Cats respond to cat-directed speech from their owners

This study examined whether cats are sensitive to the high-pitched, sing-song register people use when addressing pets. Cats showed stronger behavioural responses when their own owner spoke in cat-directed speech than in adult-directed speech, but did not respond differently when a stranger used the same registers. The results indicate cats discriminate speech directed at them specifically by a familiar person, implying that the acoustic relationship is learned through individual experience rather than responding to pet-register acoustics universally. The work added nuance to the growing literature on feline attentiveness to human communication and the role of familiarity in shaping it.