alt Hacker NewsYeah it varies from individual to individual but the running theory I've seen is that cats can understand and interact with language at the level of a 3-4yo.
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I would love to believe this but given my experience with my cat even single words are tough for them. For example my cat knows how to fetch her favorite toy but doesn't respond to the word "fetch" at all even with positive reinforcement (treats). The word "fetch" just doesn't mean anything for her even though I've paired it with the action of her fetch many times we play.
Having a 3-year old and two cats (and many more previously in my life), that sounds absurd.
I can give my 3-year old (38 months) multi-part instructions and he can even ask clarifying questions back when my instructions are ambiguous or he doesn’t understand them. He’s also being to ask insightful questions as he observes the world around him.
To suggest cats are capable of anything remotely close to that (with humans) requires extraordinary evidence.
This is an absolutely wild theory. 3-4 year-olds can speak in full sentences, and understand quite complicated language