How Many Sounds Does a Cat Make?

I don't let my cat run free outside but he goes out in his carrier which I lovingly call his "outhouse". When he wants to go out he will come to find me, talk to me and get my eye contact but only when I ask him if he wants to go outside will he stop begging, then he dashes off and into his outhouse to wait for me. If I'm away from home too long for his fragile emotional status he meets me at the door, telling me how horrible it was being left for so long and then dashes onto the bed expecting me to drop everything and love on him. Of course I have to because he is so adorable. He has a special voice for this latter. These are only two examples of many. Never had a cat like this.

@RoyalSpyder - I'm not sure about cats, but I do know that some dogs can understand human language, to an extent obviously. Either that, or they're more familiar with the sound associated with what's being said. For example, whenever I mention the words "eat" or "food" to my dog, his eyes will get big, and he'll get the food bowl from the kitchen. As another example, whenever I tell him "don't bark", he immediately stops.

On another note, I do find it interesting that cats produce certain sounds only for their masters. This doesn't seem to be the case for dogs, unfortunately. Overall though, this article really shows the bond a pet can have with their owner.

You know, this article got me thinking, considering how cats (and possibly other animals) create noises so that their owners will listen, does that also mean that some animals (cats included) can understand what people are saying? Obviously, they don't speak English, but they must have some knowledge of when their owner is telling them right and wrong, right?