Does a cat have a sense of time?

Answer 1

Yes, just about everything they do is according to a time interval. They like to play, eat, clean and then sleep. They do this in several cycles a day. The longer I am gone from the apartment, the more affectionate my cat is upon my return. If I've just gone to the Quik Trip to get something she isn't so glad to see me as when I am gone for a long time.

Answer 2

Perhaps the simplest way to answer this is to say "yes and no". Cats have little conception of time, they don't plan, they take things as they come, and so to them the only reason that 2 hours and 2 days would be different is that someone had missed a feeding. They do react differently after a two-day absence than after a two-hour absence. In that case, of course, it's more a misty recollection that it has been a long time since they last saw you.

On the other hand, cats are basically wild creatures, and the longer you leave them on their own, the more they will revert to their feral state. Two days is not enough to have much effect, but you will see a short-lived difference in behavior if you are away for seven days.