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| - Though a study found that cats learn to associate images with words faster than human babies do, the authors of the research noted that their study focused on short-term associations, rather than enduring associations. They also cited several other study limitations in the discussion section. The authors added that it is not clear why cats can quickly form associations.
Cats are rumored to have many quirky traits, such as whether they sit on a laptop to be closer to their owner or if they will always sit in a square taped to the floor. The furry felines have even been banned in a small Norwegian town and have been at the center of a genetic modification to glow in the dark.
In October 2024, cats appeared in the headlines of notable news outlets like the BBC and Science Alert, when it was reported that, according to a study, they learn to associate images with words faster than human babies do.
The claim also appeared that month on Facebook and likewise in early January 2025. Elsewhere in October 2024, the rumor cropped up on X, where one user wrote: "Without any particular training, cats—like human babies—appear to pick up basic human language skills just by listening to us talk. Indeed, cats learn to associate images with words even faster than babies do, according to a study."
The rumor began circulating following the publication of a study in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports on Oct. 4, 2024. The study found that domesticated cats pick up on words without any "particular training," similar to how human babies understand basic language just by listening.
Researchers at Azubu University in the Japanese city of Sagamihara, near Tokyo,
The cats were then given a break before being shown the animations again but with the words attached to each animation switched around. During the second round, researchers noticed the cats stared longer at the visuals, with some experiencing pupil dilation. This, the study authors concluded, indicated that the cats were confused by the change in their newly recognized word-image combinations, evidencing that they had previously associated the animation with the other word.
(Scientific Reports)
Picture-word association is considered a fundamental ability for word learning in humans and usually appears between eight and 14 months in infants. Typically, infants will learn an association at 14 months after 16 to 20 repetitions, according to the study's introduction.
In the study, the cats formed the association after four rounds, or about nine seconds, compared with what researchers noted takes humans "at least four 20 [second] trials for a picture-word pair."
"These results demonstrate that cats can rapidly form picture-word association," the researchers wrote. Why, though, the study authors are not entirely sure.
It could also be that cats rapidly adapt to stimuli in experimental settings, which would explain their perceived lack of interest or confusion in the second round of the study, the researchers explained.
However, it should be noted that the study only established a short-term association, not whether it endured for any length of time or showed an understanding of the word or image. Children, on the other hand, typically retain words and continue to learn and evolve language over time.
It is unknown how language comprehension began, but research suggests it is not limited to humans; some apes can associate words and African Grey parrots can comprehend instructions.
"Recent research has further highlighted that companion animals, particularly those living in close proximity to humans for a long time, are also able to respond to human linguistic cues," the researchers wrote, noting that this trait has especially been seen in dogs.
Cats too have shown interesting adaptations to living alongside humans. They have been shown to follow human pointing and that they "know" their names, as indicated by how they move their heads and ears when they hear it. In 2022, scientists even demonstrated some cats can "match" photos of known humans and felines with their respective names.
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