How Long Cats Remember Their Owners, Abuse, Mistreatment, and Other Things (Cats' Memory Explained)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มิ.ย. 2023
- Do you think your cat remembers you when you come back months later from school or a trip? and how long does it take a cat to forget you?
Cats have a short-term memory that allows them to remember recent events and experiences.
Scientists believe a cat’s short-term memory lasts around 16 hours.
If you have just one interaction with a cat, she will likely remember you for up to 16 hours.
Similarly, if you accidentally step on their tail, that one-off bad event will fade away from your cat’s memory within 16 hours.
Interestingly enough, a study published in Applied Animal Science Behavior tested cat reactions to being restrained against their will at a veterinary surgery clinic. It was found that the cats didn’t avoid that location or people afterward.
Scientists have discovered that cats use their short-term memory to remember things of importance, like where they hunted the night before or where their new food bowl is located in the house.
Keep in mind that cats have a remarkable short-term memory capacity compared to other animals. While most animals can only hold a short-term memory for an average of 25 seconds, cats can retain information for up to 16 hours, which is quite significant.
But cats also have long-term memory. This memory can last indefinitely.
When certain things happen repeatedly, your cat will store that information in its long-term memory. For example, if you always bring out the cat carrier when it's time to go to the vet, your cat will learn to associate the carrier with unpleasant vet visits.
Even after many years, your cat will remember the carrier and try to avoid it because it associates it with bad experiences. Likewise, if your cat was bullied by the cat next door, she might have a hard time leaving the house, and that could carry into the next neighborhood you live in as well.
Long-term memories have the power to affect a cat’s behavior for a lifetime.
If a cat has been abused or mistreated repeatedly by humans, they will have a hard time trusting humans again.
Long-term memories are also what make cats afraid of certain people and hold grudges like there’s no tomorrow.
However, positive memories are also stored in long-term memory.
Pleasurable long-term memories are what allow your cat to leap into your arms when you return from a long trip.
If your cat has had good memories with you in the past, your scent will remind them of all the positive experiences. Your cat may not remember the specific interactions she’s had with you, but she will remember how you loved them and brought them joy.
Your smell will remind them of your affection, arrival of food or resources, as they always appeared when you were there.
So, if you are wondering whether your Persian cat will remember you after years of separation, the answer is yes, but only if you are worth remembering.
Do cats remember their mom or other cats if they are separated?
Just like how cats remember the humans they love, they can also remember other cats or animals they have formed long-term memories with.
In fact, a study was conducted where kittens were separated from their moms, and after a year, they were reunited. After reunion, the kittens showed a clear gravitation toward their mom, indicating that they remembered her. They recognized their mom through scent, as cats store long-term memories mainly through smells.
Interestingly, the scientists also discovered that these kittens could also recognize each other if they were separated for a year and then brought back together.
Episodic memory
It's important to know that a cat’s memory is so complex that lets them memorize predictable routines. For example, if you usually feed them at 7:00 am every morning, they will expect to be fed at that time. If you're late by half an hour one day, they get nervous. Your cat might get stressed and worry about where their next meal will come from.
Cats are creatures of habit and like to follow routines. So if you leave for several days, or their routine changes in some way, it can be very stressful for them.
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My mom had a cat (Rouki) and spent lots of time with him. She was retired so he was always on her lap while she was knitting or reading. Then my mom died suddenly in an accident. For weeks, the cat was sleeping on the footstool waiting for her to come back and every time the front door opened, he lifted his head to see who it was and since it wasn’t my mom, he would go back to sleep. It lasted until he understood that she wasn’t coming back. I have the cat with me now and I kept his routine except that I don’t spend a lot of time on the couch. So every time I sit on the couch, he comes running and jumps on my lap to be petted. I love that cat ❤
I’m so sorry for the sudden loss of your your mother. But I’m very glad her cat had you when he lost her too. Cats do grieve and need time to process the loss just like humans do. I’m glad you both had each other to lean on during that trying time.
Yes, so sorry about your Mother and your loss. I pray you will be reunited one day including her cat.
Sorry for your loss, I took over my Mother’s dog and cat after she died, they were very sad but I kept up her daily routine with them and I’m so glad that I did it, it brings you closer to your deceased love one knowing you are taking care of the fur babies they loved so much.
😢
That's was such a sad story. I'm so sorry.
Anyone who's had a cat knows, 100%, without any doubt, that cats are able to remember things for YEARS.
😂totally agree.
For 9 Lives!
Cats are not stupid
Yes, back in 2000 when I had a Mainecoon kitten he was about a year old when we moved and had the metal bed rails laying detached on floor ( one corner had no plastic guard) well he went running full force into bedroom and hit his head on it. For 3-4years every time he went in that room he would jump up and over doorway. So definitely he remembered being hit in head for years after.
EXACTLY!
When mum passed away, our cat was howling up in the air for 2 years and I knew it was because she missed her presence. I ask my cat, where is mama, and she looks up and beyond my shoulder as though saying she is right here. This comforted me greatly and still does. This cat is the type that prefers to be left alone but she is always nearby lounging but not a lap cat type but that's ok, I respect her individuality.
My cat isn't a lap cat... but loves to be near me all the time. He loves me I know he does but he is very independent. Every now and then he will nap with me... but on his terms.
A friend of mine moved away in HS. 10 years later when I visited him he had the same cat. Butterscotch the cat remembered me instantly, and was in my lap purring in seconds after my arrival. 10 years.
Yeah I think this is a bunch of crap I have seen people move away and go to a different country and come back many years later and their cat that was left at home with the parents remember that person right away
Maybe he reacty like that to any visitors, not necessary he remembered you, or maybe you were a different nice human that that he met 10 years ago in the cat's mind
@@imateel7116 In my case, the cat was friendly enough but not like that even with some of the family. I was at my friend's house to help raise Butterscotch from a kitten before they moved away.
They do remember, and how. My friend had a similar story. I would also love to ask these "experts" why a cat would be able to remember his name after 16 hours. LOL! After what has happened globally recently, I don't know why I'm so surprised that so many are so gullible. :)
We had a Tortie that adored my son. When he came home from college her behavior instantly changed and she would sleep on his bed, follow him around etc.
