Do cats really...

....recognise the sound of their name when you call/shout them, or is it just the sound of your voice? I've always thought it was the latter, but Fudge is making me think again.
If I call her when she's asleep/half asleep on the sofa, even if she doesn't wake, her ears twitch when I say her name, yet there's no reaction if I say Bola or William. I thought it was coincidence at first, but it's happened so often it can't be that.

Ian

I would say they know their name, my two react to their own name but not the others name, if you know what I mean, obviously Teddy doesn't react to any name ( aaaww bles him). But I have to say Moto and Sophie do. Although having said that it took months for the pair of them to know, I was beginning to think they would never understand *this is your name*, do something. LOL

Yup... mine definately knows their own names... and I say their names in the same sort of tone of voice. BG will react to both Baby-Girl and Itty-Bitty... she will however not react to her proper name... as soon as one says it, she'll go "eeee!" and look at you with big wide eyes! Bless!

Pok will most of the time ignore us talking to him or calling him, but like Fudge, even in his sleep his ears will twitch if Pok or Pokie-Wokie is mentioned... even if me and my partner is mentioning it in our conversations (so clearly not the same tone as when speaking to Pokie), his ears will twitch.

Pok also knows quite a few other words... shrimp, food, tee-tee, cuddle, slap (due to slap-the-bum game), no, out, door, go, etc...

BG only understand "tee-tee" except for her names... I'd like to think she understands "food" too, but I normally tell her that as I'm walking towards the food bowls, so I think it's more me moving towards the food area then me saying it that makes her react.

I would say it's the name they recognise as Moli will wake up from a deep sleep and mew loudly if she hears you talk about her!
Misty on the other hand doesn't know her name and i can shout all sorts of words at her (including 'Misty') in the same tone of voice and not one gets a reaction. lol!

LOL! Mine both def know their names. Mads responds to 'come on then' 'you can' 'No' 'get down' 'bed bed' 'hello' and a few other things. But I think for her its more she understands what we are saying rather than the words themselves (if that makes sense). She also knows how to ignore us! LOL! She'll lift her head to acknowledge then pretend to be asleep.
Bramble reacts to all word and phrases the same, so for her its more likely the sound of our voices although she loves 'hello' and rolls about getting fruity to it! lol. She also comes running when we call her name.