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Can cats have PTSD?

post #1 of 4
8/1/11 at 12:48am
Thread Starter 
I used to be the owner of 3 lovable cats. One of my cats got very sick and unfortunately died. One of the other cats was the first to find him. He acted very strange after. Could he suffer from PTSD?
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post #2 of 4
8/1/11 at 1:08am
I'm not sure it could be classified as a PTSD, but cats are affected by loss. When we lost Turvy, her best buddy Trace languished for weeks. I kept up his lovin' and brushin' and his favorite foods and he finally worked it out.
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post #3 of 4
8/1/11 at 2:44am
As far as I know, the only animals that have been officially documented to recognize and mourn a death are elephants.

I wouldn't think that a cat would have the capacity to process the death to the extent a human can, but would notice the loss of a constant companion. So stress perhaps, but not traumatic stress.

Its very common to anthropomorphise our beloved pets, but its important to remember that they do not even have the cognitive ability to recognize themselves in a mirror, yet alone understand mortality, so I wouldn't be too concerned. In fact a change in your own behavior toward the cat may be what is unsettling it as they are fairly well tuned into body language. If you act normally, I would expect your cats to bounce back in short order. Sorry for your loss.
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post #4 of 4
8/1/11 at 4:18am
How strange is he acting? has he stopped eating, drinking, associating with you or the other cats? Has he missed the litter pan or is he hiding from you? Cat grieve their own, especially if they are close. I am always amazed that when one of my cats goes to the vet for tests or what have you, and even when this cat spends a few days at the vets, none of the other cats act out. Yet, the minute the cat dies (if it does) the whole clowder seems to know and is affected.
Yes, cats can have PTSD- I have had plenty that come here with PTSD. But usually, if the cat has a chance to see the kitty who has gone to the Bridge after the cat is gone, it does throw them into a different type of grief then the others might be experiencing.

If your cat isn't eating, drinking or is doing something worrisome like meowing all the time, being restless, missing the litter pan- get him to the vet. Stress in cats in the number one cause of health issues. I wouldn't take the chance of possibly losing another one.
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