Cats are cute, but at the same time, most cats are also mischievous. Cats don't seem to be bound by any rules, and if they want to do something, nothing seems to stop them. Therefore, in the process of raising cats, cats will more or less make some mistakes, and sometimes the mistakes they make are even unbearable for cat owners. As a punishment, sometimes the owner may educate the cat by beating and scolding it. So when cats are beaten by their owners, do they hold grudges?
Do cats hold grudges?
Before raising cats, we would think that cats’ memories are short-lived, they don’t hold grudges, and they forget everything after two days. Every day for them is a new day. But, is this the truth? Many cat owners should have had this experience, that is, after a cat was punished because of a certain mistake, the previous interaction between the cat and owner suddenly disappeared. Some cats even continue to make frequent mistakes, as if taking revenge on their owners. We think cats have short memories, but it turns out that cats have a memory that lasts a lifetime when it comes to holding grudges!
According to research, the average short-term memory of cats is 16 hours, shorter for kittens, and longer for adult cats. The long-term memory of cats is even more unpredictable, and even many memories will affect the cat's life. Cats may keep people or things related to it in their brains for a long time because of a negative event. In addition, cats are better at remembering events directly related to food, survival, and emotion. These events are more likely to remain in the cat's brain long-term, while major events are more likely to permanently affect the cat's behavior.
What revenge behavior do cats have?
Directly scratch you
What does a cat do to get revenge on its owner? When a cat retaliates against its owner, the most direct way is that when you hit it, it will attack the spot and scratch you directly. If you are scratched and bitten by a cat, you should deal with it in time, otherwise, it is very dangerous.
Sabotage at home
If a cat wants to retaliate against you, it will intentionally or unintentionally break your beloved vases, water glasses, mobile phones, etc., and will deliberately tear your clothes and bite your shoes. They may also defecate anywhere in the house, making the house smelly and letting you clean it up. Some cats will even run to the owner's bed to pee.
Avoid you
Cats are very vindictive, if you hit them, they will hold grudges against you for a long time. The most apparent change in the cat's revenge against you is to avoid you. You want to be close to the cat, but the cat stays away from you; you want to hug the cat, but the cat hides. The cat that can be touched casually at ordinary times will be particularly resistant to you now and will grin its teeth as soon as you feel it as if it wants to bite you. This is a warning from the cat to you, which has reached a serious level.
Run away from home
Cats have a strong sense of territory. Once it settles in one place, it will not move unless necessary. If your cat always runs outside, and sometimes only comes back once every ten days and a half months, or even doesn’t come back at all, it means that it really hates you and doesn’t want to stay with you for a moment.
Did you hit your cat? Did it take revenge on you? In fact, cats are like children. If a cat makes a mistake, it can be properly scolded and guided. A cat that has been beaten for a long time will become unhealthy both physically and mentally. Regularly touching the cat and slowly establishing an emotional channel with it can effectively improve the relationship between the cat and the owner. The relationship between people and pets often starts with touching. When it no longer resists you, the relationship will slowly begin to build. Like the relationship between people, long-term trust, long-term interaction, and long-term company can bring a deep bond. A cat that is docile will bring a rare warmth to people's life.