My baby girl is now 21 years old. 🙌🏾🙏🏾😊 We've been together since she was a kitten. The longest we've been apart has been a year. I thought she would forget me but as soon as she heard my voice and saw my face she was up under me and talked my ears off. I got a lot of kisses, licks, and head butts.😊 She misses me whenever I leave to even go upstairs.😂 God made such beautiful companions for us to cherish and be cherished by. 🙏🏾😊💙😻
They are gods gift for sure. I hope mine live to be that age🥺 I love this so much💓
21 years old, he must be like 150 year old cat years. Holy...
@@jaylu7021 That's equivalent to about 105.
Would you recommend Neutering them? My male cat has reached puberty and is 8 months now.
Holy kitty 🐱
My cats were bottle fed by a friend of mine when they were orphaned newborns. Even 10 years later, they still remembered her and acted differently toward her than toward me, being more cuddly and attentive and letting her carry them.
Must have internalized the smell as "mother".
I have one baby I bottle fed and we went through hell with him being sick…. Like I gave him enemas and he pooped on me and we cried together… point being, I have a very very different bond with him then I do with any of my other animals… it’s just special. So don’t take it personal.
She was their mum
Cats remember. One that showed up after several missing years knew exactly where food and bowl waters, and where to sleep. He spent the rest of his life as a member of our family.
We were separated from our cats for 11 months in Europe (pandemic).
I was worried my Garth would forget me.
When we picked them up, he seemed overwhelmed with all that was going on until he saw me.
He pushed his head into my forehead (our thing) and was just so happy to see me. For months after he would press his head into my chest when I held him.
So yea, he remembered me ❤️
I’m curious, how would the pandemic force you away from your cats?
People were not allowed to travel during the Covid pandemic especially overseas and many were suddenly trapped away from home in countries like Australia, for example.
Cat's do remember. They are highly sensitive beings. So happy you were reunited ♥
@@eowyneadig7879 Probably because of draconian laws from where she comes from. Maybe she can't bring her cats without them vaccinated.
My cats follow me upstairs and downstairs; everywhere I go in the house. They’re never far from me and run down to greet me when I come home. They absolutely love us when we pay attention to them and treat them right. They also talk a lot to us if we talk to them.
As does my Jackson I Rescued him from an Abusive home (mostly the little brat kid) Jackson is at my side Constanily. I do not try to pick him up
he comes to me when he is ready and on his own terms Jackson NEVER NEVER GETS SCOLDED
When I come he Talks to me I Love You😻Daddy And I love 🥰Jackson soo much too
Yes my cat too
Same here.. cats can be very affectionate when treated right ❤
That's adorable 🥰
Mine do too. In fact, even neighbours' cats gravitate towards me: One of my neighbours' cats even lets me wash his face and remove the sleep from his eyes.
i adopted a cat from a hoarding situation 6 months ago, i have had him close to 3 months now, i hope he forgets the abusive situation he was in. All i can do is love him. He seems to be adjusting quite well but at first he was scared
My cat also came from a hoarder house. Have had her 6 months and shes so pampered and loved I don’t believe she remembers any of her previous life.
My cat was from shelter and scaredy too
Even if they never forget, they will appreciate you all the more for not being like that.
I adopted an 8 month old kitten from a shelter where she had been taken to twice by 2 different people. I didn’t know if she had been mistreated but I decided to give her a new name. I thought maybe it would give her a fresh start. I don’t know if it made a difference or not, but she was the sweetest girl. ❤
It took our cats years (well, took one of them years to become mormally confident, the other was comfortable much sooner) to recover from abuse, but with plenty of love we gave them, they now even trust strange people that we let inside the house. They know we would never let any harm happen to them.
Every time I come home after a few short hours my cat is already at the door meowing! It is almost as if he knows my footsteps coming into the building.
he probably smells you.
😂😢
My cats perk up when hubby's truck pulls in the driveway
@@WilliamMcAuliffe-iv2cv interesting. my brother's cat greets us at the door every single time. i'm over there a lot so I'll get the same greeting my brother does.
At first I used to worry he was sad and just waiting by the door all day but then I saw him charge across the house to greet my brother when he heard the downstairs door.
It's a duplex. So it's the same door downstairs for the downstairs neighbor. When that door opens and it's the neighbor he doesn't even more. He could be in the bedroom and if it's my brother hes running to the door, and if it's the neighbor nothing.
Same mine 🤩 she rub her face to me and blinking her eyes slowly, means she says I love u and I grab her always
45 years later, I still remember my first cat Muguet born on May 1st 1978. I was 4 and still remember that wonderfull day he arrived at home !
❤
I've had cats for many many years. They for sure remember even one bad event for years and also remember people very well!
My mom's cat fell sick when my dad passed away and my mom moved with my brother, living the cat with my sister. He won't eat so he got very sick. We almost thought he wouldn't make it. My mom took care of him after been told about his condition. Thank God he recovered.
When I lived in a city of 5 million people, I had a cat for about 5 years. He disappeared. About year later I came home from work about 1 am and saw a cat just up the street from where I was. This cat looked like my missing cat so I yelled his name. The cat came running towards me. He had a different collar on him that was torn to shreds. He was so happy to see me. I personally think that someone stole him because of the collar he was wearing wasn't the one I had on him. The condition of the collar told me that he had escape. His weight told me that he was not hungry. So how long does a cat remember his/her owner I am going to say at least a year.
In another instance, I had a cat for 8 years and had to go over seas for a year. If I took the cat with me it would be in quarantine for 4 months. My friend decided to take care of him for the year I was gone. When I got back that cat came running to me when he heard my voice. So I will still saw a year.
Cat can remember their owner for 10 years 😊
I think cat can remember his owner basically all their live, but for strangers not so much.
It's at least 38 months and probably longer, because I was away for 38 months and when I got home, my cat meowed loudly repeatedly and ran down the stairs and straight to me.
My cat and I had to move home with my parents after a bad breakup back in 2016. We were there about 11 months.
