# Do cats remember people?



## JungliBillis (Mar 20, 2013)

When I piked up my kittens, my friend was visiting for two weeks, and he helped me pick them out and bring them home. They got used to both of us fairly quickly, then he left for 3 months. 

He was back again for 5 days, and the kittens were a bit afraid of him. Not petrified, just cautious. They did warm up to him a bit in the 5 days.

This got me wondering if cats remember people they had met or spent time with. Do them recall our scents somehow? Or would my friend be a stranger to them every time? 

:wiggle


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

MowMow only met my ex Husband twice and to this day (5 years later) he still hides when Ryan comes to the apartment. In fact, just last night he saw someone get out of a car in the apartment complex parking lot who did look at lot like Ryan (build/coloring/way of walking). MowMOw puffed up and took off to hide in the back of my closet.


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## raecarrow (Oct 27, 2009)

My Teddy lived at my parents' for a while after I got out of college and I found a place where I could keep him. My youngest sister would routinely force him to cuddle with her for hours on end (aka rolled up in a blanket so he couldn't get away). I had trained him that he isn't supposed to hurt people under any circumstance, so all he did was complain and try to get away. For about 2 years, he would run at the sight of her. She was so perplexed as to why he didn't like her :-/


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## NebraskaCat (Jan 15, 2013)

My mom visits 3-4 times a year for 3-4 days at a time. The girls always remember her (with a great amount of fondness). So do I.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

When we had custody of our granddaughter for a year we got her a therapy cat - Zipper. The child had issues which we could not address so after a year we sent her back to her dad and kept the cat. (That's a VERY long story made very short so please don't judge). 

Zipper had actually bonded with granddaughter, but quickly bonded with us after she left. 3 years later granddaughter comes back for a visit but Zip wants little to nothing to do with her. Did Zip remember her? maybe - but apparently not as fondly as we thought.


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## snowy (Aug 23, 2012)

I fed an outdoor house pet for many months until owner decided to confine him at home. More than 6months later, I didn't know he was allowed out and I passed by, heard a cat meowing loudly behind me, turned around and saw him running towards me. I was really taken by surprise, THEY DO REMEMBER!


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## Yuki'sMum (Dec 3, 2012)

I "babysat "my daughter's cat regularly for a couple of years. Pixel is Yuki's litter mate. I have only seen Pixel once in six months as we'd moved out of town. I was at my daughter's house on Saturday and she ran right past my daughter to see me and let me pick her up and snuggle her  I got lots of eye kisses from her. Yes they definitely remember! 


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## Janz (Mar 26, 2012)

Yes, they do remember. Friends of mine had two cats that I would see occasionally and take care of when my friends were out of town. Then my friends moved and I didn't see the cats for a couple of years. When I went to visit my friends they weren't home when I arrived. But his mother let me in their house and both cats came running to see me. They were both very friendly even though they were normally wary of strangers. I have no doubt that they remembered me.


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## Blakeney Green (Jan 15, 2013)

In my opinion they do remember, but it may take them some time to place the person if the person's smell has changed significantly from being in a different environment.


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## JungliBillis (Mar 20, 2013)

Hmm interesting. Most of you think they remember people. It's hard to tell though if the cat is very friendly. I will observe at my friend's next visit if it improves from the 2nd time they saw him.


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## Tiliqua (Jan 22, 2013)

JungliBillis said:


> Hmm interesting. Most of you think they remember people. It's hard to tell though if the cat is very friendly.


Yeah - mine LOVE everyone. Everyone who walks through the door is a long lost friend if they feel like attention. I have no idea - I'd like to think they have some capacity for it, but it might be wishful thinking. I can't tell with mine.


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## NebraskaCat (Jan 15, 2013)

JungliBillis said:


> Hmm interesting. Most of you think they remember people. It's hard to tell though if the cat is very friendly. I will observe at my friend's next visit if it improves from the 2nd time they saw him.


While I consider Penny friendly, she is VERY shy and won't come out for visitors except ones she's used to. My mom visits only 3 or 4 times a year, but Penny will greet her when she does come. So I think she remembers her. Otherwise she would hide.


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## JungliBillis (Mar 20, 2013)

Does your mom smell like cat food?

JK JK 

I hope my kittens would be nice to my mom, too, when she comes to visit.


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## AaronR1074 (Dec 11, 2012)

Pipin is very friendly. He just likes to be around humans. He does the same routine for everybody who walks in. Alot of it is claiming ownership of the stranger in the house. What's this? A breathing person I haven't seen before? *rubs up on legs, jumps in lap* OWNED!

He also has a specific thing he does every night. He likes to jump on a chair to look out the window which is in front of the table next to it. If anybody is sitting on the chair he thinks your just another platform to jump on to get to the window. He also likes to sit next to the couch if anybody is lounging on it, just to be near them. It doesn't matter who is there, he'll do it anyways. I've only had him since the fall and I don't get many visitors besides my parents so I don't know if this is true if cats recognise you. I do know that they are fully aware of who feeds and changes the kitty litter so its attention may often be drawn towards you just for that reason alone. As far as strangers and frequent visitors go, it's hard to tell. I'm sure just like humans, every cat has a different personality and it's hard to judge what they are really thinking.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Absolutely, cats remember people. When I was a breeder I used to visit my retired studs and queens a year later in their new homes, and everyone remembered me and showed me special affection.


