If you are planning to leave your cat for a while, you may be wondering; will my cat remember me after 3 months? Cats will remember you after three months; they will even remember you after a year. What your feline friend remembers—is your smell.
The dilemma of traveling for an extended period while leaving your feline friend whom you have bonded with is usually challenging; you will consider canceling the journey if it’s not so crucial because the thought of your cat not remembering you can be tormenting.
After researching with cat owners, I have come up with everything you need to know about traveling and leaving your cat behind, what you should do before you travel and when you’re back.
Table of Contents
- How Long Is a Cat’s Memory?
- How long does it take for a cat to forget its owner?
- Will My Cat Remember Me After 3 Months?
- How to Help Your Cat Remember You
- Signs Your Cat May Not Remember You
- FAQ
- Will my cat forget me if Im gone for 3 months? – Final Thoughts
How Long Is a Cat’s Memory?
Research showed that; there is no difference in how a cat, human, and other animals’ brain creates short and long-term memories—utilizing certain cues. A cat’s brain is like that of a two to three years old child, but when compared to dogs, the cat can be 200 times more retentive. If you don’t repeat and reinforce training, your dog will only be able to remember things for 5 minutes; cats, on average, will retain stuff for up to 16 hours—provided the activity benefits them.
When it comes to the cat’s long-term memory, a cat will only retain things that benefit it or something that causes pain, fear, or threat. Take, for example, it is usually hard to gain the trust of an abused or neglected car; if a man or a child caused the abuse, they would associate the bad negative feeling to all children and Men.
The same is true for a positive experience; every time a cat gets praised, given a treat, or a head/belly rub for doing things right or a specific activity—it is logged into the cat’s memory as a “thing to keep doing.” They will keep using what they just learned to their benefit.
How long does it take for a cat to forget its owner?
It could take a few hours to months or years—before a cat will forget its owner. What will trigger a cat to remember its owner is its interaction with its owner. From observation, cats have a better memory than people think.
After a year, your cat will likely have a foggy memory of you, but if you had any unique nicknames you used for your cat before you traveled—this is time to bring them back; call your kitty those sweet names and try initiating any play or stuff you guys did together—this works!
Another thing to have in mind is; that cats tag everyone with a scent, the cat remembers places, people, and things through smell—this is why you don’t just suddenly introduce new foods from the blue; you keep placing fresh meals by the side of the main meal, hoping your cat will warm up to the smell of the new food in coming days.
Cats have over 45 – 89 million olfactory receptors, in contrast to humans, 5 million. These receptors aid the cat in associating certain smells with humans and pets—this is why your resident cat will show aggression toward another cat living in the same house who just went to see the vet(he believes the cat smells different; hence, it’s an alien cat.
Will My Cat Remember Me After 3 Months?
Yes, your cat will remember you after three months of being absent—provided you created terrific memories and bond with your cat. Likewise, your cat will recognize you as a source of pain(if you’re one). Your cat won’t remember you if you were playing insignificant roles when you were around.
When I was much longer, I stayed most of my senior-high days with my granny; she had this ragdoll cat( which is part of the reasons why I own a ragdoll ) who I always took care of; I taught the kitty lots of tricks, I rewarded her handsomely when she performs the tricks, helped her become comfortable with a leash, set up bathing and brushing routines. Inevitably, when I left for college, I returned a year after—to a cat that was so excited to see me.
With that said, will my cat remember me after 3 months becomes an irrelevant question, your cat will place you with the good memories associated with you, and above all, your cat will remember you by your scent. You may have stuffed toys or clothes with your smell placed with your cat occasionally; this will ensure the cat doesn’t develop non-recognition aggression towards you.
As a general rule of thumb, a mentally stimulated cat is likelier to remember you even after you’ve traveled for three months. Imagine having a baby and not teaching it anything; it’ll grow to be dumb with no orientation of what to do. Put more effort into stimulating your cat.
How to Help Your Cat Remember You
You’ve probably heard that cats have an incredible memory—they can remember where they buried their food, for example. But what about you? Will your cat remember you after you’ve been gone for a few months?
There’s no definitive answer to that question, but there are a few things you can do to help your cat remember you. One is to keep your communication with your cat consistent, talk to your kitty, pet him, and play with him every day, even if you’re only gone for a short time.
Create routines that are beneficial to your cat; if it’s a long-haired cat, groom him twice a week, brush their teeth every day, get a lick puzzle feeder, teach the cat new tricks, and above all, reward every good thing the cat does, the cat will associate you to “positive vibes.”
Signs Your Cat May Not Remember You
There are a few signs your cat may not remember you, and if you see many of them, it may be time to reestablish that connection. One of the biggest things to look for is a lack of interest in you. If your cat doesn’t seem to care when you come home or when you offer them food or toys, that’s a pretty clear sign they’ve forgotten who you are.
Another thing to watch for is your kitty’s behavior. If your cat normally greets you at the door but starts staying away, or if they become more aggressive than usual, that’s another indication they may have lost touch with who you are.
If you see any of these signs, don’t worry! It’s not too late to reconnect with your furry friend. Just take the time to reintroduce yourself and spend some time getting reacquainted.
FAQ
Will My Cat Remember Me After 2 Years
Yes. Cats have an excellent memory. Even if he doesn’t recognize you at first sight, he will remember you through smell. On that note, leave him anything which smells the same as you, and if possible, have the new caregiver set up a video chat so you can talk to your cat or make videos of yourself calling the cat by the pet names you gave it.
Do Cats Remember Their Names
A study shows that cats remember their names; at the sound of their names, their ears will perk, or their tails will move, but the cats may choose to reply or not. Cats even know the names of other cats in the home.
Can cats remember abuse
Cats will remember a little mistake(like stepping on his tail) for about 16 minutes, but physical trauma and abuse that keeps repeating itself will be remembered for a lifetime. Signs of a cat that has experienced physical abuse or neglect include; running off at the slightest noise—even closing the drawer can make the cat tremble.
Will my cat remember me after 5 years?
A kitten aged 1-6 may be unable to remember you after such long periods since they likely wouldn’t have stored memories of you properly—as their brains were still developing. However, an adult cat of two years will probably remember you after five years.
Cats have an average retention span of 16 hours, but they exceed these stats; your cat could remember you even after five years. There are a few reports of lost cats jumping into the arms of their owners after several years; if you bonded with your kitty, they might not likely remember your face, but they will remember your smell eventually.
Will my cat forget me if Im gone for 3 months? – Final Thoughts
The honest answer is not definite. But we can tell based on what we know about cats’ memories. Your cat will likely remember you, but she may not remember every little detail about you.
Cats are very good at remembering important things. If you’re a significant person in your cat’s life, she’ll remember you—she may not remember every little thing about your conversations.
But that doesn’t mean she won’t be excited to see you again! Cats can be very loyal to things that benefit them, and she’ll be happy to see you come home after being away for a while—she knows you’ll shower her with the usual love and treats.
