“The Good Old Days” – Just What Does That Mean to a Cat?

Our little Mia is as content as can be… just what do cats dream of when they are napping?

Much as I love my life, I sometimes yearn for the elusive and I start to think of “the good old days” when life seemed simpler and less stressful, which got me thinking about my cats and their perception of life. Do cats only live in the present moment, or do they wistfully dream of days gone by while they are napping, or do they think of future events outside the boundaries of when they will be fed next?

It would seem, as long as a cat continues to be loved, fed, and taken care of, that they don’t care about the issues that stress a human out such as the economy or world affairs. They clearly react off of the vibes and emotions we as humans project as a result of these conditions, but they certainly don’t wake up wishing for the days when the housing market was stable and unemployment was low.

But do they have a memory outside of circumstances that trigger a reaction in them? Our eight year old cat Harley came from a rescue. Does she remember her days as a kitten living in a house with other rescue cats or has that time long since been erased from her mind? Kizmet also came from a rescue and he is still a baby so the memory of his past is not that long ago. But he is so well-adjusted that I don’t think he remembers his past at all. He currently lives for the moment and he considers Zoey his Mama and it feels like he has been a part of our household all along.

I don’t know of any kitten that has aclaimated himself so quickly to a household than our sweetheart, Kizmet. This precious boy has not skipped a beat since the moment he arrived!

Clearly they do have the intellect to connect the present with the past when they are presented with certain stimuli that they remember. For example, if you bring out the cat carrier, you know that your cat is going to high-tail it and vanish out of sight so that you can’t catch him.  People also cause different reactions in cats, leading me to believe they do remember more than we would think. Using Harley as an example again, when my youngest son, Joe, used to live at home, she was so attached to him that she would cry pitifully if he left his bedroom for even a split second.

Harley’s days as a cat living in a shelter are long gone and she is a very happy and content kitty.

When he moved out several years ago, she went through a mourning period for him. Granted, she recovered and is happy and healthy, but when Joe came to visit for Christmas, you could sense that she was overjoyed to see her old buddy and stayed by his side the whole time. So, they do seem to connect the past to the present, but what about the future? Do they think ahead to something that has not yet happened?

I think in a simple sense, the answer is yes, especially in terms of positive reinforcement. The cats know that on weekend mornings there might be a possibility they will being going outside for an adventure. They wake up and wait by the door for us to come just in case that momentous occasion will happen. They also wait by the door for me on weekdays and have great faith that at some future point at approximately 5:45pm, I will come through the door to feed them.

But that also applies to knowing the future might bring something negative as well. I think many of us can relate to a cat reacting in a troublesome way when a suitcase comes out. They connect the suitcase to a time in the past to a point in the future and seem to understand that it means one or more of their beloved humans will not be in the house. A cat can become sullen and depressed at the sight of a suitcase and when Dan or I actually do travel, they act differently while we are gone and you can tell that they miss us and want us back so that their routine can get back on track.

This was me packing for last year’s BlogPaws. You can see that Jazz, Mia, Peanut, and Zee were all onpaw to investigate the situation.

Another reason I think they can long for something is because sometimes they actually try to make events happen of their own volition. Peanut happens to love playing with DaBird and understands that in order for the toy to function, it requires human assistance. She will actually bring the toy to Dan or I to let us know she wants to play because she longs for the stimulation and exercise DaBird brings to her. I find her behavior to be quite fascinating, but Zee is the champion of believing he can shape the future and an incredible study in complex feline behavior.

Peanut is such a doll. Here she is saying, “Well, I guess if no one is going to play DaBird with me, I will just have to bring it to you.”

By using his collection of stuffed toys as his talisman, he will offer them throughout the house as homage to making things happen. A toy will be left at the water dish, signifying he wants fresh water. A toy left at the door or windowsill means he is trying to tell us it is time to go outside. When Joe was packing up to leave after Christmas, Zee brought a toy to him as if to say, “I have given you this gift, now please stop packing and stay.” And a toy left on the bed is most precious of all – if Dan is traveling, for example, he will drop toys on the empty side of his bed as if to say, “Here Mommy, I know you miss him too and this toy will bring him back soon.”

By far, the most incredible homage Zee has ever brought me was this giant stuffed bear that is twice his size! I was at the computer and he brought it to me as if to say, “Here, if I give you this bear, will you move away from the computer and pay more attention to me?”