It's been years since my cat has seen my mom, but she came over the other day and as soon as he heard her voice, he came running and meowing. He always remembers her ❤️
They remember vibration, attitude/will, scent, voice, sight & beyond just like most animals. No bow ties or lab coats or grants needed to understand these special bonds ❤
So they remember vibrations, but not people? How does that work exactly? Here's a fact. No one, not one animal expert has ever gotten into an animals head.
@@marysmith4811I agree about the vibration part, my cats over the years have been an excellent judge of character. If they don't like someone, I pay attention.
We had a Tabby (one of 5 rescues) that was kinda overweight but after one of our others had to be put to sleep she kept losing weight to the point that we were really concerned about her. She leveled out but was never the same again after losing her buddy. Cats are so amazing if they are loved and cared for properly....much like us humans.
I’m 65, and I’m pretty much always at home with her. She gets a lot of attention from me. She was a rescue and abused as a baby, left on the side of the road with 2 babies. I’ve worked really hard with her for the 4 years I’ve had her. I do not know her she. I have managed to develop trust with her, but she still has her alone moments when she does not want to be stimulated.
Just be consistently good to her. She will come around. Some cats are just more aloof than others. I have a gray one that is all hugs and kisses at meal time but after she could not really care less. Every few weeks she decides it is a good time to sit in my lap and then not a word for weeks. She is the wildest cat i have and tough.
All cats like their private quiet time. I doubt it’s person with your cat either. Enjoy them and they’ll enjoy you😻
I know personally that cats miss their owners. My boy, Spectre, he misses me when I'm gone. I had surgery one day, outpatient surgery, but I was gone for close to 12 hours. When I came home, he jumped up on my lap, and sat with me for close to 3 hours before giving me kisses and sitting next to me. I've had video cameras rolling after that that shows for about a half hour, he starts heavy vocalizing, paces around the service entrance door, and then finally going to one of his beds to curl up and sulk. But I also know he can get angry, too. A while ago, I had 2 kittens dumped off to my from my brother. Spectre was upset with the situation for all of....10 minutes, I think. Then, he decided these were HIS kittens. He is very closely bonded to the female kitten named Mina. Well, as all kittens, it came time to spay her. I left her at the vet, like you do, and when I came home, Spectre was VERY upset with me. He would run from me, wouldn't come to me when I called him, swatted me, attacked my legs a couple times, and for his last action, he swatted down and put a quarter-sized puddle in one of his cat beds while looking right at me. He NEVER does this sort of thing!! When I was treating the cat bed and preparing it to be washed, the vet called and told me Mina was ready to be picked up. THANK GOD!!! I brought her home, and Spectre immediately went up to her, and head bunted her, and licked her face, and the two of them went to the cat bed I have under my desk, and went to sleep for a couple hours. A few hours later, Spectre jumped up on my desk, and made up to me by bunting my hands and brushing against my hand and giving me kisses, and then all was right with the world again.
Do cats miss or grieve? Yes they do. I was keeping one of my mom and dad's cats with me for a while so they could attend to my little brother (he is a sickly special needs individual they have guardianship over, since he is an adult). Well, I had a kitten of my own, and Socks immediately fell in love with her. Ridley was found by my parents at a campground they host for, and she was such a sweet kitten, they asked me if I wanted her, and I said I would. She was sick, and it wasn't until the last month of her life that I found out, she had Feline Leukemia Virus and had gotten anemic from it. When Ridley died, I had to take her to be buried, and Socks waited by the back door for her to come home for an entire month, and would wail at night by the back door until he figured out she was not coming back.
My cat Shark never did recover from losing two of our cats. They were old and one had been sick for several years. We used to have quite the cat choir at meal times with four cats in the house. When we lost Felix and Whiner, Shark never did meow at dinner times again. I think he missed the full choir too. In the months beside before we lost them, Whiner had taken to sitting on my lap during the day and sleeping on my head at night. The right after we lost them, Shark jumped in my lap and sat with me with his paw wrapped around mt leg. That night, he jumped on my pillow and slept with his head on my mine. He had never done that before. He continued Whiner’s legacy until we lost him to diabetes four years later.
They were good boys. 😢
Hi from Okinawa Japan! I enjoyed your cat experiences! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your story i appreciated to read this
So sad. Socks is ok now? He experienced a great loss ...his best friend.
@@lindamiranda7769 He's ok, now. He's back with Mom and Dad, now, and my brother is out of the hospital, so, everything is back to normal. I take Spectre with me when I go see them, and they lay together and clean each other, still. Socks is definitely a cat's cat.
My little boy is my heart. He's always so excited to see me after work. I let him play in the sink and play fetch/hide-and-seek games with his treats. Nothing better than giving his cheeks scritches while he purrs on my chest. 😻😻😻
Amen ❤️
When I first got my kitten, I spent days in the house with her. The first day she just sat on the corner of the bed. She didn't eat nor did she move. I knew she was shocked. New place. No Mommy, no sister 😢 I tried to help her adjust. She sprayed my easy chair the first day I went out. I never said a word to her. I have to go out as I am the sole supporter. I don't have a motor vehicle. She got used to it. I love my fur baby. I can't imagine life without her ❤
I have a new kitten. We play in the evenings with a challenging box full of holes, a maze of sorts, with challenging climbs and jumps. In the last week, from day to day, it is pretty clear she is thinking about what she learned and needed to do better with new techniques each new day to conquer the maze.
She can't jump up on top of the box directly so she runs around the workbench, jumps on a short shelf, across the shelf and then up on the box.
Pretty amazing how she figures things out and remembers them.
Just back from a one week trip abroad and despite the best efforts my husband made, I can tell that my 4 year old male cat missed me very much. I missed him lots, too, though, finding it harder and harder to get away.
When I brought Bodhi's empty cat carrier home...heartbroken...in 9/2012, Karma stood at attention next to it and wouldn't leave. I have a picture to prove it. She was just as heartbroken as I was. Years before, she and Bodhi would be in my apartment's living room window that overlooked where I parked...waiting for me to come home from work. I have many stories about them and my current children, Chakra and Bleu.
