I spent two weeks visiting my mother for the holidays and I spent a lot of time with her pet cat named Shadow. Eventually, I found myself attached. Shadow would meow when I walked into the room and would often curl himself up at my feet to sleep. I left feeling sad. However, a few months later, I made a surprise visit and I was surprised that Shadow’s behavior towards me had not changed; in fact, he still remembered me. I was intrigued and decided to research cats’ ability to remember people, and this is what I found.
How long can a cat remember a person? Cats average 16 hours of short-term memory. If you meet a cat for the first time and have only one interaction, the cat will remember you 16 hours later. There is no indicated time regarding their long-term memory, meaning they are capable of remembering people they are familiar with for years.
Researchers at National Geographic conducted a study that found that animals typically do not possess short-term memory at all. As a matter of fact, the information stored in their brains is related to their survival, for example, how to hunt and where to find shelter. Yet, cats are not only able to remember people, distinguish between their faces, and differentiate between a pleasurable experience and a bad one. Believe it or not, their behaviors are not random. This article will give you a better understanding of your cat’s overall attitude and help you to understand their behaviors better.
How a Cat’s Short-term and Long-Term Memories Affect Their Behavior and How They Interact With People
Like dogs, it is true that cats possess the ability to retain both long-term and short-term memories. Their short-term memories are referred to as associative memories. These memories are responsible for a cat’s ongoing behaviors. Associative memories are used every day to interact with people, other pets and simply to stay alert and be aware of their surroundings. For example, a cat will associate the sound of noise with a familiar action and predict what they think is about to happen. The sound of the electric can opener may give your cat the impression that they are about to be fed food from the can even if they just ate. As a result, your cat may purr, meow, or look attentive and alert.
How much can cats remember? The capacity of associative memories is approximately 16 hours, and they are replaced with new memories when needed. This is a significant amount of short-term memory for an animal, considering the fact that most animals only average 25 seconds of short-term memory according to a National Geographic study. Scientists have not been able to determine the exact time frame of a cat’s long-term memory, because cats are able to remember past owners, and people they interact with regularly years after not seeing them.
Nonetheless, they have been able to determine that a cat’s memory is selective, and cats will only remember something that is beneficial to them. This is not always a pleasurable experience, sometimes it is a negative experience. This explains why a cat may be affectionate to some of your friends and family members and somewhat aggressive to others. It is important to understand that your cat’s behavior is not random, it is linked to their associative memories.
Therefore, if your pet cat does not like someone, then it is better to not leave your cat alone with this person until you understand why the cat is behaving the way he or she is. The more time you spend with your cat interacting with him or her the better chance you have of them storing those memories as long-term memories, meaning they will remember you even years after you are gone.
Do Cat’s Get Alzheimers or Dementia Like Humans?
As cats age, they risk developing Feline Cognitive Dysfunction or FCD for short. Feline Cognitive Dysfunction affects a cat’s memory similar to the way Alzheimer’s or Dementia affect human beings. More than 55% of cats age 11 to 15 years experience symptoms of Feline Cognitive Dysfunction and more than 80% of cats age 16-20 years old, actually, suffer from the deterioration of their brain cells which causes memory loss of both long-term and short-term memories.
At this point, a cat may not be able to recognize faces or remember people like they use to. Since the decline of their ability to remember things, other animals, familiar locations and people is a result of the aging process, there is nothing that can be done to stop it.
However, studies show that feeding cats food that is high in antioxidants and rich in omega-3 fatty acids is the first step owners can take to slow down the rate of deterioration in the brain cells. Since a cat’s behavior is linked to its associative memories or short-term memories, there are many telltale signs to look for to understand if your cat is experiencing FCD. You may notice that your cat looks lost in familiar locations, looks confused and disoriented at times, and has a lack of interest in being petted or interacting with people.