When you think about your cat and its memory, do the strains of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals fill your mind?
That would be weird. But the question of whether cats have a good memory is an intriguing one, whether or not they’re on stage.
Cats seem to remember some things for a long time and forget others instantaneously. Let’s take a look at how long is a cat’s memory, and along the way, learn a little bit about how memory works in general.
A cat’s kitten stage is critical for developing specific crucial skills. What they learn is a form of memory – or, more accurately, these lessons are indelibly imprinted into memory.
Cats are a lot like humans regarding their mental faculties as they age. It seems that as they get older, they lose some of their function. Their ability to remember is also affected.
In practical terms, if a cat encounters something or someone for the first time and shares some interaction, it’s likely to remember it for at least 16 hours.
Studies suggest that some cats can recall particular types of information after ten years or more! In some cases, recall seems to have been life-long.
We’ve already determined that cats are more likely to remember something or someone they’ve interacted with, especially if it was a pleasant or unpleasant experience.
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