My cat, that I lost May this year (he was going to turn 17), was an inside & outside cat, he was mostly outside when I was at work. When I came home he recognized the engine sound of my car and came right to the door.
When I borrowed a friends car for a week when mine was being repaired he didn't, and I had to open the door (which gave a little squeak when I opened it) for him to notice I was home.
I used to "boop" him on the nose, and he sometimes did the same to me in the mornings to wake me up. I miss him so much :( He always slept right beside me and loved to lay on my chest and perform surgery on my chest.
I was separated from my then 2 rescue cats for almost a year. When the situation improved, to my surprise, bothered cats recognized me after a few seconds of shock. I have learned so much.
Bothered cats?
@@nooo9740 both*
My daughter sent her Persian to stay with me for a few months when she had her daughter. Ben was very stressed and had to go home sooner than planned. I think it would have gone better if he was visited more but that wasn't possible. I didn't fully undertand his gestures and the sign for "pick me up" now means "give me more treats than I was used to getting before you sent me away." I was able to break him from jumping on counters, drinking from the toilet and scratching furniture and he's still very affectionate and remembers me when I visit. Ben's new routine is very different but he's showing no signs of stress. He doesn't care for the baby but loves her furniture and accessories when she isn't using them.
My one cat was attached to my late ex-gf..when she left me she still wanted to visit the cat once in a while..after couple years she would visit him..and he would greet her each time with a same very special meow each time!
I owned two black and white tuexedos and grew up with cats. Buffy who I took in from the streets was so independent she didn't really care much for any of us, but when she needed something, she'd come to my mother or myself. The last born of Buffy's litter, Midnight, took after me. Like a dog, she followed me. She was my tiny shadow. She slept with me in bed. She was there when I was upset. She even followed me to the bathroom. Because I was still in elementary, she definitely knew the routine. She'd sit at the window and wait to see when I was coming back and then she'd be there when I opened the door. I was her human. She'd even stay beside me while I was doing my homework. Very rarely did she ever leave my side. She was even best friends with my black lab, Perdy. They both had their special spots in bed with me. When I'd wake up, she'd be on the top of my head. If I set my alarm and decided to sleep in on a weekend, that wasn't happening. Midnight and Buffy would tag team to get me to get out of bed. Lol.
After not having seen my dad for a year, his blind cat recognised my voice instantly and came over to see if we had food 😸
My cat likes certain friends who come over and not others, and even if the same person comes over super infrequently or my cat had only seen them once before, etc, he remembers if he likes that person or not and either runs up excitedly to greet them or hisses and runs after them trying to bite them. There doesn’t appear to be any particular reason why he likes or detests this or that person, but he’s very consistent in who he doesn’t want in his home and who he’s happy to see.
Same here. I just assume he's gonna hiss and be scared of anyone new. But half the time he'll run up to them purring
Meow, Meow!
I once had two cats, (Main Coon from 2002, and my Tortice Shell Bombay since 2013) and my Bombay has definitely "marked" me as her personal territory, although she was "supposed to be" my 6yo Daughters "fur baby" at the time...
I have learned SO MUCH from this Channel, Thank You.
Cats so remember! I have had many rescue cats and have had to ban any triggers perculiar to each one from my house. Grin - no boots - no scary sounding coats - no raised voices - no sudden movements - etc etc - what I have noticed is they do, with time and understanding get less reactive and I would say each one was an utter joy and a privilege
My cat is like this as well. I was able to help him get over his fear of noisy jackets thankfully. I started putting on a noisy jacket to give him treats, and now when I grab that coat he comes up to me for goodies. I just want him to be comfortable and not afraid, but there's so much I can't seem to help him with. For instance, he is afraid of strangers.
@@hopefulpellinore5490 strangers have to abide by your rules around him - getting them to sit and talk quietly helps and ideally one at a time - obviously let him hide bless him - and it's great to know how hard you're trying bless you
And another thought - one of my cats could pick out a specific phrase within a conversation - it's a phrase commonly used by people suffering from annoyance - regardless of context he'd be straight under the couch - as soon as I made the connection I banned it - he was a lot happier!
@@user-wj5co6xb4x Thank you for your input, I appreciate it! We take it a day at a time, I find it harder to make people understand and accept that I'm trying to ensure that my cat feels comfortable. Many people seem to treat their animals like accessories.
@@hopefulpellinore5490 they sure do! But your house - your rules - and the argument I've always used is - my cats live here too! Most people accept it when they realise I'm serious - those that can't - I meet elsewhere!
My girlfriend had a cat, and it irritated her because the cat liked me more than her. The cat got so excited when I pulled into the driveway to visit & would jump into my lap as soon as I sat down. I told my gf it was just because I was always so warm. Probably wasn't the reason, but it made my gf feel better.
My dog Sandy waited 3 weeks by the door for me to come home when I moved out of my parents place. Dogs are amazing too.❤
It is as shown in this video. Our former stray tomcat only rarely shows that he indeed wants company, but there are small indications that he does (like seeking specific places where he can get our scents when we're out). And sometimes he's much more direct, like sitting in front of the door ("blocking" it) when we are about to leave the house, or looking after us when we walk away. Cats are really subtle, and we still learn to read this specific one.
Cats also understand what the vet is trying to do, they know that it is about their health. My cat goes to the vet without a carrier or any issues. She recently had a broken leg set in a cast, and I believe that she knows what the vet is all about.
Mine always behaves like a gentleman when at the vet.. he always gets complements from the vet.
Mine clings to me but doesnt bite or scratch or hiss
oh that is not my experience at all. One of my previous cats would tolerate vet visits...barely. The other would immediately go into hissing/spitting/biting mode (yes vets can handle that) and my current cat is alternately angry/mean and so terrified that he tries to disappear into the exam table.
some cats are indeed fine with vet visits, but definitely not all of them.
I was lucky enough to find an all cat vet place. I'm pretty sure my cat thinks I hired servants for her. It's pretty much like Downton Abbey & we are all serving her Ladyship. LOL It's also the 1st time she seemed more relaxed in the waiting room. She is never relaxed. Other creatures, other people. Everyone is scary (stranger danger). But she was actually pretty chill.
