Oh yeah. Cats absolutely hang onto those bad experiences from what I've seen.

Dogs are often the same. We were *extremely* lucky with Cy that he didn't develop any reactivity or anxiety after he was attacked. When he was still actively working as Alex's service dog, he was attacked and bitten on the head by a Saint Bernard. Drew blood, though nothing requiring veterinary attention. It's kind of miraculous that it didn't impact his ability to work or his general friendliness.