![]() ![]() ![]() No one knows what causes feline dementia, although there’s some suggestion of an inherited component. And at least 50 percent of cats older than 15 have symptoms associated with cognitive decline. About 1 in 3 cats will exhibit at least 1 common dementia-related symptom by the age of 14. Cats who’re going blind or having trouble hearing frequently start to exhibit behaviors often seen in cats suffering from cognitive difficulties.īut a sizable number of cats simply begin to experience cognitive problems as they age - feline dementia occurs relatively frequently in cats over 10 years old. And diseases such as hyperthyroidism can cause symptoms resembling those associated with feline dementia. Cats who have brain tumors often show signs of cognitive decline. Cats can end up with memory problems due to disease or age. Image Credit: AjayTvm, Shutterstock Do Cats Have Memory Problems? Scientists aren’t entirely sure what allows cats to remember places so well and navigate to them so efficiently, but they suspect it has something to do with cats’ ability to read the earth’s electromagnetic fields. ![]() Holly somehow found her way home, walking more than 200 miles to her family’s home in West Palm Beach. ![]() He escaped and found his way back home, a trek of more than 1000 miles.Īnd then there’s Holly - a cat who ran off in Daytona Beach, Florida during a road trip and was given up for lost. Howie, a cat in Australia, was sent to stay with friends while his family went on vacation. Cats have an uncanny ability to find their way back home when lost or after a move. Cats probably have strong, lasting memories of other animals who they form deep bonds with over time. Kittens who grow up together probably remain able to discern the other by smell for some time after being separated, but no one knows how long this ability to identify a littermate by scent continues. We also know that kittens constantly exchange scents while nursing and playing - scent being how cats identify family members. If a cat dies or is rehomed, it’s quite common for the remaining cat to become withdrawn and sad due to grief related to the sudden loss of a close buddy. Cats form strong bonds with other household pets, such as dogs and other cats. And while clarity of recall does decrease over time, long-term memories fade in order of impact, with truly traumatic or comforting memories perhaps never disappearing entirely from a cat’s psyche. Moments high in emotion that result in memorable consequences tend to be the ones cats, and humans remember the most. It involves the types of memories we can actively direct our brains to recall. Long-term memories can stay active forever. Cats are more likely to remember individuals they associate with pleasant experiences such as being fed and getting petted. It’s also the reason particular cats respond to certain noises or smells by becoming extremely stressed.įeline long-term memory links people, sounds and environments to positive and negative experiences. It’s also what’s behind the tendency some cats have to avoid certain types of people or react negatively to particular environments. It’s a long-term memory that’s responsible for a cat recognizing a returning loved veteran or student after a long period of separation. Image Credit: Esin Deniz, Shutterstock Long-Term Memoryįeline long-term memory is often tapped when it comes to remembering people and experiences. Feline short-term memory encodes and recalls events experienced and information learned within the past 16 hours and then uses that data to solve problems. And anyone who’s ever been around a cat can tell you these creatures have serious abilities when it comes to getting hold of supposedly well-locked up cat food - feline short-term memory is a pretty powerful problem-solving machine.Ĭats also use their short-term memories to recall where they most recently found prey and where and when their food bowl most often appears. Cats mostly use their short-term memories to solve problems, often situations involving obtaining access to food. Cats, just like humans, have both long and short-term memories. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |