Do Cats Remember (Have Memories)?

[Doctor-S]

Do you think domestic cats have memories (short-term or long-term memories of events, people, places, things)?

FWIW ... I am aware of the literature concerning cats and memory. However, in this post, I am only asking whether *you think* cats have memories, based on your own personal or professional experiences with cats.

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[allieh8607]

I do think they have memories, otherwise my cats wouldn't bolt and hide when I bring their carrier out to come with me to work!

Anecdotally, I remember when I was in clinics (I think it may have been my behavior rotation) there was this cat that had an extensive work up for inappropriate urinations and when all was said and done I think eventually just changing the color of the litterbox solved the issue. They had deduced that the cat must have had some traumatic event near or involving the other litterbox and simply changing the color worked. (The details of this are a little fuzzy because technically just changing to literally any other litterbox should have solved this issue but I digress...)

 

[Momof]

Yes! Years ago my cat was catnapped and kept in a high rise apartment for 10 days. After I got him back, he would not stay in a room with a closed door.

 

[DVMDream]

1,000% they have memories. They also have routines.

My cat knows when I'm home from work when I turn off the alarm in the house. I can actually watch her via camera in my garage, disarm the house and you can see her immediately appear and start meowing for me.

 

[MSUcvmHOPE]

Absolutely. It feels very wrong to have to say it out loud, should be obvious.
My cat knew me and my voice specifically and I taught her tricks (high five with a cat is painful don't recommend lol) just to scratch the surface of memory retention.

 

[SkiOtter]

1,000% they have memories. They also have routines.

My cat knows when I'm home from work when I turn off the alarm in the house. I can actually watch her via camera in my garage, disarm the house and you can see her immediately appear and start meowing for me.

My sister’s cat would always come downstairs and wait by the front door 15 minutes before she’d get home from school. He knew it was time for her kid to come home and would come wait for her.

 

[battie]

Yes, and I would think most species of mammals would have memory capabilities.

 

[that redhead]

I wonder how much is actual memory versus learned behavior based on a previous experience. Like do they actually remember that the cat carrier takes them to the vet or do they just form a negative association with it every time and have a built response?

I have no idea, though.

 

[SkiOtter]

I wonder how much is actual memory versus learned behavior based on a previous experience. Like do they actually remember that the cat carrier takes them to the vet or do they just form a negative association with it every time and have a built response?

I have no idea, though.

It’s possible, but I think for some things there’s actual memory. Like my sisters cat. He wouldn’t see her out the window walking home or anything, we didn’t have a grandfather clock that chimed, nothin. But every day he would come downstairs, 15 minutes before she got home, like clockwork.

 

[that redhead]

It’s possible, but I think for some things there’s actual memory. Like my sisters cat. He wouldn’t see her out the window walking home or anything, we didn’t have a grandfather clock that chimed, nothin. But every day he would come downstairs, 15 minutes before she got home, like clockwork.

And my parents dog starts bugging you for dinner at 6pm every night. Is that because they “remember” (what do they remember though?) or because the positive association and internal clock line up? Just playing devils advocate here.

 

[DVMDream]

They learn feeding times very well as well. Within minutes before meal time they are right there.... bam! I am ready hooman! Feed me, meow!

 

[DVMDream]

They have memories.... if they didn't they'd be happy with any human not just their particular owner. My cat does not like other people. Right @Trilt ?

She loves me, likes my parents and really hates my one sister. And she knows me. The times I have gone out of town and then come back.... she will not leave my side, purring loudly, rubbing, just clearly remembers it is me. Even if she has been with my parents who she likes as well.... she even lived with them for a couple years while I was in vet school but it is me in particular she clearly cares most about and clearly remembers.

 

[DVMDream]

I'd also argue that you can't have a "learned behavior" without having memory. How can an animal recall to "sit" with the word "sit" unless they can remember that word.

You can train cats as well. My cat knows the word "noggin" and if I say "noggin" she will head bump my forehead... like the turtles in Finding Nemo...

