Will my kitten forget me when I leave for college?

[lemonville]

I adopted my kitten when she was about 7 weeks old. It's been almost 3 weeks (so she's about 10 weeks old) and she treats me like I'm her mother. She's affectionate, goes to me for food, likes to sleep with me, and just all-around seems like she loves me already. I'm worried because in about 9 weeks I have to leave to my dorm in college. I have a few questions: 

1. Will she be distressed if I leave her? There's no way I can communicate to her that I'll be gone from the house for a long time, so she'll probably just be sitting at home wondering when i'll be coming back. When she realizes I'm not there for more than 3 days straight, I don't know how she'll react. The longest I've been gone was for one night. My family is good to her and she's comfortable with them but I think she has bonded with me the most since I spend the most time playing with her and feeding her. 

2. Will she forget about me? The most I can visit home is probably only 1 night every two weeks. Is that enough for us to keep the bond we have now?

3. Basically, what should I expect after leaving after caring for her for about 13 weeks. I hope she's still excited to see me in my winter vacation and summer vacation. 

4. Every time during fall I will have to leave her until I get out of college and have my own place to live. How will this affect our relationship in the long run? 

Any answers or shared experiences would really help. thanks. 

 

[p3 and the king]

She is still a baby, too young really to be away from her mother so she does think of you as "mommy." 

They say cats have no real concept of time... Maybe not like we do but they know when it should be supper time and they know routines for sure.  She will probably miss you for a few days and later get into a new routine with your parents.  I am assuming you are leaving her with them?  She can still smell you for awhile after you're gone so she'll know your scent but other than that, kittens are like children and they do foget a lot of things, but they also retain a lot of things.  So when you see her again, she may not seem to "know" you right away but eventually she will realize something is familiar and she will be OK.  Don't worry. 

 

[sofluffy]

I had to leave my kitty (much older...passed away at 21 rip moonlight) to go to college. It is hard but if your parents are going to take care of her do not worry too much. My cat was super excited to see me when I cam home to visit. I would not worry about her forgetting you when you are away. I am sure she will be excited and loving when you visit.

 

[orientalslave]

What I'd love to know is who is looking after her while you are at college? 

 

[lemonville]

My mom, dad, and mostly my brother. He's pretty responsible so I trust she'll be well-taken care of. The only problem is that my kitten might not get as much play as she does when I'm home since I'm less busy than my brother.