{"id":11713,"date":"2026-09-04T16:52:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T16:52:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/?p=11713"},"modified":"2026-09-03T17:01:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T17:01:40","slug":"how-long-can-cats-remember-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/uk\/how-long-can-cats-remember-people\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Can Cats Remember People?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You leave for a two-week trip, half-convinced your cat will treat you like a stranger when you walk back through the door. Then you set your bag down and she&#8217;s rubbing against your legs like you never left. So what&#8217;s actually going on in that furry head of hers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cats are quietly excellent at remembering people, especially the ones tied to food, affection, or fear. The research on exactly how long that memory lasts is still thin compared to what we know about dogs, but the studies that do exist, along with what vets and animal behaviorists observe daily, paint a pretty clear picture: your cat&#8217;s memory of you is built to last years, not hours.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-2-720x405.jpg\" alt=\"How Long Can Cats Remember People?\" class=\"wp-image-11715\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-2-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-2-380x214.jpg 380w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-2-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-2-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-2.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div role=\"navigation\" aria-label=\"Table of Contents\" class=\"simpletoc wp-block-simpletoc-toc\"><h2 class=\"simpletoc-title\">Table of Contents<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"simpletoc-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#shortterm-vs-longterm-memory-in-cats\">Short-Term vs. Long-Term Memory in Cats<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#the-16hour-myth-and-why-you-can-ignore-it\">The 16-Hour Myth (And Why You Can Ignore It)<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#so-how-long-do-cats-actually-remember-people\">So How Long Do Cats Actually Remember People?<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-cats-actually-recognize-you\">How Cats Actually Recognize You<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#why-some-people-stick-in-a-cats-memory-longer-than-others\">Why Some People Stick in a Cat&#039;s Memory Longer Than Others<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#signs-your-cat-still-remembers-you\">Signs Your Cat Still Remembers You<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#practical-ways-to-help-your-cat-remember-you\">Practical Ways to Help Your Cat Remember You<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#what-can-make-a-cat-forget\">What Can Make a Cat Forget<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faqs\">FAQs<\/a>\n<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"shortterm-vs-longterm-memory-in-cats\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Short-Term vs. Long-Term Memory in Cats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cats run on two separate memory systems, and mixing them up is where most of the confusion (and myths) come from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Memory Type<\/th><th>What It&#8217;s For<\/th><th>How Long It Lasts<\/th><th>Brain Region Involved<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Short-term (working) memory<\/td><td>Tracking prey, remembering where a toy just rolled, solving an immediate problem<\/td><td>Roughly 30 seconds to 24 hours<\/td><td>Prefrontal cortex<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Long-term memory<\/td><td>Recognizing people, places, routines, and emotionally charged events<\/td><td>Months to years, possibly a lifetime<\/td><td>Hippocampus and cerebral cortex<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Short-term memory is the part that gets tested most often in labs, because it&#8217;s easy to measure with a hidden treat or a moved food bowl. Long-term memory, the kind that matters when you&#8217;re wondering if your cat still knows you, is harder to test scientifically but far more relevant to daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What Do Cats Remember?\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4GFqsDgMDXc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"the-16hour-myth-and-why-you-can-ignore-it\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 16-Hour Myth (And Why You Can Ignore It)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You&#8217;ve probably seen the claim floating around that a cat&#8217;s memory only lasts 16 hours. It gets repeated so often that people treat it as settled fact. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.futura-sciences.com\/en\/heres-how-long-it-takes-a-cat-to-forget-a-person-according-to-science_33089\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Futura Sciences<\/a>, that number traces back to an animal psychology book from the 1960s, not modern research, and current science doesn&#8217;t back it up at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What that old figure was actually describing, loosely, was a form of short-term recall in lab settings, not a cat&#8217;s ability to remember its owner. Cats form real, durable long-term memories, particularly when strong emotion is attached to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"so-how-long-do-cats-actually-remember-people\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">So How Long Do Cats Actually Remember People?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There&#8217;s no single clean number here, mostly because nobody has run a decades-long study tracking cats and their owners. But the evidence we do have points in one direction: a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/312097908_Use_of_incidentally_encoded_memory_from_a_single_experience_in_cats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">2017 study published through ResearchGate<\/a> found that cats could recall &#8220;what&#8221; and &#8220;where&#8221; details from a single past event, a hallmark of the kind of episodic memory once thought unique to humans and a few other species.