Cats track their owners’ movements, research finds

Findings of Japanese study back idea that cats retain a mental representation of their owners

A young kitten, forming a non-physical perception of you in its rapidly-developing mind, yesterday

If you’ve ever pondered whether your pet cat gives a whiskers about your whereabouts, research may have an answer: cats appear to track their owners as they move about the house and are surprised if they turn up somewhere they’re not expecting them.

The finding supports the idea that cats retain a mental representation of their owners, even when they can’t see them; a crucial bridge to higher cognitive processes such as forward planning and imagination.