In a new study in the journal Scientific Reports, psychologist Atsuko Saito showed that cats know their names even when called by a stranger. She notes domestic cats are still evolving, thanks to closer human interactions as cats spend more time indoors. The inclusion of Japan’s cat cafes as study sites was an interesting twist on behavior research.
Source: National Geographic, April 4, 2019. Link. Saito notes that canines are literally born to respond to their names. For centuries, people have selectively bred dogs to be obedient and responsive. Cats, on the other hand, pretty much domesticated themselves when wildcats followed mice and rats into agricultural settlements.
. . . domestic dogs have a 20,000-year headstart over cats