All of my cats remembered the cat carrier that brought them to the vet the 2nd time I brought it out. Way longer after the 1st time than 16 hours, and right away, not after repeated bad memories, just after a one off non traumatic visit.
Yep! We usually pull the carrier out about a month before our cats’ appointments. If we don’t, we won’t find them when its time to go. 😂
My cat is an outdoor cat and she waits outside by the gate when I come home. I can't even walk anywhere from my house as she would follow me wherever I go. I was always a dog person but since my cat came into my life I have changed my mind about cats and totally love them now.
When I wasn't doing well, my cats took over the apartment. We had a close yet dysfunctional relationship. My cat in Virginia saved my life over and over again, and he also could have found a better home than mine while I was being tortured, but formed a bond beyond anything I've ever felt. He's probably dead now. He was older when I got him. My friend gave him to a hotel manager who liked him because it was clear that he was going to die of stress. He hated cars. We were separated by unfortunate events.
Our boys snub us when we come home after being gone over night but by bedtime, they've usually decided that 'we've learned our lesson' & they're friendly again ;)
I have only ever had one who reacts that way but boy does he get mad if I'm gone overnight. Usually I get a happy greeting when I return home after a normal absence, but if it goes too long he just glares at me then turns away - he seems thoroughly disgusted with me! That lasts for several hours. I have only done it twice for truly unavoidable reasons (and had my cat sitter come by to feed him at his normal times), but he absolutely does not take it well.
i think cats remember situations as well as the positive feelings. our black tabby would create specific types of games with my wife and would initiate them or my wife could initiate them with certain body movements and he would remember exactly which position to get into and how to play the game. he's a very odd cat, much different than any other that i've had, he makes very discernable facial expressions to show his feelings, like curiosity, concern, contentment, anger, fear, joy and seems to have a pretty good grasp of everything going on around him. i swear sometimes he's possessed by a human soul.
Leaving your Cat alone for to long is not only stressfull but maybe even *DEADLY* for the animal
Completely agree!! I had a neighbor who neglected her cat all the time. She would take off and leave home due to a mental disorder she never dealt with that caused her to fear her home. There is an actual name for it, it's like a phobia where some people feel afraid to leave their home this is the opposite where they associate where they reside with distress & contempt, misery, she was hoarder too!! So running away was all she ever did and since her husband died, nobody was home with kitty anymore, ever. It was totally selfish and abusive especially since the cat was used to her husband always being there. So the cat felt abandoned and alone in a cramped, hoarded apt. The cat died soon after from supposedly developing cancer but I honestly believe she died very prematurely due to neglect and feeling unloved and unwanted. She missed the husband who was always home with her. To make matters worse, this leftist mess was given two more cats by the stupid cat shelter association she volunteers with. This cat killer has them fooled and I don't know how since anyone who sees her apt knows it's clear she is mentally deranged. She took the two wild feral cats and can't stand them. Too selfish for her own good!!!! They have no room to do anything in her hoarded cramped shoe box pig sty!! They are wild and need space to exercise and run, play, be cats!! She is addicted to having to have to have a pet when she should never qualify. Their food bills alone each month are astronomical and she whines about being on a low income while wasting hundreds on wet goop and her animals always end up overweight with health problems to which she forces them to remain alive with grotesque surgeries. I could share more horrors but I'm sure you get the idea. I was very distressed she got her hands on two more after killing the other one and of course she neglects these new ones too now. I tried to report her to two different entities but nobody apparently ever did anything. I thought she should be charged with animal cruelty. She is so self centered that she only wants something alive when she finally returns home, just to sleep at night. An she can't stand them around her even then. Why do such sickos get animals if they clearly don't even like them or want them!?! She constantly has to have animals. Authorities should do more about disturbed individuals and charge them accordingly. Maybe had she not aborted all her babies she wouldn't be lonely in older age with children but the mentality of animal cruelty and aborting your own babies go hand in hand with a deranged psychopath as far as I'm concerned. In fact her selfishness and lack of regard fit the profile of what I already knew of her. Neglect IS the worst form of abuse and DOES kill!!!! She's good at that, at killing innocents.
Ugh it makes me feel so guilty going into work...when I first got him I was remote for a year. I'm trying to have a remote job
I’ve been hospitalized two times this year. The first time I was gone from the house about 27 hours. And my little girl Mirabel avoided me for a couple of months afterwards. It was only after I took her to the vet to get her shots that she suddenly wanted to be around me again. I was recently in the hospital for five days and she is not avoiding me like she did last time. But this time somebody actually came over from time to time to check on them last time nobody came over to check on them at all while I was gone. Although this time the person I was checking on them never once clean out the litter box, so that was pretty bad when I finally did get home. But my little girl is very bright. Sometimes I think she’s smarter than my neighbors. It’s amazing what cats can do and what they remember. That’s why I prefer cats over dogs.
Having gifted an old neighbor with a very beloved cat and seeing them again as far as 13 years later, I can say they do remember but-all that matters to them, is you let them go.
My cat delivered 4 kittens among which the first born almost always used to be a good brother and take care of the runt....like he'd steal large chunks of meat her mom brought and bring it, eat with the runt, hiss at any others who tried to eat with them. Honestly because of it the runt survived months after the mom left but sadly it passed away one day. After a couple of years i stumbled upon this clip of the first born kitten meowing and the runt immediately went about looking for him everywhere
🤣
😢
I had a cat called Kitty Kitty as a kid. She was my baby. When my mom died when I was a kid, I became an orphan (11 years old) and was made to leave my cat cause I was homeless. I asked a friend to take her in. When I was 14, I found my way back to that friend who had sent me pictures of Kitty through the years. Kitty walked out of a corner in the house, ran over and jumped into my arms like no time had passed. The only time I ever cried with joy in my life. I did not want to uproot her again and kissed her goodbye. That was over 20 years ago and I am still friends with my cat savior. 😊
I have owned one feral female and her domesticated kitten--mature adult. I tried to tell her many times I wished I could have been there when the irresponsible person released her in the first place. She was such a nice cat though kept her feral traits for the entire time she lived with me. I miss her and her lap cat mature (kitten.)
