not taste sweetness. All cat owners, especially those with a sweet tooth, should know that cats do not need sugar and carbohydrates. You shouldn’t tear away this delicious treat for your beloved cats, for whom nothing is spared. You should not stuff your pets with cookies or jam, the taste of which they cannot taste. Eat for your health, since cats get absolutely no pleasure from sweets. These tailed animals completely lack sweet taste receptors.
This fact was proven by scientists from the Philadelphia Sensation Center Monel. Cats and cats do not have the ability to sense sweet taste. This is due to the consequences of genetic and evolutionary biological mutations. Predators, which include our domestic cats, feel all tastes except sweets.
Taste organ in cats
Like all other mammals, cats have taste buds located on the mucous membrane of the palate (posterior edge), in the epithelium of the pharynx and epiglottis, and on the tongue.
• Taste buds (buds) are clusters of taste buds that perceive the same type of taste. Located in the taste buds, on the posterior edge of the palate in the epithelium of the pharynx and epiglottis.
• Papillae of the tongue - protrusions of the mucous membrane of the tongue, located over its entire surface.
o Filiform papillae are long and rigid papillae covered with a keratinized layer of epithelium. They do not contain taste buds, are intended for licking (scraping) meat and fur, and also hold food on the tongue.
o Conical papillae – a transitional type of papillae from filiform to gustatory papillae; they perceive pain, temperature, and are organs of touch. They perceive the “hotness” and “spiciness” of the product.
o Fungiform papillae - rounded papillae located around the perimeter of the tongue, containing taste buds with taste buds.
o Vital papillae - taste buds surrounded by a ridge and located at the root of the tongue.
o Foliate papillae are oval taste buds located on the sides of the tongue.
How do cats taste?
When food enters the mouth, it is moistened with saliva and the secretion of the taste buds, which allows it to better contact the taste buds. Information received from taste buds is transmitted to the brain via the glossopharyngeal and facial nerves.
Each taste receptor is responsible for its own type of taste, so clusters of identical receptors are randomly scattered across the entire surface of the tongue. It is believed that the receptors that perceive salty and sour are located in the fungiform and leaf-shaped papillae, and those that perceive bitter are located in the groove-shaped papillae.
The sense of smell plays a significant role in the process of taste perception. In fact, the impression of food is formed by the complementarity of taste and smell. During meals, Jacobson's organ, which senses odors from the mouth, becomes especially important.
Interesting facts about cats and cats
Pet owners tend to humanize their pets, and this is their big mistake. Domestic cats, despite their long history of living side by side with people, have not lost their special animal habits. They do everything differently, and even hear, see and taste differently than you and I.
Taste perception
People have 9 thousand receptors on their tongue, but cats have only 473. Our meowing friends distinguish tastes, but their palette will not be as bright as ours, without the ability to distinguish taste “halftones” (for an animal there will be several variations of hot or sour united). The only taste that a cat does not feel at all is sweet. Any sugary dessert for a cat will be tasteless.
They have little discernment of salty taste, so they will easily eat a very salty dish, and this is unsafe. But cats secrete bitterness better than us - this is a protective mechanism that protects the animal from possible poisoning.
Do cats sweat?
Cats have 10 times fewer sebaceous glands than humans, so they sweat very little. This is due to the fact that cats rarely run for a long time (in their nature they lie in wait for their prey, and do not catch up), moreover, the copious secretion of odorous sweat would prevent them from hunting. If cats need to lower their temperature, they try to lie on a cold surface, use changes in the frequency and depth of breathing, and wet their fur with saliva, which will increase heat transfer.
The cat clearly reacts to certain phrases: he responds to a nickname, knows when he is called to eat or is about to be scolded. Some animals even understand commands (“place” or “fetch”). The most intelligent cats are able to remember the meaning of several dozen words (memorization occurs after 5-6 repetitions, while dogs require 12-15 repetitions).
Cats' memory is based on conditioned reflexes, not feelings. The pet will easily remember what resulted in the necessary conditions (delicious food, privacy, encouragement, etc.). But associative connections in the memory of cats must be built quickly: if more than 3-7 minutes have passed between cause and effect, then memorization will not occur.
Cats see well at a distance of 70 cm to 5.5 m. And such farsightedness is justified: a normal mouse will not fit into its mouth on its own, it must be seen from afar. What is important is that a cat is able to concentrate on a specific object; its eyes cannot “bring clarity” to a large-diameter picture.
As for hearing, it is 4 times sharper than that of a person. This is helped by the shape of the auricle and its location like an antenna - even muffled sounds are well caught in such a pointed funnel.
Play behavior
Games for cats are training of hunting instincts. Favorite entertainment is to track, catch, catch and fight.
The tendency to be playful is largely determined by the breed. For example, Persian, Burmese and ragdoll cats are considered the calmest and most unplayful. Siamese, Abyssinians and Orientals are very active in childhood and will drive their owners crazy with their wild jumps and desire to catch and pat everything around. But most representatives of these breeds practically stop being naughty by the age of two.
Do cats understand human speech: simple ways to communicate with your pet
Many owners of furry pets agree that cats understand human speech perfectly. Scientists have disagreements on this matter. Some are inclined to argue that cats are unique animals that are capable of not only understanding human language, but also have some telepathic and extrasensory abilities. This helps them understand the language of their owner.
How cats understand human speech
Research has proven that cats are excellent at understanding human speech by associating words with certain objects. It all depends on the individual characteristics and personal qualities of each individual animal. It is important to find the key to your pet, because only in this case can you achieve mutual understanding with your mustachioed pet.
Cat hearing
The hearing of representatives of the cat family is unusually well developed. Unlike humans, cats are able to perceive the frequency range much better and remember about 95-100 words spoken by the owner. Pets cannot fully understand a person, but they know their name very well, and in various variations, they understand when they are called to eat.
Some cats perfectly know up to 20 different objects by name and bring them when asked. Another question is the cat’s desire to follow commands. The character, individual characteristics and temperament of a cat mean a lot, so most pets simply do not want to please their owner.
Intonation of the owner's words
Best of all, cats perceive the intonation with which a word or sentence was spoken. The rhythm of human speech also plays an important role. They understand perfectly well if the owner is angry or upset by the behavior of his pet, trying to make amends - to caress or “kiss”.
Smells
An important role in the concept of a person is assigned to cats in smells. Smells are an additional source of information for the mustachioed cunning creature, and a highly developed sense of smell will allow them to navigate well in space and the surrounding world. In the animal world, smells play the role of a kind of communication. After all, when dinner is being prepared in the kitchen, there is no need to call the cat; she comes on her own without an invitation.
There is an opinion that cats do not perceive human speech at all. This is what stubborn skeptics say, who believe that the difference in the structure of the speech apparatus plays a big role. It is believed that if cats cannot reproduce at least some sounds similar to human ones, then they cannot perceive them. Such a statement has no other basis and is rejected a priori by everyone who has a cat in their house.
Cat telepathy
There is an opinion that cats are ancient animals with a unique ability - telepathy. Adherents of the theory claim that the cat family has well-developed sensitive abilities that allow them to understand not human language, but to read and predict human thoughts. Experts in this field advise spending more time with your pet, mentally communicating with him, affectionately stroking him during your time together. It is recommended to look your pet directly in the eyes.
In the process of evolution and domestication of wild cats, they retained their own characteristic features. Thus, the descendants of wild lions and tigers are not always able to obey commands and recognize words, showing some cruelty towards their owner.