 

[SkiOtter]

My cat knows the word "noggin" and if I say "noggin" she will head bump my forehead... like the turtles in Finding Nemo

That’s the cutest

 

[altadama]

I definitely think my cat remembered things. She knew that if I was packing...it meant a long car ride was coming (and she definitely knew the difference between packing and cleaning!). And everytime I went home for a weekend, she remembered her favorite spots to sleep at my parents house, which dog she liked vs which one she merely tolerated, and what time my dad gave the dogs treats (she begged with the dogs at those times like clockwork at my parents house, never once in my apartment at school). And it may sound crazy, but I think she also remembered that when I gave her meds it made her feel better because she tended to extra clingy and cuddly, specifically towards me, when she was having a bout of constipation or a flare up of one of her other issues. She was the absolute best cat.

 

[genny]

They have memories.... if they didn't they'd be happy with any human not just their particular owner. My cat does not like other people. Right @Trilt ?

She loves me, likes my parents and really hates my one sister. And she knows me. The times I have gone out of town and then come back.... she will not leave my side, purring loudly, rubbing, just clearly remembers it is me. Even if she has been with my parents who she likes as well.... she even lived with them for a couple years while I was in vet school but it is me in particular she clearly cares most about and clearly remembers.

Along these same lines... my favorite cat has never lived with my parents, but he traveled to visit them with me a couple times when he was less than a year old. When he was about 8 years old, they came out to visit me. Normally, he hides from all visitors (even my friends and my husband's family) and it takes about an hour after visitors leave for him to come out of hiding. When my parents visited, he actually came out right away and sat with them. I don't really have an explanation for that other than he remembered them.

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

I'd also argue that you can't have a "learned behavior" without having memory. How can an animal recall to "sit" with the word "sit" unless they can remember that word.

You can train cats as well. My cat knows the word "noggin" and if I say "noggin" she will head bump my forehead... like the turtles in Finding Nemo...

Agree with this 100%.

I have actually done research on memory. Specifically, olfactory memory in mice. The way we measure their memory (both short and long term) is learning curve for tasks and whether they can retain these memories across several days.

Plus, both Ziggy and Jasmine can sit on command. They have to have formed memories to be able to do so

 

[Lawpy]

Pretty sure cats have memories, and I'm also quite confident cats are intelligent

Which reminds me:

 

[Doctor-S]

Thanks for the great comments and observations - sending lots of love to the vetties!

@allieh8607 was it just the litter box color or was there any possibility the cat presented with something like FIC (or whatever), and the FIC resolved around the same time the color of the litter box was changed?

@Momof very glad you got your cat back after a catnapping - poor little kitty!

@DVMDream your cat experiences sound intriguing.

It’s awesome to hear how much your cat loves you, and vice versa. Very sweet!

Besides hearing the word “noggin,” does she respond to the sound of her name?

I agree with you about cats having “routines.” Definitely agree.

My cat knows when to wait in front of her automatic feeder, right before it dispenses her kibble. Twice a day, she sits in front of the automatic feeder. The rest of the time, she doesn't sit in front of the feeder at all. She does the same thing with her canned wet cat food meals, as if she is a fine-tuned Swiss timepiece. It's uncanny.

@MSUcvmHOPE just wondering … did you reinforce the cat tricks with some type of reward (e.g., food)?

@SkiOtter your sister’s experience was very intriguing; and it sounded as if the cat knew exactly when to come to the door to greet your sister when she returned home from school, just like clockwork.

@batsenecal yes, that sounds good to me.

@that redhead I wonder about those things, too.

My cat will casually approach her cat carrier when it’s in plain view (on any random day of the week) and doesn’t act skittish around it; she remains calm and composed. However, when I take my cat to the veterinarian for her annual check-up, she goes crazy-wild, as if she knows she is going to the veterinary office on that day and avoids the cat carrier, by fighting it every inch of the way. I don’t do anything differently on those vet check-up days, but she seems to KNOW she is going to the veterinarian on that day!

@altadama I loved hearing about your cat experiences. Very special cat! Thank you for sharing!

@genny it sounds as if your cat knew he was loved and cared for by your parents. Very sweet!