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Research cited on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.petmd.com\/cat\/general-health\/do-cats-have-good-memory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">PetMD<\/a> tracked 50 cats and found they could still remember which bowl held food after being removed from the area for 15 minutes, a solid demonstration of working memory tied to reward.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0168159124002545\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">2024 study in Behavioural Brain Research<\/a> tested spatial memory in cats aged 7 to 14 and linked memory performance to stress and inflammation levels, showing that cat cognition holds up well into their senior years under the right conditions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC11449152\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">NIH&#8217;s review on episodic memory in animals<\/a> describes how cats build integrated memories of &#8220;what happened, where, and when,&#8221; which is exactly the mechanism that lets a cat associate a specific person with treats delivered in the kitchen at a certain hour.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Put together, the pattern that emerges is this: cats aren&#8217;t just recognizing faces the way people do. They&#8217;re building layered associations out of scent, sound, routine, and emotional weight, and those associations stick around for years once they&#8217;re formed.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-3-720x405.jpg\" alt=\"How Long Can Cats Remember People?\" class=\"wp-image-11716\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-3-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-3-380x214.jpg 380w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-3-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-3-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/How-Long-Can-Cats-Remember-People-3.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-cats-actually-recognize-you\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Cats Actually Recognize You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Face recognition isn&#8217;t really the cat&#8217;s strong suit. Their memory of you is more of a sensory composite, built from several channels at once:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Scent.<\/strong> Cats have a far more developed sense of smell than we do, and it&#8217;s likely their strongest identifier. Your smell, laundry detergent included, gets logged and filed away.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Voice.<\/strong> Cats can distinguish their owner&#8217;s voice from a stranger&#8217;s, even without seeing them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Routine.<\/strong> Feeding times, the sound of your keys, your footsteps on the stairs. Cats build a mental schedule around you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Touch and interaction style.<\/strong> The way you pet them, pick them up, or play with them becomes part of your &#8220;signature.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Emotional charge.<\/strong> Positive or negative experiences get remembered harder than neutral ones. A vet who once gave a painful shot gets filed away just as clearly as the person who hands out treats every morning.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"why-some-people-stick-in-a-cats-memory-longer-than-others\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Some People Stick in a Cat&#8217;s Memory Longer Than Others<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every person your cat meets earns a permanent spot in memory. What decides who sticks and who fades comes down to a few factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Emotional intensity.<\/strong> A single scary event, like a trip to the vet, can create a memory that outlasts months of neutral interaction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Frequency of contact.<\/strong> Regular exposure reinforces the memory the same way repetition helps you learn anything.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The cat&#8217;s age.<\/strong> Kittens and younger cats tend to form and update memories more flexibly. Senior cats can experience memory decline, similar to how <a href=\"https:\/\/cats.com\/do-cats-have-good-memory\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Cats.com<\/a> describes changes in memory tied to cognitive aging.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stress levels.<\/strong> High stress appears to interfere with memory formation and recall, based on findings from the aging-cat study above.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is also why a cat can seem to instantly &#8220;forgive and forget&#8221; a groomer visit but hold a years-long grudge against the neighbor who once chased it off the porch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"signs-your-cat-still-remembers-you\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Signs Your Cat Still Remembers You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;ve been away for a while and you&#8217;re bracing for the cold shoulder, watch for these signals when you return:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Head-butting or rubbing against your legs (scent marking you as &#8220;theirs&#8221; again)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Slow blinking in your direction<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Following you from room to room<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vocalizing more than usual, almost like a greeting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kneading or purring when you pick them up<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sniffing you thoroughly before settling in, which is your cat cross-checking your scent against its memory<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A little initial standoffishness after a long absence is normal too. It doesn&#8217;t mean forgetting, it usually means your cat is re-orienting and double-checking that the routine is back to normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"practical-ways-to-help-your-cat-remember-you\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practical Ways to Help Your Cat Remember You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;re heading out of town, moving, or fostering a cat that will eventually go to a new home, there are concrete things you can do to keep memories strong or help build new ones faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Leave a worn piece of clothing or a blanket with your scent<\/strong> in the cat&#8217;s space before you go. Scent is one of the strongest memory anchors cats have, and this gives them something to reference while you&#8217;re gone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keep feeding times and routines consistent<\/strong>, even if someone else is doing the feeding. Cats build a lot of their sense of &#8220;normal&#8221; around schedule, and disruption there is more unsettling than your physical absence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Record a short voice memo<\/strong> and have a sitter or family member play it occasionally if you&#8217;re gone for an extended stretch. Voice recognition is well documented in cats.