Cats and how they react to different sounds

[tigerbaby]

 
You are probably right though.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I swear, all along he's sat at a secret spot watching me walking around the garden like a droid but refusing to come to me.

That'll be on account of the pink bowl...... 

[tigerbaby]

That is a good point Catjane!

I often walk outside in the garden in my pyjamas (& einstein hair) calling Jameson to come inside for breakfast. He will be nowhere to be seen - until I close the door, and 10 seconds later he shoots through the catflap like a rocket. I swear, all along he's sat at a secret spot watching me walking around the garden like a droid but refusing to come to me.

[Catjane]

Oh, they DEFINITELY have selective hearing! 

I chatter all the time to my three, and they are quite, quite capable of picking out words when it suits them!  Without 'calling' or changing the tone of my voice, just talking, I can say the word 'ball' and Meesha is immediately running round the house looking for (and usually finding) her ball!  And if I happen to mention 'teatime', even in passing, suddenly the kitchen is full of cats!!  They respond to stuff (as do humans, actually) that has actual meaning for them.  How often have you been at a party or another loud environment where all you can hear is a babble, but as soon as someone mentions your name your ears prick up?  Same deal with cats!

[em1209]

LOL that's the advantage of selective hearing.  I can stand in the garden and call Zephyr or Foxy and they will sit with their backs to me totally ignoring me (I know they can hear me because their ears move but if they don't want to come in they just pretend I'm not their).  However they can be upstairs sound asleep on the bed and the second the fridge door opens they are both wide awake and hurtling down the stairs! 

I think most of us can relate to that! The cheeky little monkeys!

I was on my hands and knees fishing mr mousey out from under the fridge with a wooden spoon the other day and Polly heard, I hardly made a sound, and she came rushing down the stairs squeaking for her mousey! x

[Den]

Memph comes from anywhere if he hears a packet shaking, he will get up from a deep sleep if he hears me going up/down stairs. He freaks out with our new door bell  the old one he didn't bat an eyelid but this one he will leg it upstairs and if a door is blocking his escape he has a face of sheer terror until it's opened and he can escape.

He was walking across the room earlier, Molly coughed and he practically jumped out of his skin - poor boy.

[Ann Clarke (Tabby cat)]

Hobbes can hear the Whiskas Temptations box opening even if he is fast asleep in the back bedroom upstairs but he's very good at ignoring me when I call him I know what you mean though Dylan just tends to ignore everything as he's so laid back but Hobbes will jump at some sounds but ignore stuff like the TV etc.

[tigerbaby]

Oh yes, Jameson is a master when it comes to turning his back and ignoring! Doesn't matter how deep he is asleep though, and how loud the music I'm playing is - if someone opens the front door he's there within a split second!

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

LOL that's the advantage of selective hearing.  I can stand in the garden and call Zephyr or Foxy and they will sit with their backs to me totally ignoring me (I know they can hear me because their ears move but if they don't want to come in they just pretend I'm not their).  However they can be upstairs sound asleep on the bed and the second the fridge door opens they are both wide awake and hurtling down the stairs! 

[Christine (Blip)]

My theory would be that he ignores obviously "human" sounds that he is used to but reacts to any sound that could be friend, foe or food.

[tigerbaby]

I find it interesting how Jameson reacts differently to different sounds. One example is, he will sleep through a loud, ringing telephone next to his ear, but if I quietly and carefully pull a tissue out from a box, he'll wake up with a jump.

Same goes with suddenly turning the tv on with loud volume - he will not react to that, although if the next minute something slides off the sofa he'll jump!!