Does it seem as though your cat is ignoring you? Do they not come when called? Your cat might be a jerk. Or they might just not recognise their own name.
How one names a cat may change over the years. My first cat was named Kitten, and since then, things have improved. Not for Kitten — she is dead. But she lived a good long life, though she didn’t seem particularly attached to what humans called her. Now I name my cats after P.G Wodehouse characters. It turns out this is also a bad idea, according to cat guru the Helpful Vancouver Vet.
If you haven’t seen a YouTube video by veterinarian Dr Uri Burstyn yet, you’re in for a treat. His simple and relaxing clips explain everything you’ve ever wanted to know about your kitties, and in this one he makes a very convincing case for how to get a cat’s attention: Basically, chirp like a bird and squeal like a mouse.
Using his cat model Lancelot as an example, Dr Burstyn explains that cat’s ears have evolved to be fine-tuned to hear high-pitched noises. Lancelot doesn’t really respond to his name, since the emphasis doesn’t end on the last syllable. But “Lan-CEY!” gets a comical reaction from the very relaxed feline.
It may be that you instinctively know your cat will answer to a squeeky “eee” sound. It’s probably why Kitten eventually became Kitty, and why Bert and George (my current fuzzy bois) are now Bertie and Georgie. You can’t make your cat pay attention to you all the time, but you can certainly startle it into looking your direction if you shriek loudly enough.
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