Do The Cats In The House Know My Cat Passed Away?

[inmemoryofchloe]

A few weeks ago I lost my cat at only 7 years old. It was a complete surprise, one day she was fine and the next day she had a high fever and was paralyzed.

I am a vet assistant and I brought her to work with me on that Friday at 8am thinking they would give her some fluids and some antibiotics and she would get better but that was not the case, she passed away around 6pm.

Some background- I've had her since she was 6 months, we got her a companion cat when she was about a year old but now have 6 cats including her. At 3 years old she started traveling to college with me back and fourth. Over the course of 4 years she would spend about half the time away with me in florida but would always be home over the summer and she was always the alpha cat.

I moved back home in December with her and she died the last weekend of March at the vet clinic. When I came home from work I was distraught, but the cats didn't seem to notice she was gone. We didn't bring her body home, we had it cremated. It's now been about a month and she's clearly not coming back, her companion cat that we got her has been acting up quite a bit lately. He's a lot more vocal and requires a lot more attention and has been bullying some of our other cats. Do you think that they know she's dead, or not coming home? Has me going back and forth with her confused them?

 

[biscuity]

I believe that cats can grieve, they may not know she is dead, but will definitely be missing her. Her scent will be getting weaker & older, which they will notice. Give all the cats extra & equal attention. Talk to them about her & help them to understand. There will soon be a new alpha & they have to sort that out between themselves.

Be gentle with them, give them all extra attention. Don't forget the quietest one as they may be suffering the most. Give them time.

 

[Katie M]

Cats can absolutely grieve. My last pair were littermates, so they were together literally from the beginning. Beau seemed to fall apart after Belle's death. He stopped grooming, and wasn't as friendly as he used to be. The change was so sudden and so soon after Belle died that there has to be a connection.

 

[nese]

They know when their companion does not come back. And they definitely grieve. We lost our male cat 1 year ago. At that time we had two cats one female and one male. When the male one passed, the female cat did eat almost nothing for a whole week, she just ate tiny amount enough to survive. We tried to keep her entertained, paid lots of attention to her in order her not to feel lonely. She became extremely dependent on us, always wanting to nap on my lap, not paying interest to toys etc.
But they gradually feel better, as we do, in time.

We get her a new companion 2 months later, and she welcomed the new kitten from the 1st second she saw her.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Condolences on the loss of your cat. She was beautiful. RIP sweet girl.

I think the cats definitely notice her absence, particularly her companion cat. He could also be picking up on your feelings of loss, and now concern about him.

I'll post the links to a few different TCS article that may be helpful.

Do Cats Mourn?
Separation Anxiety In Cats
Is Your Cat Stressed Out?
Potential Stressors In Cats - The Ultimate Checklist