Do cats miss their owners? What the research says

The two attachment studies point in different directions. In 2019, researchers at Oregon State University reported in Current Biology that cats display distinct attachment styles towards their human caregivers, using the same kind of test used for human infants and for dogs. Four years earlier, a study in PLOS ONE used a version of the same test with 20 cats and concluded that cats do not appear to attach to owners as a focus of safety and security, while noting that some cats may form such bonds.

The reunion study is perhaps the most direct look at absence. When 14 cats were left for 4 hours instead of 30 minutes, they purred and stretched more when their owner returned, and the owners talked to them more. The authors concluded that the cats coped well with being alone, but were affected by how long they were left. That is not the same as missing someone over a two-week holiday, but it does suggest the length of an absence registers.

The word 'miss' is a human one. What the research can show is behaviour: calling out when an owner leaves, greeting changes on return, signs of stress when alone. Those behaviours are real, they vary from cat to cat, and they are worth planning for when you travel.

Yes, by voice at least. In a 2013 study in Animal Cognition, researchers in Japan played 20 cats recordings of three strangers calling their name, then their owner. Fifteen of the cats grew less responsive to each stranger, then responded more strongly again to their owner's voice. The cats showed it with their ears and heads, not by meowing or moving their tails, which may be why owners miss it.

A 2019 study led by the same researcher, in Scientific Reports, found that household cats can tell their own name apart from other words, even when an unfamiliar person says it. A cat that seems to ignore you when you call may still have heard and recognised you. When a sitter visits, hearing a familiar routine and a calm voice is part of what helps.

Appetite is the one to watch. Cornell's Feline Health Center says loss of appetite can have a severe impact on a mature cat's health if it lasts as little as 24 hours, and that in a kitten under six weeks, 12 hours without food can be life-threatening. A cat that has not eaten for a day while you are away needs a call to the vet, not more time to settle.

A cat straining in the litter tray and passing little or nothing may have a blocked bladder, which Cornell calls a true emergency. International Cat Care also links long-term stress with stress-related illness such as cystitis. Make sure whoever looks after your cat knows these two signs and has your vet's number.

Change is a common source of stress for cats. International Cat Care says predictable routines are a great way to minimise stress, and lists hiding, over-grooming, spraying and changes in eating as signs that a cat is not coping. It also says cats should never be able to see or touch cats from another household in a cattery, because unfamiliar cats can make them anxious, fearful or frustrated.

A Texas veterinary college notes that noise, unfamiliar sounds and other animals nearby can add to boarding stress, especially for cats, and that many animals do not eat for the first 12 to 24 hours somewhere new. International Cat Care adds that most cats adapt quickly as long as they feel secure, with food, warmth, places to hide and a litter tray. For a nervous cat, staying at home with visits keeps its territory, smells and routine the same.

In the Swedish reunion study, cats purred and stretched more after a longer absence, and their owners talked to them more; the purring and stretching did not depend on how much the owner talked. Some cats come straight to the door, others stay where they are and come over later. Both are normal.

Let your cat set the pace. Go back to the usual feeding times, play and litter routine, and keep visitors low for a day or two. If your cat stops eating, hides for days or toilets outside the tray after you return, call your vet.