A recent study shows that cats grieve fellow pets, even if it is a canine companion. The research challenges the notion that felines tend to be antisocial and fickle. Researchers noticed some common signs that many cat lovers have reported in the past to signify their cats are mourning the loss of another pet.
Research finds cats feel grief and mourn fellow pets, including family dogs
Cat owners have always believed their furry companion can feel the grief of losing a friend. However, a recent study provides further evidence they might have been right. While felines may be independent and aloof, they are no stranger to mourning the loss of someone they love. Moreover, the grief doesn’t only extend to fellow kitties but also to family dogs who lived alongside them.
Researchers noticed the cats participating in the study didn’t sleep well and refused food. A feline struggling to sleep is telling of their grieving fellow pets, as cats are known to spend more than half the day sleeping. They also made yowling noises and sought attention from their owners to cope with the pain of losing a friend. Moreover, some kitties refused to play their favorite games when mourning the loss of a fellow pet.
The researchers stated, “Whereas dogs, descended from pack animals, might reasonably respond more strongly to the death of a conspecific, cats under human care have adapted to live among conspecifics and their capacity to respond to the loss of a companion warrants further study.” They studied over 450 cats living alongside other companion animals. The pet parents were asked to note their behavior after losing a furry sibling.
Oakland University professor Jennifer Vonk exclaimed, “I think we’ve been mischaracterizing them.” The study also stated that the longer the cats lived alongside the other companion animal, the more impact the fellow pet’s death had on them. However, the effect stayed the same regardless of whether they witnessed the passing or had other furry siblings to keep them company.
