do cats understand english

Cats do not understand English or human language in the way people do, but they do recognize certain words and sounds by associating them with experiences or outcomes. They can learn to identify their names, commands like "treat," or words tied to activities such as feeding, especially when these are consistently paired with positive reinforcement. Cats respond more to tone, inflection, and body language than to the specific meanings of words. Research shows cats can recognize around 20 to 40 words and respond to familiar commands or names, but this understanding is based on associative learning rather than comprehension of language syntax or semantics. Cats can also respond to multiple human languages if exposed to them regularly.