27/10/2026
This wonderful story about a rewilded lion remembering it's former owner got me thinking about how cats behave when they are staying here at the cattery and when they are reunited with their families at the end of a stay.
Research indicates that cats have impressive long-term memories, particularly for people they associate with positive emotional bonds. They recognise us through our tone of voice, personal scent, movements and appearance. These familiar cues can remain in their memory even after a lengthy separation. Our bond also develops through the care and affection we provide and the sense of safety they feel with us. At the cattery, some even recognise the sound of their owner’s car approaching the cattery and climb into their carriers, seemingly anticipating the journey home!
We notice that regular boarders often seem to recognise our team and quickly return to familiar routines, appearing to associate their stay with positive experiences.
Cats are creatures of habit, so your absence changes their familiar routine. Thinking of a cattery stay as a change in routine, rather than assuming your cat feels rejected, may help you enjoy your break without feeling guilty.
When you return, some cats may greet you enthusiastically, while others may seem more distant. A quieter greeting does not necessarily mean your cat is trying to make you feel guilty or punish you for going away. They may simply be readjusting to life at home after becoming used to the cattery’s routine.
Harrods, the big London department store, had a lion cub for sale in 1969. 2 young Australians, John Rendall and Anthony Bourke, bought him and named him Christian. The cub lived with them in London, and he grew fast.
A chance meeting changed his life. Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers, the actors from the movie Born Free, put the 2 men in touch with George Adamson, who returned lions to the wild in Kenya. Christian flew to Kenya in 1970 and learned to live wild under Adamson's care.
About a year later Rendall and Bourke went back to Kenya to look for him. Adamson warned them the lion probably wouldn't know them anymore.
The lion stopped on a rock and stared at them for a moment. Then he ran down, stood up on his hind legs and threw his front paws around their shoulders. Somebody filmed it, and decades later that clip went around the world online.