@ziggyandjazzy do you use a specific command word or gesture for both of your cats?

@Lawper they’re definitely intelligent; and know how to get us to do whatever they want us to do!

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

Thanks for the great comments and observations - sending lots of love to the vetties!

@allieh8607 was it just the litter box color or was there any possibility the cat presented with something like FIC (or whatever), and the FIC resolved around the same time the color of the litter box was changed?

@Momof very glad you got your cat back after a catnapping - poor little kitty!

@DVMDream your cat experiences sound intriguing.

It’s awesome to hear how much your cat loves you, and vice versa. Very sweet!

Besides hearing the word “noggin,” does she respond to the sound of her name?

I agree with you about cats having “routines.” Definitely agree.

My cat knows when to wait in front of her automatic feeder, right before it dispenses her kibble. Twice a day, she sits in front of the automatic feeder. The rest of the time, she doesn't sit in front of the feeder at all. She does the same thing with her canned wet cat food meals, as if she is a fine-tuned Swiss timepiece. It's uncanny.

@MSUcvmHOPE just wondering … did you reinforce the cat tricks with some type of reward (e.g., food)?

@SkiOtter your sister’s experience was very intriguing; and it sounded as if the cat knew exactly when to come to the door to greet your sister when she returned home from school, just like clockwork.

@batsenecal yes, that sounds good to me.

@that redhead I wonder about those things, too.

My cat will casually approach her cat carrier when it’s in plain view (on any random day of the week) and doesn’t act skittish around it; she remains calm and composed. However, when I take my cat to the veterinarian for her annual check-up, she goes crazy-wild, as if she knows she is going to the veterinary office on that day and avoids the cat carrier, by fighting it every inch of the way. I don’t do anything differently on those vet check-up days, but she seems to KNOW she is going to the veterinarian on that day!

@altadama I loved hearing about your cat experiences. Very special cat! Thank you for sharing!

@genny it sounds as if your cat knew he was loved and cared for by your parents. Very sweet!

@ziggyandjazzy do you use a specific command word or gesture for both of your cats?

@Lawper they’re definitely intelligent; and know how to get us to do whatever they want us to do!

I just tell them "sit". I generally do it when giving them a meal (they eat 3x per day) and it's more effective then. If not giving a meal, I sort of hold my hand as if writing above their head while saying sit.

 

[Squeaksmom]

Mine both come when called, and Panda is indoor/outdoor and knows where he lives. He also got trapped and sent to animal control at one point, and apparently remembers since that person still traps cats but he hasn't gone back and gotten himself in trouble again.

 

[SkiOtter]

does she respond to the sound of her name?

My sisters cat does! Her first cat did too!

 

[DVMDream]

@DVMDream your cat experiences sound intriguing.

It’s awesome to hear how much your cat loves you, and vice versa. Very sweet!

Besides hearing the word “noggin,” does she respond to the sound of her name?

I agree with you about cats having “routines.” Definitely agree.

My cat knows when to wait in front of her automatic feeder, right before it dispenses her kibble. Twice a day, she sits in front of the automatic feeder. The rest of the time, she doesn't sit in front of the feeder at all. She does the same thing with her canned wet cat food meals, as if she is a fine-tuned Swiss timepiece. It's uncanny.

Yes she knows and responds to her name and her nicknames.

And by routine I mean she wakes up every morning around 5-6AM, plops herself on/next to me, "waits" until I wake up. I get up, open the bedroom door and she runs out to plop on the rug in the living room and stare at the back door watching for bird shadows. I then get up, get her food, give her her inhaler, then she eats a little, comes back out to the rug, eventually moves to plop behind the blinds and lay in the sun for a while. Then she goes and eats more and then settles in the sunny spot next to the bed or settles into the closet for a nap for the rest of the morning.


She does this exact same thing every morning. The afternoon is then spent in the front of the house, looking out the front window and hanging out in the sunny spots in the front office.

She also fits in.... scratching the flat rate shipping boxes I have in the one room, running through the house, attacking the bear and laying under the blankie between my legs.

