Caturday 41: Connections and Memory

Although they certainly let us know when it is feeding time, cats can be inscrutable if they so choose. They are not always quick to reveal what they know and remember.

Early this summer I would sometimes head out with the camera very early, even before 5 o'clock. At the beginning of the season, Lacey would come downstairs with me with the expectation of a feeding. But I had discovered that if I fed her breakfast too early, she'd act like she'd never had it in the first place. She would get in tune with her hobbit side and demand a second breakfast.

So, I chose not to feed her then. She made the connection that if the man-two-legs putters around very early, there is no food to be had, and she stopped coming downstairs with me. However, if I were to go down later, the cat would be dogging my footsteps the whole way.

I do like to put cat and dogging together. It gives my simple mind much pleasure.

Somehow, and I don't know how, she had made a connection with early hours equals no breakfast and stored it in her memory.

Then, there is the case of lap time with Sue.

Usually, Sue and I watch a little tv during and after lunch. After lunch, Lacey would frequently grant Sue lap time. However, not long ago we noticed that these sessions had all but stopped over the summer. In fact we had just remarked on this when the cat came back.

You see, as the weather became a little cooler, Sue had cause to get out the sweater that she hadn't needed all summer. Apparently, said white sweater is important to Lacey, and she was on Sue like a flash, purring loudly.

It would seem that her little brain connects that white sweater with comfort or at least something good, and, much to our surprise, she remembered this, months later..