Magnificent Video!!! This truly helped us... Thank you so much
I truly believe cats are some of the most emotionally intelligent animals humans have befriended. I think they are way smarter and more emotional than people often give them credit for
I was very close to my mom’s cat Gizmo, and I was one of the few people that he liked; we were like best friends. When he was about ten years old, I moved far away. I remember that on the day I left, Gizmo wouldn’t let me touch him, which was unusual; I was one of the few people that he allowed to pet him. When I would came back to visit about once a year, Gizmo would sniff me, and then swat at me and give a warning cry. Sadly, he never let me pet him ever again. About seven years after I had left, there was an occasion where I was visiting, and he came up to me at night in the darkness and started bunting me. I was too afraid to pet him because he had a reputation for biting. This was the last contact I ever had with him as he died a few months after.
My sympathies.
Thanks. I think that was his way of making amends and forgiving me. I couldn’t take him with me though because he wasn’t really my cat.
One of my cats, a former feral went on a hunger strike when I went away for two weeks on a business trip. It was scary. She put herself into active kidney failure. It was so scary. My husband tried everything. When I came home she literally knocked me over to get at me. Previously she had acted friendly with me, but not overly clingy. After this, she was a lap,kitty with me any way. Our vet said she had separation anxiety and after this I never went anywhere without her. Loved her to pieces. She died about 6 years after this at 18 years, but was the happiest kitty. ❤ I was so lucky she chose me as her human.❤
Most of the people that think animals don't remember just as well as human remember, will also say don't feed animals because they remember it and causes domestication issues and euthanasation. They just calling "imprinting" when it comes to animals and call it "remembering" when it comes to humans.
It's really disheartening that some people don't value and give credit to others species minds and neuro or brain abilities like we do for ourselves. We don't even know why, how, or what our own species ,human, minds work or remember fully, yet some claim to know how animals minds are and that they don't remember like humans. Proportional to humans and relative to time alive and other metrics for companionship, like time spent with others or amount of similar interests, all animals remember there past history and interactions same as humans.
For once, i've found a video here that is spot-on accurate! Good info. Nice job...
I only use plastic forks/spoons at home to serve wet cat food. But then our cat got allergies and had to change her diet, which meant dry prescription food only.
About a year later I grabbed a plastic fork while in the kitchen and my cat saw me. She started meowing desperately, begging for wet food, as if she hadn't been fed her entire life! The cat remembers.
My mom was in the kitchen wearing shoes with a solid heal, my cat was behind her and she stepped back onto my cat's paw. My cat screamed so loud I came running to see what had happened to her. Weeks later I'm in the kitchen with my Mom, my cat was behind her, my Mom started to step back, my cat looked at her foot and screamed.
I stepped on my cat's tail *once* while we were in the kitchen - similar scenario, fully accidental. I had shoes on, too. Since then, any time I am walking around in the kitchen and wearing shoes, if I get even remotely close to him he hisses at me. They often remember, even after a single incident!
wife had blood-chem crash, critical condition. she eventually got sent to a home for rehab. after about a month, in the middle of the night, Baxter began squawling. he was making muffled yowls, dragging my wifes housecoat belt down the hall and laying it at my feet. it was so heartbreaking. i asked the home staff if i could bring him in a pet carrier to see her. "Yes". cats are wise and more attached to us than we know. btw, his reaction: equivalent to "Oh, so you're ok." assume catloaf and nap. edit: people who had cats at home that missed them asked nurses if it was ok to come "visit" Baxter. i brought him every weekend--he made a lot of lonely people a little bit happier.
I had a neighbor look after my cat when I went on vacation for 3 weeks. They only saw them one time when he was cornered down a hallway with the doors closed and then ran off. While the neighbors had come over a number of times they never once saw my cat because he always hid. My neighbor talked really loud and was a smoker, a super awesome person but they may have had some hearing problems so they just talked really loud.
I ended up moving out of state and about 3 years later my neighbors came for a visit. The second they came in the front door my cat began running to the hall but stopped in his tracks. My neighbor said they could really use a smoke and went straight to the back deck and my cat was very intense, walking towards them and looking as if "I know these people" and looked around like in a circle and went right up to him and marked his hand and was enthralled to see him like he was a long lost friend. It was if he was thinking "Hey, I know this person, I can't believe they are here, I know them". The rest of the visit my cat was very friendly and enjoyed all the extra petting. When someone tells you a cat forgets you as soon as you walk out of the room don't believe them. They have a nice long memory. At least 3 years.
THANKS For the info, as expected.
One of my cats can tell by my morning routine if I have go to the office that day. By the time I am out of the shower she is already pouting. When I get back home if I am more than 5 minutes late getting home, she throws a fit. My kitty sure did hate it when covid restrictions got lifted.
I had to leave my cat of 4 year with my folks when I was over seas in the USN. About two years in, he disappeared for 3 months. I came home on leave and the next day he showed up half starved on the doorstep. I spent 2 weeks nursing him back to health and had to turn him over to my sister for my last 6 months over seas. He remembered me.
"Member Chewbacca again?"
"Ooooohh, I member!!!"
My cat (R.I.P.) was always fed around 4am when I got up to get ready for work. On the weekends when I'd generally try to sleep in, he wasn't having any of it, by 5/6am he'd be on my chest pawing me in the face as if to say, "YO... get your ass up outta this bed and gimme my Fancy Feast or I'ma gonna claw you face off!"
I miss him.