It’s all quite amazing and we hear miraculous stories all the time such as about cats saving lives or finding their way home, miles away,  after being lost. I’m sure all of you have witnessed your own cats doing something that lead you to believe they are far more advanced intellectually than the mainstream gives them credit for. We know that a cat is so much more than an aloof creature who does nothing but nap all day. Although they do have that nap thing down to a perfect science which in and of itself, now that I think about it, is quite genius!

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  1. Ms. Phoebe says:

    This is a very thoughtfully written post Auntie Deb, Mom and I quite enjoyed reading it. It not only portrays we kitties high intelligence and compassionate nature, but provides good example of how even some human’s intelligence can rate close, – NOT EQUAL TO, but close to a cats. And this example of such a human is mew, as mewz words draw people in, get them thinking, and often teach them knowledge about we kitties and how it can benefit both them and their cat. I give this post a high four paws! Mewmew!

    • Deb says:

      Ms. Phoebe – you are such a sweetheart and I am glad my words get people thinking. Cats are such a fascinating creature and I love inspiring insight about just how special and intelligent they are! And MOL, humans do try, bless them, but they will never be as intelligent as cats!!

  2. Me and my mom-person LOVED to read your thoughtfull post <3
    Me too bring toy´s to my mom-person when I think she have spent to much time in front of the PC 🙂

  3. Ingrid King says:

    Beautiful and thought provoking post. We’ll probably never know all of the answers for sure, and perhaps, that’s the way it’s supposed to be for those of us who love these wonderful, often mysterious, creatures.

    • Deb says:

      Ingrid – I think you are right. Cats have always had a certain mystery about them and that is what makes them the special, alluring, and intriguing creatures that they are…

  4. RumpyDog! says:

    That’s so sweet and so sad at the same time….. if I bring you a toy, will you stay?

    • Deb says:

      RumpyDog – it really is so touching and Zee is such a sweetheart. He really just wants everyone to be happy, both feline and human, and his love just fills my heart with joy!

  5. Rosemary says:

    You have such a deep understanding of feline behavior. I so enjoy reading your blog!

    • Deb says:

      Thank you Rosemary – I’m glad you enjoy the blog! I do fancy that I probably was reincarnated from a cat. I have always had a deep understanding of the feline species, even when I was a very young girl…

  6. Very thought-provoking post – and beautifully written!

  7. Wendy S. says:

    Sometimes I feel sad about my babies not being able to go outside anymore since I’ve moved into an apt. and wonder if they think about it all the time too. I start feeling guilty and wish that I could let them outside. But, your beautiful post also reminds me that as long as they’re loved, safe and fed they can be happy.

    • Deb says:

      I know what you mean, Wendy. We don’t let our cats out as much as they would like and I feel guilty too…. But, like you said, we try our best to keep them loved, safe, and happy, and that is always a good thing!

  8. Cheysuli says:

    Ichiro was so upset about missing his territory when he moved the second time that he had all sorts of behavioral problems. I also missed my kits quite intently when the woman adopted me. I was very lonely for months.

    • Deb says:

      We can understand that very much, Cheysuli. That is a lot for a kitty to have to have to deal with when you miss your kittens…. thank goodness you have such a wonderful family that adopted you…

  9. The more we observe cats, the more they teach us. Everyone keeps secrets even our cats. What I know for sure is some cats are smarter than others. I’ve always found it amazing how tow cats from the same litter, same environment and experiences could develop such distinct personalities. Merlin and his sister Coco were poles apart. I used to joke that she was the dumb blonde of cats while Merlin got all the brains 😉

    • Deb says:

      Oh goodness, Layla. Do I ever know what you mean. I am always amazed at just how wonderfully unique each of Zoey’s kittens are, yet they are raised in the same environment. Completely fascinating! I love that cats have secrets too!

  10. Marg says:

    I have observed many many cats and they do teach us a lot. What makes them tick, who knows. They go by their animal instincts as what to do next just as an animal that lives in the wild does. When it is time to eat, go find the food or the means the food. If they need exercise, go hunt something if if the the person that helps them play with a toy. It is all very interesting.