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Avoid punishing or startling your cat right before you leave.<\/strong> A stressful final interaction can color the memory of that whole period.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reintroduce yourself gently after a long absence.<\/strong> Sit at their level, let them approach and sniff you first, and use a calm voice rather than immediately scooping them up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keep interactions positive and predictable<\/strong> day to day. Treats, play, and gentle handling build the kind of emotionally weighted memory that lasts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Watch for signs of cognitive decline in senior cats<\/strong>, like confusion, changes in sleep patterns, or forgetting the litter box location, and talk to a vet early if you notice them. Catching age-related memory changes sooner gives you more options.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/cat-memory-720x405.jpg\" alt=\"How Long Can Cats Remember People?\" class=\"wp-image-11718\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/cat-memory-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/cat-memory-380x214.jpg 380w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/cat-memory-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/cat-memory-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/cat-memory-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/cat-memory-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/cat-memory.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-can-make-a-cat-forget\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Can Make a Cat Forget<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Memory in cats isn&#8217;t infinite or immune to interference. A few things can weaken it over time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Age-related cognitive decline<\/strong>, sometimes called feline cognitive dysfunction, which shows up in cats typically over 10 years old<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chronic stress<\/strong>, which the 2024 aging-cat study linked to weaker spatial memory performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Illness or inflammation<\/strong>, which can affect brain function broadly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Long stretches without reinforcement<\/strong>, where a memory that&#8217;s never &#8220;refreshed&#8221; through scent, sound, or contact can fade, though emotionally significant ones tend to hang on far longer than routine ones<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"faqs\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1788454568610\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Do cats forget their owners after a long trip?<\/strong> <\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">No. Cats build memories around scent, voice, and routine that last well beyond a vacation-length absence. A short adjustment period when you return is normal and isn&#8217;t the same as forgetting.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1788454574843\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Can cats remember people who hurt them?<\/strong> <\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes, and often longer than positive memories. Negative emotional experiences tend to be encoded strongly, which is why some cats stay wary of specific people for years.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1788454580211\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Do cats remember their littermates or mother?<\/strong> <\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Evidence suggests cats can retain memories of littermates for up to roughly two years, largely through scent, though this fades faster if the cats were separated very early.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1788454585963\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How does aging affect a cat&#8217;s memory?<\/strong> <\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Senior cats can experience feline cognitive dysfunction, which affects memory, spatial awareness, and sleep patterns. Regular vet checkups can help catch this early.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You leave for a two-week trip, half-convinced your cat will treat you like a stranger when you walk back through the door. Then you set your bag down and she&#8217;s rubbing against your legs like you never left. So what&#8217;s actually going on in that furry head of hers? Cats are quietly excellent at remembering&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/uk\/how-long-can-cats-remember-people\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">How Long Can Cats Remember People?<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11717,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cat-behavior","category-cats","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Long Can Cats Remember People? - Walkies and Whiskers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walkiesandwhiskers.com\/uk\/how-long-can-cats-remember-people\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Long Can Cats Remember People? - Walkies and Whiskers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You leave for a two-week trip, half-convinced your cat will treat you like a stranger when you walk back through the door. Then you set your bag down and she&#8217;s rubbing against your legs like you never left. So what&#8217;s actually going on in that furry head of hers? 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