Advice on: how to get two cats to know their names

[Gillian Harvey]

Jaffa usually comes when I call his name, as he'd hate to miss out on anything.  When he was younger, I could guarantee he would come running if I called "Magpie".  He knew fine well he wasn't Magpie, but couldn't bear the thought that Magpie might be getting something and that he might miss out.

LOL! 

Mine all have nicknames anyway - hardly ever call them by their real names!  except Harry - he jolly well knows his name - I shout at him often enough, 'Haaaarrrrry - don't do that' 

[karenjet]

Tigger always responds to his name, Belle does most of the time too. Daisy and Meeko do just when they feel like it.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

Jaffa usually comes when I call his name, as he'd hate to miss out on anything.  When he was younger, I could guarantee he would come running if I called "Magpie".  He knew fine well he wasn't Magpie, but couldn't bear the thought that Magpie might be getting something and that he might miss out.

Mosi knows his name but ignores me 9 times out of 10.  I think he's so used to being told off he reckons there's no point in responding. 

[lucy]

Xanthe knows her name and will loook but only come of she fancies it. Binky used to come running like a dog when called - I swear he never knew how he was supposed to behave! 

[berties mum]

Minnie knows her name really well, to the point where I see her ears twitching even if I'm talking about her in a conversation, not even directly to her (which is a shame because I don't really like her name, but she already responded to it when she came to live with me!).  Bella is an extremely clever girl who answers to her full name of Tinkerbella and also to Tinker, Belle and Bella - and Pudding!!  And Bertie responds if I say his name in a certain tone of voice, but occasionally comes running expectantly when I was actually calling one of the others 

I've heard somewhere that cats respond best to names with "eeee" sounds on the end like Bertie and Minnie because they can hear the sound more easily but I'm not sure if there's any real truth in that 

[tpepaul]

Have to go along with everyone else - it's selective hearing! Josie and Lilly couldn't really care less if we call them unless they want something! That said, they do tend to come home when they hear our voices.

Jake, on the other hand - different matter entirely. He's like a puppy!    He'll be off roaming somewhere and we stand in the garden calling "JAKEY! JAKEY! JAKEY-JAKEY-JAKEY!" and he comes tearing out of the bushes, bounding up to us and almost jumping up into our arms!    Quite sweet, really...

[tigerbaby]

Oliver amassed a numerous nicknames, from pancetta, sancho pancia, ciccio, panna, pupazzo, peluche, Homer (simpson), doughboy, honeypoo, booboo, poopoo head etc. etc., which are in use constantly in rotations, he responds to all.

yeah, Jameson responded the other day to ''Stinky'' and ''Nappyhead'' (loving nicknames of course!). I think it was because he heard me open his food cupboard though, more than anything else!

[dolcetta46]

I agree with Jamesonsmum, I think cats respond to your tone of the voice rather than the exact name/word you are actually calling.  And I would think it is probably a near impossible thing to get them to obey to a "come" command like a dog.  They will come if they feel like, they don't if they don't feel like... you know how cats are.
Oliver amassed a numerous nicknames, from pancetta, sancho pancia, ciccio, panna, pupazzo, peluche, Homer (simpson), doughboy, honeypoo, booboo, poopoo head etc. etc., which are in use constantly in rotations, he responds to all.  (well, of course, if he is up to it...)  Heck, he comes running if we going to either kitchen or bathroom, even if we don't call him too!!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I forgot something about Sasa LOL.

I cant touch her or walk up to her but she will occasionally eat treats out of my hand and I know she is really interested if she looks away and pretends she doesnt want them 

[tigerbaby]

Misa closes his ears if he doesnt want to know.

Jameson too. He will sit with his back towards me and look in another direction. If he doesn't want to know, there is no way to get his attention.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Misa and Sasa know their names and Sasa will act just like Lexy and Misa closes his ears if he doesnt want to know. Franta is deaf and Ducha may as well be!

[tiga]

Maybe I won't worry about it then! I'll just keep using their names and see what happens. They come when I call usually which is the main thing I guess.

[Desley (booktigger)]

Zia will answer to anyones name!! Just proved it by calling Molly (they are both on the bed).

[Mark]

Kylie know the word "Fish" and nearly always responds to it 

Clapton rsponded to "chicken" yesterday 

[tigerbaby]

Isn't it more the tone of your voice and how you say their name? Jameson would never respond to just ''Jameson''. I have to call him in a high pitch voice and include lots of ''puss puss puss'' for him to respond.

[clarenmax]

Cats have the art of Selective Hearing down to a fine art.

When they want food, you can call them anything you like, and they will come a runnin.

When you want something, well, need I say more 

Oh how I love the wonderful world of Cat 

[Kittybabe (Ruth)]

Cats only ever respond to their names if they feel like it and can't be trained like dogs - over time, they know their name but will still choose to ignore it unless they want something 

Lexy only responds to me calling her name when she wants to wake me up and I ignore her.  Other than that I call her, she keeps her head turned away from me, the more I call her the more she turns her head away.

[Bazsmum]

Repetition, repetition, repetition! 

[Maddiesmum]

I used to say cccchhhhh ccccchhhhh   ccccchhhhh Charlie.  He now responds to just the Charlie bit!

[Mark]

Cats only ever respond to their names if they feel like it and can't be trained like dogs - over time, they know their name but will still choose to ignore it unless they want something 

[tiga]

This may seem stupid but I'm having trouble getting my two rescue cats to come to their names. They are 1-2 years but were never named and came from a small flat with 20 other cats. I have called them Riley and Digby but the problem is I can't get one to come to me without the other, so I can call them anything and they'll come. BUt not each one to their individual names. I think I may have to just have one name for both: Riley-and-Digby!!

I could put one in another room and try training one at a time, but they would hate that I think. I talk to them using their names if one is on my lap or being groomed but the other one is usually right next to me anyway.

Any tips?