According to modern research, more than 95% of cat owners are strongly connected to their cats. This means that cat owners greatly enjoy their cats’ company and share a special bond with them. Surely, it is only logical that such cat owners recognize the exact hue of their cats’ furs, the way they move, the shape and colour of their eyes, and even the softness of their paws.
Given all the attention paid to our feline companions, it could be interesting to ask the opposite question. Do cats recognize their owners? And how do cats recognize their owners? Let’s try to answer these questions logically and, by the end of this article, you might have more reasons to cherish your cat.
Does My Cat Recognize Me?
Surprise, surprise! The answer to the question above is yes. However, your cat might not recognize you via a popular cue—sight. Failing at recognizing faces, they can still memorize your features and physical size. Nonetheless, it is very certain that your cat recognizes you if it walks up to you and rubs its head against your leg or hand, or if it jumps on your lap for belly rubs.
Why Can't Cats Recognize Human Faces?
Sadly, cats have a slight variation in their sight that prevents them from detecting as many visual details as we can during daylight. Cats descend from nocturnal hunters and this has greatly impacted the evolution of their sight, and has shaped their visual abilities. Thus, their eyes are adapted for night vision and can be incredibly poor in bright light. Fortunately, cats have incredible senses of smell and hearing, and these are their major cues of recognizing their owners.
Cats Can Identify Their Owners' Voices
You are probably wondering, “Do cats recognize their owners’ voices?” Of course, they do. They can rotate their ears to scan the environment for a particular sound. Cats have in their possession well-developed auditory abilities and can distinguish between their owner’s voice and that of a stranger. In fact, this research discovered that cats are very capable of detecting if their owners are talking to them or just conversing with other people.
Recognition of Other Sounds
Cats are also able to recognize other non-vocal sounds. For example, they can discern between your breathing pattern when sleeping and when awake. Other auditory markers that your cat can recognize include the jingle of your keys, your footsteps, and the familiar creaking of your front door. So every time you see your cat chirping patiently at the foot of your bed, they most probably know you are awake and want to be fed!
Do Cats Recognize Their Owner’s Scent?
Absolutely. Cats have a great olfactory system. They have more than 200 million odor receptors in their nose while humans have only 5 million. Their well-developed olfactory system allows them to pick up a scent from miles away. With their impeccable sense of smell, cats can detect their owner’s natural scent. Also, certain behaviors such as scent marking are exhibited by cats to imprint their scent on their beloved humans. So if you catch your cat constantly rubbing its paws or head on you, it is definitely claiming you as its owner and it associates you with safety.
Do Cats Forget Their Owners?
Maybe you’ve been contemplating going on a trip with your loved ones; however, a question keeps niggling at the back, “Do cats recognize their owners after being separated?” Take a deep breath, dear perplexed feline parent. Your cat will still remember you even after being separated. Just as humans, cats have two types of memory: short term memory and long term memory. Cats’ short term memory is within the range of 16 hours and 27 seconds. With cats, their long term memory is better than the short term one and it is here that they store information over a long period of time. Cats store information about their owners in the long term memory. According to petMD, it is very important that you create positive memories with your cats as this will influence their response to you. Therefore, it is certain that your cat will never forget you if you have a strong bond and healthy relationship with them.
Conclusion
While cats may not recognize their owners’ facial features, they remain attuned to other sensory cues from their owners such as voice, scent and sound. These cues allow them to recognize their owners quite easily. So, next time you find yourself asking the question, “Do cats recognize their owners?” remember that they actually do. And this is obvious through the display of certain behaviors such as: scent marking, purring, and kneading. So, the goal of any paw-parent should be the creation of a positive and loving environment for your feline-kid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do cats recognize their owners’ scent?
Yes, cats recognize their owners’ scent thanks to their robust, well-developed olfactory system.
Do cats recognize their owners' voices?
Cats are blessed with well-developed auditory abilities, and this allows them to detect sound quicker than humans.
Do cats recognize their owners' faces?
Cats have poor vision during daylight and are not capable of recognizing facial features as humans do. This makes it difficult for them to recognize their owners’ faces.
Do cats forget their owners? Do cats recognize their owners after being separated?
Yes, they can recognize their owners, especially if their bond with their owners is strong. This is due to their ability to retain long term memories. Usually, cats don’t forget their owners.
Do cats miss their owner?
Yes, they do miss their owners greatly. Cats are also capable of displaying signs of excitement upon their owners’ return. Note however that their display of excitement might not be as excessive as other animal companions (i.e. dogs).
