Cat dying and her budding is acting odd

[sattycat]

I have one male cat who is 13  . One leg, Great health named George.  His life long buddy is dying.  Her name is JIllian and she is 11yrs old .  It seems recently he has been acting up. When they both get their soft food as a treat, George no longer eats..He cries  like crazy for it. But , when i hand it out he smells it and either stares at me , eats some or waits till Jillian is done. Then eats. He use to gobble his up rightaway.  Its almost like he knows something.  He has always been clingy and somewhat demanding but, now its over kill.  Can the other sense something is wrong ?

 

[DreamerRose]

Yes, surely he does. He's taking a step back for Jillian. Cats have a sixth sense about these things, and it's very touching that he is concerned about her. He knows he's going to lose her. And be prepared, when her time comes, he will grieve a long time for  her. You can give him extra affection and commiserate with him about both of you losing her. Many cats are comforted by their owners talking to them about their loss.

 

[sattycat]

Thank You very much.  I didnt know he cared that much. He is a sweety.  

 

[red top rescue]

Humans think that cats know less than we know, but actually they know MORE.  When she does pass on, it would be helpful to George if he could see her body.  I've had many cats over many years, and when one passes on, even when it has done so peacefully in my arms at the vet's office, the others are very aware.  My own preference is to let the passed one's body lie in state, i.e. on a blanket, while I am digging the grave.  The others come and visit.  Occasionally one will lick the head of his friend to say goodbye.  Often they will visit the grave afterwards and just sit there, or lie there. 

When my daughter was a young mother and one of their cats died suddenly and unexpectedly while she was away from the house, she called me, in tears, asking me how to handle the other cats.  I said just let them come with you while you dig the grave and they will say their goodbyes.  She was amazed that one of them climbed into the box where the newly departed cat lay and snuggled up with her for awhile, licking her head, not howling or upset but peaceful and accepting.  Her cat too went back and visited the grave frequently for the first few months after that.  I do think it is less traumatic for the one left behind if they can actually see their departed companion, as they would if they were living in the wild.  Then they don't go around the house calling for their friend.  The one time I didn't do that (because the mourning cat was feral and I couldn't carry him to where the other cat was killed by an invading dog and I chose to bury him where he died), his friend sat on the porch steps for hours every day, looking for him, waiting for him.  It broke my heart.  If I had to do it over again, I would have brought his torn body back from where it lay against the fence so that his buddy could have seen him and would not have kept waiting for him to come home.  It still makes me sad.

 

[DreamerRose]

@Red Top Rescue  - That's so touching, and it's a wonderful idea, too. We just don't know how much cats have feelings, especially of loss.

 

[arouetta]

Red Top Rescue is right, if the body is shown then the other cats can smell death and know what happened.  Otherwise, they have no clue that the departed cat isn't just temporarily lost.

Cats may be really good at hiding illness and pain, but other cats can see right through their act.  One time both my cats started wigging out so I took them both to the vet.  One cat had a URI, the other one was called the perfect picture of health.  He was wigging out because the other cat was sick, even though he was fine.

 

[sattycat]

Thank You everyone. I would take her home but we have frozen ground right now.  I cant do that. Otherwise my son would have buried her. We also live by the woods and i dont want to see her body laying out after something tried to eat it. I cant do that either. Ill just bring a blanket he can smell for a while