I have a huge old “junkyard” cat who chose my home as his own. Fritz, the cat I had for years was a sweet one who was a perpetual kitten at heart. When the big tough golden colored cat moved in and dominated over him, he just accepted it. For years they shared space and got along by ignoring one another. Then about a year ago I began to notice a bond between them. Wherever my big white cat would curl up the huge golden boy would get next to him. Last January I noticed a change in my beloved white cat. He declined quickly and passed away on January 16th of this year. I was devastated, but what surprised me was Kitster, my big golden boy was very grief stricken. He would search everywhere looking for Fritz. It has been four months now without Fritz, and Kit still seeks out Fritz’s favorite places and I know he is very lonely. I miss him too so very much. 😢😿
106: that kitty is the spitting image of my Maine Coon, Shark. We lost him just over a year ago to diabetes. I’ve never seen a more empathetic and caring cat in my life. We had a cat (Whiner- my husband’s from before we married) that at age 15, suddenly started sleeping in my lap during the day and at night, would sleep on my head. I never did figure out why, but I had some severe medical problems going on and think that may have had something to do it. He NEVER got in my lap like that. Unless it was to get attention from my husband! Lol
The day we lost Whiner, Shark got in my lap and wrapped his paw around my leg for over an hour and a half. That night, he slept with his head on mine. He’d never done that before either but he actually continued Whiner’s vigil over me! He continued to do that until he lost his battle with diabetes.
Cats are capable of remember and understanding far more than we give them credit for. Rip Whiner and Shark. We were blessed to have you both in our life.
I got my little Deja when she was very tiny, just a handful. Her former owner had a baby granddaughter who was allowed to play with the kittens. Deja is terrified of babies.
Great information
My cat was deaf; but faithfully wound be at the front door every time I returned from work. At first I thought it was my/ her routine, or that she never left the entry all day! But then I noticed she’d stop whatever she was doing to go to the door when my son drove by to the parking lot, too. (The entry into our complex passed by the front doors). She would never go to the door when neighbors cars would drive through, though. The only explanation I have, is she differentiated our vehicles’ vibrations on the floor from theirs, since we provided her ❤.
Okay so short story. I have a little tuxedo cat. This boy has retained so many behaviours from when he was a kitten with me. For example: when he was a kitten everyday when I got home from work, I would pick his tiny kitten body up and put him on my shoulder and he'd ride on my shoulder around the house while I got food for us both or whatever the routine for the night was that day. I would also snuggle him every night as he would scream his cat cries if I left him by himself. Now, every single day, when I come home I can see him waiting for me through the window on my front door, he's ALWAYS there, and the first thing he does is scale my body to sit on my shoulders, (he's like 12 pounds now, so he's not got much room up there but he finds a way to fit), he also will cry at the same time every night until I join him for sleep, and he has to lay nestled up to my neck. If I'm laying in a way where he can't reach my neck, he will inform me in his cat language of his displeasure.
I'm actually shocked that he appears to not only remember what i would do with him when he was little, he also remembers the time I come home from work, my normal bedtime, etc.
And everytime he's screaming at me in his cat lingo because it's bedtime and he wants snuggles I can't help but think 'this animal is gods perfect creation'
I rescued 2 cats living under my mother house in my backyard. It took me 54 days for 1 of feeding her everyday after work and her @ 5:47 every evening coming up my back deck to sit on the last step waiting for me to put the food out before she allowed me to pet her. She instantly started drooling and ended up jumping up in my lap when I sat down and soaked my jeans with drool. I pet her for over an hour and she didn’t want me to stop. I called the vet right away to see if I could get her in to check her out and was able to the next day. So I let her stay outside that night and she just stayed right by the back door. I took her to the vet and everything was perfect with her, just has a hernia that the vet didn’t want to do as she was already fixed and didn’t want to do anything that wasn’t affecting her as she was only going to be indoors. She’s never tried to go outside after that day. She’s a Bombay and I named her Gargamel as I couldn’t get close enough to tell what she was until I pet her and she was already answering to the name.
The 2nd one had some serious issues with her coat, she had patches of bald skin on her legs, butt and stomach, so I named her patches. But it took me 73 days of feeding her and trying to calmly talk to her as she was hissing and growling at me and my other cats through the windows. I built her a bed enclosed in wood house with styrofoam insulation and blankets all over as it was in December, January, February and beginning of March when I was finally able to sneak pet her when she was so hungry she came up to eat while I was still pouring. And once I pet her it was over, she turned into a ham and didn’t want me to stop. After an hour I had to go inside and she followed me to every room she saw me in and meowed nonstop. For 13 hours straight she cried outside my bedroom window until I went back out and petted her again. I called a rescue because I couldn’t have 4 cats. I ended up being a foster for her and she was a fail. I was the only one she will ever let touch her, she bites and hisses at everyone else. Hides from any doorbell or knock still 3 years later. She’s very territorial even with Gargamel who lived together outside in my backyard.
But they are the so sweet, I couldn’t have asked for a better fail in patches and Gargamel with her drool is so funny. I love them more than 99.9% of everything else.
It's also their houses. As a test, me and my girlfriend lived together for a couple of months. Just to see how things were. Of course, I took my two cats during my stay. I heard cats need around 2 months to get used to their new homes, so I expected them to forgot all about their own home when they came back, especially since they have zero issues getting used to the new places(They were curious, they were full of energy, they basically were themselves). When I returned home however, roughly 3 months later, it took them less then a few minutes to realise they were back home. It was amazing to see them immediately occupy their favorite spot, walk to the place where I usually fed them, etc etc.
Maybe three months isn't that long. But there's another story. One of the two cats, Prince, is a resque. When he was still young, he was found on the streets near a very busy road. A volunteer took care of him, and eventually, he found his way into my home. This is almost 5 years ago. He was probably around 1 years old back then. Not too long ago, I was watching some video's of the volunteer, taking care of other cats. Prince was sleeping next to me. But the moment she started talking, he immediately perked up, and looked around. He never does this with any video I watch. I do believe he still remembers her, even after all those years.
I love my 5 kitties and would die for them and will never forget them :)
Absolutely my 9 month kitten is waiting for me at the door when I'm gone for even a few hours. She'll be meowing and loving all over me lol 😆
My mother only had to mention that I was coming home from school and she would wait for me at the door.
Even when I moved out and didn’t go home for weeks at certain point.
My cat was smart as hell
I live in an apartment on the 1st floor. As soon as I return from work and start parking on the street below, my cat recognizes the car engine sound and comes out the balcony, shouting at me!
