Kitten refuses to learn name?

[legallyheidi]

I have a 10-week old male kitten who refuses to learn his name. He isn't deaf...I thought of that at first, but he can hear his toys rattle and squeak, so hearing isn't the problem. We've had other cats, and they have all taken to their names...not sure why this little guy is different. Has anyone ever had the same experience?

Thanks!

 

[daisy the cat]

hasn't had enough time to say it can't learn it's name yet. only ten weeks old! and is the name simple and short? or maybe the baby doesn't like it! always say it softly and only during positive times. get treats and when the baby comes for them, say the name softly and positively each time. i have taught my cats to do dog tricks. i was an animal professional for many years. i rescue now and take care of a feral colonly as well as my INDOOR ONLY! CAT. NEVER WOULD LET  HER OUTSIDE.

 

[jcat]

Maybe he's just too young, or doesn't like his name. What is it? A lot of cats seem to react best to two-syllable names ending in an "-ee" sound.

 

[sk_pacer]

First off, he is awful young, most don't really learn their names until they are a few months old. It helps if you tald to the kitten using his name and even the slightest indication of paying attention must have positive reinforcement. I've also found it helpfull to have the name start with a hard consonant rather than a soft consonant or vowel or at least the second syllable start with a hard sound. Tippy responded to his name earlier than his sister, Hissy. Zabby doesn't respond to anything but the B in the middle (he was wrongly christened Pansy, then started to respond to Wheresababy, and it degnerated to Zabby).. Seems any animal given a name responds to only one syllable, starting with a hard sound rather than the whole name.   

 

[legallyheidi]

His name is Lazy (he's kind of a lazy-boy...he'll lay flat on his back and let you rub his belly). That's actually the second name...for a few days I called him Bean...but it didn't seem easy to learn. I've had him since he was six weeks...so I figured maybe he should have learned it by now. Should I try something else? Like I said in my first post, our other cats we got as kittens easily learned their names...could Lazy just be, er, lazy and stubborn?

He's also an indoor kitty...they all are.

 

[gibbly]

I've never had a cat that responded to their name o3o, my grandpas cat actually comes when her name "Cat" is called (well, actually her NAME is Mariah, but my grandpa has called her "cat" for years and that is what she is used to) no matter where she is at she will come running, all of my cats would look at me like "yeah, what? I'm busy >=I"

Finn kinda knows her name when she;s in trouble, in the context of Finn! get out of there!" or "Finn, knock it off!" xD but otherwise she is a derp when it comes to her name u_U

10 weeks is a bit young to be expected to learn a name, as right now he just doesn't care WHAT you think xD, he's too busy being a baby and doing baby things 

 

[GoldyCat]

Hmm. I've always wondered how anyone gets a cat to answer to his/her name. I have 8, and not a single one of them will come when called, unless I have the food dish in my hand. :lol3:

 

[jcat]

"Lazy" sounds like something he should eventually learn to respond to. Ten weeks is probably way too young to learn his name, because at that age they're easily distracted by anything and everything.:lol3:

 

[txcatmom]

"Lazy" fits all the criteria for a good name for a cat to learn (2 syllables, end with ee sound.)  I wouldn't change it.  Maybe he is just living up to his name.  (Seriously though, with cats some will and some won't respond to their names.  Most know their names but only come when they feel like it, I think.)

 

[legallyheidi]

Hmm. I've always wondered how anyone gets a cat to answer to his/her name. I have 8, and not a single one of them will come when called, unless I have the food dish in my hand.

Lazy is our 7th...glad I'm not alone on the "large cat family" thing

 

[jokasta]

Hmm. I've always wondered how anyone gets a cat to answer to his/her name. I have 8, and not a single one of them will come when called, unless I have the food dish in my hand.

My cat's name is Jokasta. She clicked with it almost instantly. I reinforced it by calling her like that from the another room of the house until she got to me, then giving her a treat or her meals. She also misses me a lot when I'm gone, so before our reunions I stand by the closed door and call at her, using clearly and loudly her name. ("Jokasta! Where are you?" She always meows back at me.) 

 Now she definitely knows Jokasta means her. Today she ran eight floors towards me when I called her. There was no food in sight, obviously. I say it's definitely possible for a cat to learn her name, but she must "like" it first. Maybe see what words draw his attention, and go from there.

 

[riccadawn]

"River" will come from anywhere in the house if you call her. She also gets sassy and talks back if you yell at her for doing something wrong and use her name.

Miles and Mike both know their names, but don't *usually* come when called. 

The kittens were named Harry and Tommy when we adopted them from the shelter at 13 weeks. They both knew their names. Despite that, we changed their names to Leo and Clarkson, which they are still learning. We've had them 3 weeks now and they respond somewhat, but aren't completely sold on the new names yet.

 

[legallyheidi]

Thanks, all. I think he's just a bit stubborn...though I have tried the treat trick that was suggested, and he's figuring it out.

To whom I have just banned due to rudeness: Uh, NO. 25 tomorrow, to be exact. Our cats have all been adopted as kittens, all between 6-8 weeks, and all have learned their names rather quickly, usually within a few days. How RUDE of you...who do you think you are? I had a former neighbor who had show cats...and if you are anything like her, I wouldn't give you a demon cat, let alone this angel. Though, that would be judging, not wouldn't it...you know, what you did to me in your post. I would use the obscenities rambling around in my head...but I rather enjoy this forum, and *most* everyone in it, so I would rather no get banned.

Toodles