Whenever I leave town and board the cats for some reason I fear they will forget me or forget all their interesting rituals, but they never do! Somehow Willow remembers that if she asks cutely for a few extra nuggets in the mornings she will get them. She also remembers all the rituals involved in getting her tummy rubbed. Nahum remembers that we both like to snuggle together at 4am. Theo remembers to ask politely for porch time in the mornings and to snuggle in my lap while I enjoy my morning coffee. Rose remembers where all the toys are kept.
I don't know how feline memory works. They seem to be able to remember quite a few things. I wonder how long they remember specific things. If we were separated a few months would they still remember all these things? I hope I never get to personally learn the answer to that question.
Their ability to remember so well makes it even more amazing to me that they can live so contently in the moment. Although maybe that's more about inability to dread the future than remember the past. I am thankful they remember all the wonderful little things that make each of them extra delightful!
I know the answer to this question of long absence. They do not forget you and remember you, and are happy to see you or hear your voice again. That is my personal experience, and if I play a video of my late wife--gone 6 months now--they perk up their ears and look up when they hear her voice, which they do not do for ordinary TV blabber. They recognize and remember her still.
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