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Do cats miss their owners when gone? How long do they remember?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 4 months and 15 days old | 4 lbs

Do cats miss us when we are gone? If so for how long before they are just like oh whatever they’re gone forever?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 13th, 2018

Yes, cats miss their people. They never are like "oh whatever they're gone forever". They will look for their person or people for a long time and then just give up, however if that person comes back after a while, and be it years, they will recognize the person and be very happy. Cats will remember their people for life.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Oneal Bogan, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hi there. We aren't sure what animals feel when we are gone, but most cats don't have a clear sense of time. So when we leave they may miss us, but we could be gone for an hour or a day and to them it may feel the same. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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