That's weird, my cat will come no matter what name I call her as long as I use the same intonations. I'm not convinced she knows her name but rather that she knows pitches. Similarly my cat won't do tricks without the hand gestures despite me always using the same commands. Maybe my cat is just dumb or stubborn, or both. I have seen her run head first into a wall before.
I loved the monologue in Austin Powers when Dr. Evil is talking about his childhood and he mentions that his father was a boulangerie owner. I didn't know what it meant at the time and had to google: "Bakeries must bake their bread on-premises to hold the title of 'boulangerie' in France"
My cat ignores made up names every time (barely acknowledging that I'm speaking to him by turning his ear around), and will, probably 2/3s of the time, come when called.
