WHEN CATS GRIEVE
Copyright 2004, Sarah Hartwell
One of the most frequent questions I am asked is whether cats grieve or mourn the passing of a feline or human companion. When a cat dies, owners often notice behavioural changes in their remaining cats. Some of these are due to adapting to a changed hierarchy, but other behavioural changes are due to a sense of loss. Many cats grieve the loss of a close human companion and others show signs of loss when a canine companion ides or goes missing.
It is impossible to say exactly what emotions cats feel, but when a close companion goes missing they are certainly be aware of the absence. It is unlikely that they mourn in the human sense of the word, but there will be some behavioural changes as they adjust to the gap in their lives.
