New research has revealed that felines enjoy the companionship of their owners and are capable of understanding human voices in a similar manner to dogs.

Cats are considered to be more aloof and independent than their canine counterparts but Saho Takagi, a psychologist at Kyoto University in Japan, says that the animals are very capable of "complex thinking".

She said: "They hold mental representations about the whereabouts of others – this is a form of socio-spatial cognition."

Experts tested dozens of cats by playing them a recording of their owner's voice – or that of a stranger's.

They also called their names and played the meows of other moggies to see how they reacted.

The study adds to the evidence that cats have a similar mindset to dogs.

For feedback: contact the Editorial Department at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com [4].