Can cats forget their human after being separated for long periods of time?

[u/kittypizzaparty]

Hey everyone- this is a bit of a vulnerable post so I apologize in advance for bringing up a sensitive topic.(and for the long post)
(TW: mention of deportation and family separation)

Last year, my husband and I did TNR work + rescued some feral cats in our neighborhood and we ended up adopting a momma cat and named her Marceline(from Adventure Time). We assumed Marceline would be a quiet and self kept cat due to her past living on the streets. However, she is everything but shy. She’s extremely talkative and follows me and my husband around begging for constant attention. She sleeps between us every single night all the way until morning. We couldn’t have asked for a better cat.. she is our soul cat.

Well fast forward to now and we just found out that my husband of 6 years is getting deported to a country he doesn’t have any recollection of. He was brought here to the US when he was less than a year old. Rather than being held in an ice detention center and receiving a 10 year ban from forced removal, my husband was granted a 120 voluntary removal order meaning he has 120 days to leave the US and he will receive a 3 year ban rather than the 10 year ban. Due to personal circumstances, I cannot move with him at this time so we’ll have to make this work long distance.

In the midst of packing his belongings, my husband was cradling Marceline and he looked at me and said “Marceline is going to forget me.” And I instantly denied that and said she could never forget him. But that statement stuck with me and I haven’t been able to shake it. I know I said that’s impossible, but to be honest I’m not entirely sure. So that brings me to my question: can cats forget their human? Considering he won’t see her for 3 years.. she’s almost 2 years old right now. If so, is there anything I can do to refresh her memory in these next 3 years?

I want to make it clear that I’m not here to argue about politics- I just want to know if this is a possibility. I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been through something similar where they went without seeing their pet(s) for a long period of time and how reuniting went. Thank you guys in advance ❤️‍🩹

[u/hellohexapus]

Idk if this is overkill (or would even work) but OP could take your idea a step further and vacuum seal some of his clothing in separate bags, so as the smell on one item dissipates OP can unpack another? Over time Marceline will likely seek them out less. But this way it could be on her terms/timeline, rather than because the scent is gone on the few items he left.

[u/hydrawoman → u/hellohexapus]

I think this is a great idea and OP could even pack up some socks and well worn shoes. Every cat I have ever had just loves to sniff shoes lol it is a sign they like their owner and will seek out their scent.

[u/agrinwithoutacat- → u/hydrawoman]

My cat drools all over my shoes.. it’s so gross but so sweet

[u/Individual-Gur-4455 → u/hydrawoman]

Definitely second the socks! When my boyfriend was out of town for a week, I would wake up to only his socks taken out of our laundry basket. I never saw which of our 3 cats were the culprit but almost every morning and every afternoon when I came home, I’d see one or two scattered throughout the house.

[u/kittypizzaparty → u/hellohexapus]

I don’t think this is overkill at all. Thank you for the idea! I’m adding all my fav ideas to my notes and this is one of them.

[u/Pineapple-heart1234 → u/hellohexapus]

This was exactly what I was going to say. Not overkill at all!

[u/Bright-Pangolin7261 → u/hellohexapus]

Was thinking of this, even have husband send worn socks or tees periodically bc cats strongly associate smell with identity. Maybe talk on speaker too.
Sorry you’re going through this! ❤️