We have all watched videos of cats reuniting with their owners and it is one of the most heartwarming things to see, indeed. It would appear that, thanks to their associative memory, they can remember the places where they would get food and shelter, so when they see their owner- even after years- they know this person reminds them of food, a feeling of security, and love.
So, in rough lines, one way or another, we’d say that cats do remember their owners after years apart. But, do they remember their relatives?
To this question, although there is not a definitive answer, one would probably answer negatively. No, cats don’t seem to recognize their relatives. Not even their mothers. Kittens as soon as they are taken away from their moms, start losing their memory of them, and little by little tend to forget her. The same happens with the other relatives, like siblings and father.
However, when cat siblings are reunited it seems that their natural tendency is to fight, while female cats remember their male relatives enough to not mate with them.
Whatever the case is, when you witness the reunion of a daddy and son- no matter what the species- it is still a heart-warming sight.
In the video that follows, daddy William was reunited with his son, Alfonso, when the kitten was 1,5 month old, and their interaction is super cute.
At first, and as William approaches the kitten, the little one backs off as it is much smaller than the other one, plus it is an unfamiliar face. As time passes, they come closer to each other, smelling and touching each other. It’s as if they are gradually trying to get to know each other by smelling each other’s face and then coat, until they are not bothered or don’t feel threatened by each other’s presence anymore.
After a while, a toy is introduced, but they both seem to be more interested in each other than the new distraction. As they get more comfortable with each other, the kitten starts playing with his father’s tail and paws. Then he moves on to the toy- he definitely enjoys chasing it.
Father and son seem to be building a strong bond between them. They relax together or play with their toy as if they have been friends for a while.
During all this time daddy William doesn’t express any aggression towards his son. This is probably because the kitten was introduced to him when the time was right- between 6 and 8 weeks after birth. If he had been around the little one earlier on, studies have shown that the kitten would run the risk of being attacked by his own father. Tomcats tend to do that sometimes in order to keep the female’s attention focused on themselves instead of the kittens-distractions.
The video will melt your heart- watch at your own risk! Click play below for almost four minutes of cuteness overload.
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