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## gosha (Oct 16, 2011)

They do, my older cat is skittish and he runs away when he sees the stranger, but if a person is somewhat frequent he stays. My sister for instance, visits me maybe once a month and he doesn't run away when he sees her and he jumps up high on the window and hides behind the curtain as soon as he sees my little 3 y.o. nephew, because he knows the trouble is coming


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

I would say they do... but then, sometimes it seems like they don't. Cats aren't always lavishing in their attentions even when you haven't been around for ages. 

The times it becomes really apparent that they remember people is when they've been abused by one. At least 'abuse' from a cat perspective; the traumatic experience associated with that person could be something a human doesn't even realise they've done wrong. They certainly will never forget that person.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

I think they do, although I can't prove it. my best example is my middle cat, who was extremely friendly with everyone until a friend of mine took him to be neutered. the guy has a very deep, loud voice, and now any time baci hears a man's voice, he hides. however, if he hears my friend talking, he panics and can't hide fast enough.

he tends to remember any females who have given him food LOL.

I think them remembering people in a good way might fade over time, I don't think their memories are as prolonged as dogs.


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## ndiniz (Jun 29, 2009)

Here's a few good examples for me: My mom owns a black cat named Mary Anne, and she is a sweetheart! I haven't visited my mom (or my family) in the Kansas City area for a few years, but each time I do come visit, Mary Anne loves it! She comes up to me, purrs loudly in my ear, rubs my face, loves to lay on my lap, and she adores being held. She even likes having her tummy rubbed. 

I have a friend who lives in Tolono, IL who has 4 cats, and one of them is a Bombay named Shadow. I have yet to meet Shadow and the other 3 cats, but from what I've heard, Shadow is a lovebug. Shadow's owners just came home a week or two ago from a cruise, and Shadow missed his owners badly. 

The first time I took a vacation to visit my family in Mobridge, SD, I talked to my grandma, and she told me that my 2 boys miss me badly. Sure enough, 2 weeks later, I come home, and next thing I know, the cats see me, and they both come running to me, and they chirp really loud, purr in my ear, give me kisses, and the black one gives me a big hug!

Some of my family members in SD have a cat, and one is named "Shy Guy", but he's not "Shy" at all. He's quite an old cat, but is very, very, very affectionate (he isn't one of those cats who constantly wants attention, but he will devour any attention you give him!), and the last 2 times I went to Mobridge, SD, he remembered me. The first time he saw me, he nudged my hands to pet him, and I thought to myself "Awwwwww!!!! Shy Guy, thank you for that warm welcome!"


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## Lovemychanel (Mar 20, 2013)

I don't get it...my little turkey trot feels like everyone who visits is her new bff...she ignores me until she gets bored with them and returns on my lap..LOL. 


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## Moondancer (Mar 24, 2013)

My Kaley really likes my 43 year old daughter, but won't have anything to do with my 50 year old daughter in law.


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## Zerafian (Feb 19, 2013)

Iv always thought they adapt quickly to new circumstances. I would think cats remember a scent more then anything. When me and my girl friend go on vacation for a week and come back the cats noticeably perk up but thats not to say they arent happy when the person taking care of them comes in.

Iv read stories of cats leaving their home and coming back 1-2 years later. Its obvious they remember things but in what capacity.

As much as Loved the boy in my username pic I think if I were gone for over a year he would not recognize who I was once I returned. He may warm up to me quick because he was raised around my demeanor and scent and its something familiar and something that leads back to his development but me specifically I dont think so.


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## JungliBillis (Mar 20, 2013)

I have read articles on cat's memory, and it seems they have pretty good physical memory, much like muscle memory. Their visual memory isn't as good, but I think the key is repetition. As the cat experience someone multiple times, there is better chance of the cat, remembering the experience of the interaction. With bad experience, I think it gets imprinted quicker. 

Here is an interesting article about a cat remembering living in a home, 3 years later.

Do Cats Have Good Memory?

That's pretty impressive!


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## Lovemychanel (Mar 20, 2013)

JungliBillis said:


> I have read articles on cat's memory, and it seems they have pretty good physical memory, much like muscle memory. Their visual memory isn't as good, but I think the key is repetition. As the cat experience someone multiple times, there is better chance of the cat, remembering the experience of the interaction. With bad experience, I think it gets imprinted quicker.
> 
> Here is an interesting article about a cat remembering living in a home, 3 years later.
> 
> ...


Wow...amazing story and there is another to follow about loyalty thanks for posting...


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## Doodler (Feb 27, 2013)

I'm in the yes camp. Our cats are always happy to see our college aged son when he comes home to visit. They do seem to remember him and enjoy it when he's home. On the other hand, we have one cat, Gizzy, who had previously belonged to my sil for the first 8-9 years of her life. When my sil visits Gizzy hides in a closet until she's gone. Poor cat is probably terrified that we might send her back to live with my sil again.


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