  11. Great post! I think they actually do remember the past — at least some elements of it — but they CHOOSE to live in the now and not stress about what was, or what will be. Of course, aside from being reincarnated as a cat, we’ll never know for sure, MOL.

  12. mariodacat says:

    So many good comments, that I’ll leave well enough alone and just say I agree. I think cats know more and remember more than what we think they do. I don’t believe they dwell on things (unless it’s a recent loss of a person in their life) for long – just showing little glimmers of their past life. Mario sometimes flinches a second if we reach out to pet him. He doesn’t do it as frequently as he did when he first came here, so that tells us that someone in his past must have hit him. I don’t know how anyone could have ever gotten mad at him, much less hit him. He’s such a perfect cat – almost too perfect, so you wonder if he ever had much of a ,life.

  13. Brian says:

    Oh my, there is no doubt about it! This story goes back to before I was here, but it proves your point, I think. The original calico here was named Beth. Before Dad and Mom moved to South Carolina from West Virginia, Dad used to take Beth to his Mom’s house every Sunday. Dad’s Mom would fix Beth chicken, every single Sunday and Beth would sit beside her and sing to her while she was breaking it into bite size pieces. Dad and Mom, and Beth too, moved to South Carolina. It was three years before Dad’s Mom came to visit. As soon as Dad’s Mom sat down at the kitchen table Beth came and sat right beside her and was singing for her chicken. Fortunately my Dad suspected that would happen and had some chicken available, which was Beth’s for the asking.

    Sorry, I’m not usually long winded like this.

  14. They definitely remember the past. When Eric and Flynn were young, probably less than 6 months, Ivor’s cousin came to see them and brought her grandchildren to meet them as well. Well the little brats chased my poor boys and cousin encouraged them saying they only wanted to play with them. I shut them in the bedroom to give them some peace and let them calm down. This happened over 12 years ago, but they only have to hear her voice as she walks up the path and they are gone. Admittedly Flynn can be a little nervous, but if we have other visitors he will sit on the cat tree and watch them from a distance. Eric is everybody’s friend and comes right out to greet them, but if he hears that voice…….

  15. Mr Puddy says:

    “The Good Old Days” – Just What Does That Mean to a Cat?
    *** Lift my paw up ****
    YES !!!! Now mom and dad put me on DIET !!!! and I MISS MY GOOD OLD DAYS !….Unlimited Food, Not the invisible food on my bowl right now !

  16. I receive such joy following the adventures of your feline family! I love Zee’s bear and what it symbolizes! And Kismet – well, he continues to steal my heart too!

    Have a beautiful weekend!

  17. CATachresis says:

    As you say, the nap thing they do is genius!! I can’t honestly say that Austin is the brightest star in the firmament, but then that could be just a ploy on his part! He does know how to ask for things e.g. when he wants a brush he goes to the drawer and when he wants food he goes to the cupboard. He remembers that the PTU means something bad (vets and needles) and the smell of cooking chicken means he most probably will be dining with Egon Ronay!

    Thought provoking post as usual, Deb x

    • Deb says:

      Now, now Catachresis – I beg to differ. The words and definitions that Austin has been sharing with us are nothing less than brilliant!!

  18. See, this is why humans are much less smarter than kitties, they have to think and think and think about how smart we kitties are. We kitties just know it.

    The human insisting on saying that she loved this post: very nice and sweet… and true.

    Purrs to a great Sunday!

  19. Your post gave me so much to think about. We have been taught that things like suitcases and kitty carriers, which denote bad things to our kitties, are conditioned responses. I have also been told that once a cat is removed from its mom and litter mates that it totally forgets about them. But I believe that cats are super smart and that given half a chance, they would rule the world. The problem is that napping thing. So, I will be ruminating on your post and observing my kids more closely. I also must comment on the photo of you packing. I love all the animal print. The kitties are almost lost in it. Purrs and hugs.

    • Deb says:

      Janet – how wonderful that I have inspired some ruminating on your behalf!! I’ve heard the same thing about cats forgetting their kittens once they are removed from the litter, but given Zoey’s maternal reaction to Kizmet I honestly wonder if that is true. She had a litter of four kittens – we kept 3 and gave one away to a dear friend. All I know is that when she first had her litter, that is absolutely no doubt in my mind that she had the ability to count – she always knew if a baby had wandered off and would go find him or her to bring it back to her safety.