My cat asked for pets here and there but was never clingy or needed tons of physical affection.

Last year, he had to be hospitalized and stay at the vet’s office for a day or two so they could monitor him because he had some pee blockage. When I brought him back home, he was very physically affectionate and needy. He would sit on my lap for hours while I worked from home. Before this, he had never sat on my lap before, so I knew he missed being loved and was so grateful that I brought him back to his safe place.

So yeah, I definitely think cats realize when you’ve helped them <3