Cats and Memory

Recently visited my cats, where they live with my ex in rural splendor in Northern California (why they are not with me). One of them came bounding across the fields at the mere sound of my voice, this after a year and a half seperation. It was kind of a Disney movie moment, if you ask me. The other two were also quite sweet and welcoming, but not nearly as much as Cappucino. Here's the question: my ex says that cat memories are based on smell, and my recent experience tells me that either Cappucino can smell something from a huge distance -or- she DID actually remember me by the sound of voice. Comments, experiences, information welcomed....

I think cats have more than memory by smell. I once lost a cat and my husband came home from work one day and said he was convinced he had seen our cat at a job site he was working at. Well, I hopped in the car and was off to the job site. I got out of the car and called his name and he came running straight to me from under a building. I just know he recognized my voice. He had been missing for almost a year.

I too thinks cats memory is more than just smell... they know the sound of your car motor, and the sound of your walk... when my husband come home.. two of my three cats let me know the minute the car pulls in the drive and if anybody else comes up the sidewalk they take off, but if it's my husband they stay and wait for his arrival..

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Originally posted by susant:
Recently visited my cats, where they live with my ex in rural splendor in Northern California (why they are not with me). One of them came bounding across the fields at the mere sound of my voice, this after a year and a half seperation. It was kind of a Disney movie moment, if you ask me. The other two were also quite sweet and welcoming, but not nearly as much as Cappucino. Here's the question: my ex says that cat memories are based on smell, and my recent experience tells me that either Cappucino can smell something from a huge distance -or- she DID actually remember me by the sound of voice. Comments, experiences, information welcomed....

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SusanT ~

Love your Disney experience! http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

Without a doubt voice alone will spur a cat's memory. Try this and see what happens: Call your ex and have him put you on speakerphone with one of your cats present. If your cat doesn't try to figure out where you are hiding and purr at the sound of your voice, I'll eat my hat!

Speaking of hats... Visual memory is also all that is necessary to jog your cats' memory. Try this: Put on a big strange hat and/or walk in a halting, unusual manner toward your cats and see what happens!! If they don't go running to the recesses of your abode, I'll eat my words. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

I lived abroad for quite a number of years and I had to leave my cats with my parents (the country I moved to had an extremely long quarantine http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/mad.gif and I just did not want to put them through that). Well, when I phoned I asked my mother to put the handset near them and everytime they started purring and "talking". Also, everytime I visited (roughly twice a year)they knew immediately who I was and it almost seemed like I never left, they were only a bit more clingy than usual

Thanks to both Gio and Burrl for their kind responses. I will have to assume that Cappucino did recognize my voice, and we did call to one another as she ran to the vineyard to greet me. I am still happy remembering that experience. And thankfully, when I move to a cat-friendly place the beginning of September, I will be adopting two kittens to start my new East Coast kitten family. Any comments or suggestions about kitten/cat adoption?