But very much she has her own routine for every morning and every afternoon, with extras determined as she sees fit to do.

 

[MSUcvmHOPE]

I originally taught her with treats, but she would do it whenever I asked regardless.

One time we were gone for 2-3 weeks had my neighbor stop by and care for her, well she went outside and didn't come back for him (she was indoor/outdoor). She ended up being outside for at least a few days, then when we came home I just went in the back yard and started calling her name. Within a couple minutes she came running and yelling for me from a few houses over. Miss her.

 

[MSUcvmHOPE]

Also this just popped up in my feed. Felt very appropriate.

 

[killerleaf]

when George was a tiny baby kitty, Tom would get up in the mornings, turn on the coffee pot, go pee, then feed George. At like 5am, because he was working. Fast forward a couple of years, Tom is now retired and would like to wake up at 6am. Nope. George would move and lay on Tom. in about the bladder area....at 5am. Some days it would be a little later, and he did get better about it being more toward 6ish after about 6 months...but it was still funny. He would walk OVER the dog, and plop on Tom. (hop on pop!) and purr. the funniest part (other than the fact he never tried to wake me up) was that he had food in his dish. Once we knew he was grown enough, and he was not a glutton, we kept food in his bowl for him all the time.

 

[katashark]

For non-mammals, many fish definitely learn and remember things as well! I would argue birds do as well!

 

[SkiOtter]

I would argue birds do as well!

The wildlife ambassador birds at school definitely do @SportPonies

 

[SportPonies]

The wildlife ambassador birds at school definitely do @SportPonies

Confirmed. All our birds know verbal commands and some of them show positive/negative associations with certain items and locations

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

For non-mammals, many fish definitely learn and remember things as well! I would argue birds do as well!

Fish def have memories. Our fish get very excited around feeding time.

Also, corvids are some of the smartest animals ever. Many use and make tools. They absolutely form memories. Less intelligent birds as well.

 

[MSUcvmHOPE]

My dad actually asked me about cognitive abilities of animals recently. I was able to relate that most animals should have the similar cognitive abilities that humans do, but what sets them apart is the lack of language. Without being able to communicate something though language you can't "explain things" to them, only "teach" them cause and effect in person. I told him that's why you can "teach" animals to do tricks, but you can't explain to them why they shouldn't run into the street.

I also argue that having language has ruined a lot of people's ability to communicate and understand the way animals communicate, through energy and physical signs.
You yell sit 18 times and think the dogs dumb, but you're ignoring their only form of communication expecting them to fully understand your own...sooo

 

[battie]

Anyone have any info on reptile memory? I'm totally on board with bird and fish memories, and I can't imagine that reptiles wouldn't have memory. I just haven't seen any research on it myself.

 

[SkiOtter]

Anyone have any info on reptile memory? I'm totally on board with bird and fish memories, and I can't imagine that reptiles wouldn't have memory. I just haven't seen any research on it myself.

I know sea turtles return to the same area every year they lay eggs. I think some (all?) even go back to the same place they hatched to lay their own eggs

 

[genny]

I also argue that having language has ruined a lot of people's ability to communicate and understand the way animals communicate

I feel like I see this every day, when clients bring in their scared dogs who are giving me every signal they possibly can that they're terrified and might consider biting me if I try to do a physical exam. And then the client pushes them at me and says, "he's so friendly, he'd never bite anyone!"

 

[Minnerbelle]

My super vindictive cat totally exhibited memory and ability to generalize. If I had done something to offend her in the moment, but didn’t pass by her immediately, she would still remember even 10 min later and attack me as I walked by. It wasn’t purely reactionary, and it wasn’t a learned routine/pattern. And it wasn’t a heightened emotion bomb either.

She loved drinking from water faucets, and knew to go to the sink and ask me to turn it on regardless of what the sink/faucet looked like. She’d do it at any random animal hospital or any house in any type of room.

 

[MSUcvmHOPE]

Oh there was also a comedian that talked about a scientist who antagonized a crow then set him free. Years later the crow not only recognized the man that was mean to him but was able to get the other crows around to hate him as well.