by Josef Firestone

Created on: January 22, 2009   Last Updated: January 26, 2009

To understand memory is to understand the accumulation of knowledge, and knowledge is of the past. Something has to happen in order for us to memorize it. Humans have a fantastic memory capacity. It is more likely than not, that every moment of man's life is being recorded by the brain.

It is very unlikely, that cats think or remember like us. Still, some things are true for most mammals, and to a greater extent, for domestic animals such as dogs and cats.

Just like man, some cats have a better memory than others, and perform in an amazing way. The ability of a cat to have a great memory is first and most depended on the conditions of his upbringing. Stray cats live short and violent lives, and need good instincts (which all cats have), to be vigilant and are forced to rely less on routine. As a result they do not have such a good memory, which slowly develops in a more orderly and secured way of life.

The difference in memory ability between house cats, can be traced to these factors:

- The length of time the kittens were allowed to stay with their mother. 8 weeks would be an optimum.

- Human contact from an early age, male and female, establishing the notion of learning from humans, and that man is a friend.

- What a kitten smells in his first 4 weeks of life, will not be forgotten.

The first 4 months of life of a kitten, can be compared to the first 3 years of a human baby or child. When one grows with love and affection, having secured and interesting surroundings, one flourishes. That, in combination with the other important half, the genetic half, (good genes are important), will give any healthy kitten, the ability to explore life, with his fantastic senses and brain. How precisely, is difficult to imagine, but seeing the great tools nature and evolution gave the cat, one can not assume that he has a lesser brain or cognitive ability to match his physical qualities.

Cats are creatures of routine. To have a routine, one needs memory. They remember their daily routes, hunting grounds, eat their meals at the same time and remember friend and foe. They can also find entertainment themselves, and play the new ecquired game again, after a period of time has passed. They definitely have a good memory for beneficial experiences, and do not forget the less enjoyable ones, no, they just choose to ignore them. This selective memory, enables them to have the life we dream about.

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