Researchers have discovered how to communicate with a cat

If you ever thought that your cat could totally understand you it turns out you might have actually been right.

A new study, published in Animal Cognition suggests cats can actually tell when their owners are speaking to them, rather than other humans, and it all has to do with the tone of voice being used.

Researchers, from Paris Nanterre University, found that cats were more responsive if owners spoke to them like babies, meaning in a high-pitched tone, but less so if an adult-to-adult tone was used.

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To do so, the team observed how 16 cats responded to hearing pre-recorded sentences spoken by their owner compared to a stranger.

They recorded changes in the animals' behaviour, such as moving their ears or tails, suddenly stopping what they were doing, or their pupils dilating – any of which could indicate that a sound had caught their attention.

When the stranger's voice was used the animals were largely unresponsive. But when the owner spoke, 10 out of the 16 cats reportedly displayed a host of the behaviours that suggested they were paying attention.

The cats also showed more signs of interest when their owner spoke sentences in a tone usually used to address their cat. They did not have the same reaction to a stranger using that tone, or when the owner spoke the same sentence in a normal conversational tone addressing another adult.

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"For a long time it has been thought that cats are very independent creatures, only interested in [humans for] eating and shelter, but the fact that they react specifically to their owner, and not just anybody addressing them, supports the idea that they are attached," lead researcher Charlotte de Mouzon said.

Mouzon said she also speaks to her own two cats "as if they were children" and notices they respond.

"People may be shy about admitting this, but I think it can help to reinforce the bond between cats and their owners. They get that we are giving them attention," she said.