How good is a cats memory?

[lichen]

I may be required to move interstate for 12 months soon. Taking my cat wouldn't be possible, but don't worry, I'm not abandoning her. She'd still be at home with the rest of the family, it's just me that would be moving.

Anyway, what are the chances that she would remember me when I got back? 1 year is a long time, after all. She gets very scared of strangers, and I'd hate for that to happen to me.

 

[StefanZ]

She will remember and recognize you. If not immediately, so very soon in any case.

 

[jennyr]

I think cats vary in their memory. I had one cat who definitely remembered a friend who used to petsit for me, after an absence of over a year. But my own cat Cinders, whom I left with my mother when I first went to Bosnia, did not remember me after less than six months. She has completely bonded with my parents now and I am going to leave her with them as long as they can look after her.

 

[shadowsoul]

I think cats generally have acute memory, they remember, especially if the experience is pleasant, or traumatic. I did move out before, and left Oscar to my family, it took time, but he doesn't forget me

 

[gizmocat]

i have owned Gizmo for nearly a year and I believe she forgot her past life with an abusive dog and uncaring family after about two months. That was when she calmed down and accepted this place as home. If she'd had positive memories, they might have stayed.

 

[sarahbeez]

I think she'll remember you. It may not be like old times at first but she will come around.

In that year will you be able to go back home to visit at least once or not at all?

When my brother went away to Florida for a year, Lexie was weirded out at first when he came back to visit. But after a little while (like an hour or two) she started to warm up to him and then sooner or later they were back like their old selves. When he came back at the end of the year the same thing happened but they are fine now!

 

[malena]

I left my cats with mý ex-husband when we divorced since he kept the house and I couldn't offer them the freedom they were used to. It was a painfull decission especially with my little baby - eight years now - who was born feral and caught by people who abused her. I took her from them when she was six weeks old and she became the closest to me. I visited often and even spoke to her in the phone a couple of times for the first two years.
(I have to admit that I tried to take her with me but she was so unhappy and I couldn't even leave her alone to go to work and I had to. I was still paying for the house so my ex could keep it for the sake of the cats.)
Then I moved from Sweden to Belgium with my new husband and I couldn't go home for three years. When I finally could they still remebered me well and they were so happy to see me. That was a lot of tears and hugging for a while. They have a great life there with three kilometers to the nearest neighbour and forrests all arround and my ex loves those cats. I don't think they miss me. At least not as much as I miss them but I think they'll remember me for the rest of their life.
My new husband is also aware of that even if we have to live in a tent in the forrest those cats will move in with us if something ever happens to my ex.

 

[chaseymtz]

i think that the cat will eventuatly reconize you maybe not immidetly but eventually it will. cats can remember what they have learned in the past.