Memory in Older Cats
Just as in humans, advancing age may affect memory in cats. Some cats may experience a weakening of both learning ability and memory that affects them adversely in ways similar to those occurring in poorly aging humans. A slowing of function is normal, and this includes memory. Aging may affect memory by changing the way their brain stores information and by making it harder to recall stored information. Cats lose brain cells as they age, just as humans do. The older the cat, the more these changes can affect its memory. There have been no studies done on the memories of aging cats and memory, but there is some speculation that, just like people, short term memory is more affected by aging. However, research says that adult cats have a memory span of 16 hours compared to only 5 hours in adult dogs especially when it benefits the cat directly
Read more about this topic: Cat Intelligence
Famous quotes containing the words memory, older and/or cats:
“The secret of success in society, is a certain heartiness and sympathy. A man who is not happy in the company, cannot find any word in his memory that will fit the occasion. All his information is a little impertinent. A man who is happy there, finds in every turn of the conversation equally lucky occasions for the introduction of that which he has to say.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“You must not feel too anxious about the little folks with you.... Their little peculiarities, which with your older judgment do not seem favorable, will gradually disappear as they get older. It is best to overlook most things, and not be too solicitous about perfection. I am afraid you will think I will spoil our children by too little government. Perhaps we do err on the other side, but you must come down and instruct us.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“A happy arrangement: many people prefer cats to other people, and many cats prefer people to other cats.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)