Do cats mourn after the death of another cat?

[JulieHarr]

Hello all – Want to ask your opinion on if you believe cats will mourn after the loss of another cat? I have/had two indoor/outdoor cats named Nubi (black color) and Simon (honey color). Last Sunday, 3/20 Simon passed away. Since Simon’s passing, Nubi has been staying inside a lot and sleeping more than normal. While Simon and Nubi got along okay, I never thought of them as being very close to each other. They had the occasional squabble and then a few days later, they were okay. Attached is a photo I took of them about a week before Simon died. This was such unusual behavior for them, I had to take a picture.

 

[JulieHarr]

Thank you, thatonecatlover.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, some of them definitely do. Time will heal, but in the meanwhile you could try some Cat Music, or a purr toy or a heartbeat toy to help in the transition.

 

[JulieHarr]

Thank you furballsmom. He's been wanting on my lap a lot more than usual.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Cats are creatures of habit, and I think that includes their own version of love too. Nubi's life knew Simon to be part of it, so he is going to feel a part of his life is missing in some capacity. I also think the pic you captured is one of the most wonderful, heartwarming things I have seen. And I also kind of think Nubi knew what was in Simon's future - cats instinctively know things we humans just don't.

Just love on Nubi all you can, give him extra attention and affection, just as we do with humans who have lost loved ones. Nubi will appreciate the comfort, and it will more than likely help you too. That is such a sweet picture, my heart melted after reading your post.

RIP little Simon and bless you and Nubi.

 

[Maria Bayote]

I am sorry for Simon's passing. Having just lost 2 consecutive cats also, I feel your loss.

I believe animals also grieve, not just cats, although they may not grieve as deeply as humans do. They surely would notice something or someone "missing" in the house, and would look for them.

 

[di and bob]

Cats are creatures of habit. They thrive on routine. When one of their own goes missing, of course, they miss them and the routine they lost. Cats are driven by instinct and their thought processes are not the same as ours. They live in the here and now, don't dwell on the past. A mama cat will take up to two weeks to look for her babies when they find new homes, so it takes at least that long for them to get through loss.
I'm so very sorry for your loss. I know how heartbreaking this is. It is something that only time will help, you learn to live with it. Their leaving brings a huge hole to our lives, and it takes a long time to fill that hole.......RIP sweet Simon. You will be dearly missed, you will always have a secure place in a loving heart. May the good Lord bless and keep you, until you meet again!

 

[JulieHarr]

Thank you all so muach for your replies. These are my fav picturesof Simon. My next door neighbor called him The Lion King of Cats.I miss him so much it makes my heart hurt.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

Yes I think cat's grieve, and I'm so sorry for your loss. It was heartbreaking to watch my boy Patches looking and calling for his brother. He started to sleep in his brothers bed and in his spot on the stairs. I think it was because he could smell him there. He also became more clingy he even started to be affectionate to my hubby somthing he'd never been. We gave Patches extra cuddles and treats and we told him when he would come to us for cuddles, we know little man we miss him too. What a gorgeous boy Simon was.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Rest you gentle, Simon, dream you deep. You walk in someone's heart forever.

Yes, I believe that cats grieve. I do not know for sure that they understand "death," but I believe, from observation, that they may well do so. But regardless, they certainly understand "there" then "not there." Just give Nubi all the love and attention he wants. Talk to him about Simon and how much you miss him. Nubi will know by your tone of voice, if not your words, that you share in his feeling. Comfort one another.

 

[tyleete]

I was just mentioning this today with my family! We just lost another last week and my other cats act absolutely different. Weird thing is? About 10yrs ago my kids had 2 gerbil sisters, and when one of them died, the other ran all around her giant multi level aquarium tank crying. It was heartbreaking.
These monster cats? Not a thing.:/

 

[NY cat man]

Yes, I believe they do. Last October, we lost Burdock, a street feral that became an indoor cuddle cat. He had bonded with Bashful, another feral from the same mother, and while he got along well with the other cats, she really was close only with him. After he passed, she went into a shell for a time, interrupted only by sessions of wandering around looking for him and giving out with plaintive meows. Also, she quit eating for a time. She has been slowly coming out of that shell, but she is not all the way back yet, although she is starting to mix more with some of the others, but nothing like she did with Burdock.

 

[Mighty Orange]

Yes, cats do grieve. They notice when one go's to the vet for that final voyage and never returns. I also had the good fortune of having other cats who try to help their human get over one of your feline friend's loss. Cat's also grieve over a human death if that human was their chosen. Give it time and show the living love, and hopefully that cat will help you in your own loss.

 

[tabbytom]

Hello all – Want to ask your opinion on if you believe cats will mourn after the loss of another cat?

We are so to hear about Simon

Hugs for you and Nubi


Here's an article for you to read :- do-cats-mourn

 

[Gizmobius]

I believe they do, as well. I lost my Gizmo in October and, in a way, I lost my Stevie girl too. She's a much different cat now that she doesn't have her buddy. In the weeks directly after, she would pace around the house and howl, carry her toy around and just seemed to be very lost. In my own grief, I took it to mean she was searching for him. She's still not the same cat as she was with Gizmo even after I've brought in two older kittens and I'm sure there's a chance she won't ever truly be the same. I make sure to always give her a lot of her own individual attention without the boys butting in so she can have some sense of normalcy since her entire world has been flipped upside down the past nearly 6 months.

 

[denice]

I believe they grieve in their own way. They miss having a buddy and the routine that they established.

 

[epona]

My Jakey still seems a bit lost after we lost Sonic at the beginning of this year. It's hardly surprising really, they spent every minute of the previous 14 years (with the exception of the occasional vet visit, and once when Sonic spent the night in hospital as he was wobbly from the sedative after a diagnostic procedure) within about a foot of one another, they were inseparable for all that time and despite the occasional half-hearted disagreement about who owned which particular sleeping spot, they absolutely adored one another - their worlds revolved around each other and me, basically (my poor husband never got a look in with either of them).

More worryingly, despite Jakey being on the higher end of the normal weight range for his size when Sonic was in his last few days of palliative care before the dreaded day, he has lost a ton of weight since then, which we are currently having investigated - had blood tests, and he's booked in for an ultrasound to look at his kidneys and liver as those indicators were a little (but not massively) raised to see what is going on.

He is also an elderly cat (15), I do worry that losing Sonic has in some way broken him a bit and health issues are coming to the fore due to the stress of it all, poor love. He just seems to have aged massively in every way since Sonic died.

 

[T.O.]

Yes.
definitively.
They’ll sometimes take to yowling in empty rooms.

 

[SadCatOwner32]

Yes a few years back I had two cats in my house. They weren't buddies but they tolerated each other. One died on a bed and the other would walk around smelling in that bedroom for weeks.. meowing... like she was trying to speak to the cat that died.