Research overview: working and long-term memory in cats

Memory supports navigation, hunting, and social recognition in cats, and this overview surveys research on its different forms. It covers short-term and working memory for object locations, the persistence of memory traces over delays, evidence that information gained through active movement is remembered better than passively observed information, and long-term recognition of familiar individuals and places. It discusses how memory abilities relate to the demands of ambush predation and territory use, and how ageing and cognitive decline affect feline memory. The topic synthesises what is known about how cats store and retrieve information across timescales and links it to their natural behaviour and welfare.