Yes! Cats can generally remember anywhere from 10 months to 10 years. How long a cat can remember you depends on the duration of your relationship and the strength of your bond.
-
A Brief Encounter and Feeding: Cats Can Remember for at Least 16 Hours
This primarily activates the cat’s short-term memory. It’s similar to how you quickly memorize a phone number, dial it, and forget it right after. Cats, however, can usually remember for up to 16 hours. A behavioral experiment conducted by psychology professors at the University of Michigan and researchers at the American Museum of Natural History focused on cats’ physiological needs (like food). The study showed that a cat’s short-term memory regarding food tests can last up to 16 hours. So, if you encounter a stray cat on the street or in your neighborhood and feed it, it will remember you for at least 16 hours. If you pet it or engage in friendly interaction, the memory might last longer. Of course, this recognition primarily relies on scent, so if you’re wearing the same jacket, the cat will be more likely to recognize you.
-
Kittens Saved in Childhood and Rehomed Later: They Can Remember for at Least 10 Months
This involves the cat’s long-term memory, which can be reinforced by short-term memory and solidified into procedural memory—like remembering exercises learned in childhood. Long-term memory duration depends on how often and deeply it is reinforced. In an experiment by Péter Szenczi and others, 58 kittens adopted after two months were tested to see if they could still recognize their mother’s scent when they grew older. The results showed that by the age of one, the kittens could still distinguish their mother’s scent. This means that kittens can remember and recognize individuals for over 10 months just by scent. However, since a mother cat’s scent is relatively stable, it’s best that you don’t undergo too many scent changes in these 10 months.
-
Cats That Have Lived Closely with Their Owners for Years: They Can Remember for Up to 10 Years
Testing the time span of long-term memory is difficult, so it is often documented through events. One such story is about a cat named Semen from the Russian city of Murmansk. Semen went missing in 1987 while on vacation with his owner in Moscow. After searching in vain, the owner returned home alone. However, in 1994, when the owner opened the door, he found a skinny, frostbitten cat standing on the doorstep—it was Semen. After six and a half years and traveling around 2,000 kilometers across vast, cold lands, Semen used his incredible instincts to find his way home. To commemorate Semen’s loyalty and perseverance, a bronze monument of a “little cat with a backpack” was erected in the city.Another similar story comes from an animal hospital in Connecticut, USA. A stray cat named Billy was adopted as the “office cat.” Three years later, while Billy was patrolling the front desk, he unexpectedly met his former owner. The man thought Billy resembled the cat he had lost, and Billy seemed equally excited, leaping over a table to greet him enthusiastically. To confirm, the man brought Billy’s twin brother to the hospital, and Billy immediately recognized his sibling.A story from Japan also illustrates how cats can remember their owners. Mr. Ohno had to be hospitalized for a long period, so he rehomed his cat, Kō, to a new family. Over two years later, a research team from the University of Tokyo played Mr. Ohno’s recorded voice to Kō to see if the cat would recognize it. Upon hearing the voice, Kō responded immediately and quite noticeably.
There are also many reports from abroad that confirm cats have long-term memories lasting up to 10 years. For a cat, whose lifespan is typically just over a decade, the length of time they remember you could very well be their entire life! If you have any other questions about cat care, feel free to leave a comment.
