How Long Do Cats Hold Grudges

How Long Do Cats Hold Grudges?

Holding a grudge is a feeling of bitterness, anger, or dissatisfaction towards someone for treating you unfairly. Holding a grudge against someone brings a desire for revenge. The answer to the question How long will my cat hold a grudge? Depends on the age of your feline. Age plays an important role while discussing how long cats hold anger issues. Kittens have comparatively shorter memories than older cats, and that's the reason that kittens don't hold any grudge.

So how long is a cat's memory? Do they have enough memory to remember something and hold any grudges?

According to researchers at Tufts University cat's brains have a structure that much resembles that of a human being. That is why cats remember the time for their meal, how to open the door and how to communicate with their owners using their body language.

Short Memories of Kittens

Kittens have notoriously short memories, so they don't hold any grudges. It's often necessary to correct kittens repeatedly for the same mistakes as they probably don't remember the last correction. So we can say that a kitten's memory is as small as its own body. So they make mistakes that you can correct over and over, but possibly they like to forget them rather than holding any grudge.

How Long Do Cats Remember?

The memory of an older cat is much better than that of kittens. Research says that compared to a dog's memory, which has a memory span of no longer than five minutes, a cat's memory can last up to 16 hours. Cats also have a good memory as they remember their time to nap and other things. So a cat can only hold a grudge for some hours.

The Memory Span of A Cat

Cats have two types of memory, which are working and long-term.

1Working Memory:

Working memory denotes the amount of information your cat can call at a given time or moment. A survey was conducted in which cats were given a toy and then asked to choose the toy from various toys. Most of the time, cats forget the toys shown to them, especially when the picking procedure is delayed more than 30 seconds.

2Long Term Memory:

The long-term memory of a cat depends upon the ability of the cat to recall experiences from the past. Most researchers state that cats have 16 hours of long-term memory. On the other hand, the latest study has revealed that a cat's memory lasts from four hours to two days.
Moreover, the cat's long-term memory varies from one cat to another depending on various factors, like the cat's breed, environment, and age factors.

Do Cats Remember Traumatic Events?

Cats associate people and objects with positive or negative emotions based on the experience of their last interaction with them. However, cats quickly forget, but if they act avoidant towards you, they are most likely to protect themselves. And they are preventing the recent traumatic event from occurring again.

Are Pet Anxiety Disorders Common? What Is The Solution To This?

Approximately 60% of pet owners say that their pets face anxiety issues, while the remaining 40 % say that they have more than one pet experiencing the same problem. It indicates that anxiety issues in pets are common.

So what can you do to change or restrain your cat's unwanted behaviors? There are proper training methods to do so. But in addition to it, you should also stay in touch with the veterinarian for the newest ways to help your pet overcome anxiety disorders.

Are Cats Forgiving or Not?

Cats tend to be pretty forgiving companions. They don't bear grudges for long; they are quick to forget and forgive. They may be miffed for the time being, but usually, they forget things in a few hours and then return to their routine. Some things that can get your cat too angry are mentioned below.

Things for Which Your Cat won't Forgive You:

• Punishing your cat.
• Stepping on its tail.
• Recurring abuse (any simple thing like a louder voice or a simple clap)

5 Signs That Your Cat Is Still Angry

Below mentioned are some of the signs that indicate that your cat is still angry at you:

1Your Cat Is Avoiding You:

Cats start avoiding their owners when they are mad at them. They'll try not to come in front of you or hide under the furniture whenever you show up.
If your cat takes more time than usual to approach you, it's a sign that your cat is avoiding you and is angry with you.

2Change in Eating Behavior:

If your cat starts rejecting its favorite food, it's one of the most important signs that it is still angry at you. When a cat is mad, maybe they don't eat anything at all.

3The Signature Look:

The sharp famous angry look given by your cat to you is another clear sign of their anger. As a cat owner, you must have experienced that situation.

4Messes Everywhere:

If your cat mess in the house, like peeing on the clean bed or pillows while being healthy, then it's a sign that they are angry with you and are showing their anger by doing such things.

5Subtle Signs:

Although the main signs are listed above, there are also other signs expressing your cat's anger towards you. The first sign is when your cat twitches the end of its tail. One more sign is your cat flattening its ears tight to its head.

Best Ways to Apologize to Your Cat

If your cat is angry with you, it will be reflected by its behavior. Sharing a home and your cat avoiding you won't be easy, So you have to figure out the issue and fix it.

Moreover, to make things normal make your cat feel comfortable. Sit in a spot where your cat can see you, and when your cat comes to you, cuddle them, speak to them in a friendly tone, prepare their favorite food, call them by their name without being rude or loud, and try to play with them using their favorite toy.