My Lili, as soon as I lock myself in the bathroom for a shower or whatever, starts meowing in like 2 or 3 minutes… then I say something and she shuts up. 2 or 3 minutes later she is meowing again 😂
We would tell our Elvis “mommy and daddy be right back” if we were going out for a short time.
And “mommy and daddy be back” if it was longer.
We recorded him and on the short trips he stayed up and waited but on the longer errands he immediately went to sleep.
Cats are highly intelligent as long as you are consistent they can adapt to many situations.
Thankyou for more knowledge about my beloved cat. Yes she definitely loves me
cats never forget i love cats they are the key to a happy life and cuddly nights
This is a great video but I had to back it up and rewatch the part after Lois cracked Peter with the frying pan. I couldent stop laughing.😂😅😂😅😂
I went to Vegas and while my dad and the cat stayed at home. I tried to talk to my dad through the microphone on my home security cameras. My dad couldn't figure out where my voice was coming from but my cat recognized my voice and ran up to the camera and looked right at it! Damn cat is smarter than my dad.
Cats are the best companions... and so clever.
I have three cats. Only one is a lap cat and we got her as a kitten. The other two like to be near you but not on you.
I can’t go to the bathroom without all three following me. Two will rip up the carpet if I shut myself away from them in any room including the bathroom. Trying to dig their way inside.
They all three meet my husband and I at the door when we come home from work.
But we work overnights and when we get home in the morning, that’s when the routine starts. We give them two fresh water bowls, make sure they have dry food in two bowls (one cat likes a different kinda food), change their 3 litter boxes, and give them moist food split between them for a kitty snack.
We just got one cat not that long ago, so we have two food and water dishes because they other two haven’t bonded with him yet. It’s been a few months, they don’t fight, but the hissing is still there.
We just got a rescue almost a month ago. I was supposed to be changing jobs and the new job fell through. So I was home most of the times until another job I had interviewed for came out as an option. My husband said the cat walked around whining for like an hour after I left. He also mopes a lot of the time when my husband leaves for work, too.
I left my cat for 7 days one xmas. I had a camera so I could monitor his food/water intake. On the first day he was fine. On the second day he ate ate breakfast. After the second day he stopped eating and drinking. I cut my vacation short and went home after three days. When I got home he was at the top of the stairs and he shouted at me and came running down... but only half way. He didn't come downstairs for two days. I had to feed him on the stairs.
My cat completed my college degree, it sat in all my zoom lectures and could remember more about the subject than me.
Cats have memories longer than the elephants who NEVER forget. They file insults, hurts, snubs and abuses in their little mental Rolodexes. 😍
The cat that I adopted has always been terrified whenever tradesmen come to the house. The clothing and tone of voice clearly have a significant affect on her. I can only conclude that she was abused by a tradesman before I adopted her.
I had a cat remember another cat, by name over a year later. Silvester stayed with us and our cat Mika. Silvester was shy and stayed behind the stove most of the time. Mika want back there and stayed with him sometimes. Mika did not go there normally. Silvester want back home. After over a year, we were talking about Silvester and Mika immediately went to see if he was there behind the stove.
Pls 🙏guys drive slowly don't kill animals birds by driving speed drive slowly ur life also save they life also save pls put a water food on roof top for birds🐔🦅🦜🕊🐤 and ur local surroundings for animals ❤pls do awareness share everyone like this🙏
Oops my bad!!
jewles was born in my husbands grandfathers barn, we recently had to put her down at 16 years old. her last day we brought her back to that barn to take pics, and for the first time in days she started meowing and walking around again, to the point we thought we were making a mistake by putting her down, but the vet reassured us we were doing the right thing, and just becasue she had a 'good day '' doesnt mean she was making a recovery, she had an enlarged liver from cancer :( anyway there is now way you cant convince me she didnt remember the barn 16 years later!
In my experience, cats remember everything, especially times when they may have been mistreated.
I was out with a Buddy, Richie DaVoe and we came upon a stray; she was then just a kitten and I began feeding her and though I wanted to take her home and keep her FOREVER; I was staying with Richie and as it turned out; his landlord was angry for him having me let alone a kitten! Many years later, I was talking again to my Buddy I havent seen or talked to in a long while and He had a home
I miss my cat when I’m at work and/or when I am sharing stories about my cat w/ co-workers
My cat had kittens, we gave one of them to a friend. About a year or 2 later that friend brought the cat over and my cat did not care that it was her son. She was such an alpha female and aggressively protected her turf that she whipped the living crap out of him. She was a tough little outdoor cat
Accidentally fell on my cat, she hated and avoided me ever since. Does not let me touch her, does not come on my bed anymore. I still love her 😢 Luckily my other cat still purrs and begs me for pets
Everyday when I get home from work my cat starts talking and when I walk into the bedroom he immediately jumps up on the bed to be up higher and say hello
Our dog died during COVID, and our cat stopped eating. She finally regained her appetite, but she definitely missed him.
When I visit my folks, their cat immediately jumps up & lays on my chest for cuddles. When I stayed with them for a short time, I always used to cuddle her like that, so it is indeed true that cats have long as well as short memories.
I had a calico when I was a kid. She really wanted to go into the closet in my parent's bedroom, and I was happy to open it up for her when she scratched on it. My parents, on the other hand, tended to grab a bottle of water and spray the cat when she scratched on the closet! Maybe this is why the cat seemed to like me a LOT and would always come to me - whether I wanted her or not!
Huh. When one of our cats was about two years old, I almost stepped on his tail while he was eating. I felt it under my foot before putting my weight on it and managed to keep from really stepping on it, but to this day, some ten years later, he get's nervous if I come near him while he is eating, and will run away if I get too close. I'm sure cats have fairly short term memory for individual good events, but have long term memory for routines and anything bad that happens in general. This same cat fears vet and hates going there, but for some reason, he likes the carrier. I suspect he feels safe in it. This cat also greets my son at the door, whenever he comes home. Most of the cats we have had seemed to recognize the sound of our cars, and if not greeting us at the door, go to a window to watch us walk to the door. My wife could usually tell when I came home, based on the behavior of the cats.