Dogs and Cats Grieve Too

After our boarder collie passed away at the age of sixteen one of our cats spent many days and nights in the room where our dog had spent most of her time as if waiting for her to return.  Even though the two animals had never been friends the cat seemed to miss the dog’s presence.  This made us wonder if the cat was grieving the loss of our dog.

It is not unusual for an animal to show signs of distress after the loss of a beloved owner or member of the family.  Dogs and cats alike will show signs of grief such as loss of appetite, fear, depression, sleeping too much or too little and agitation and anger.  Some pets have been known to grieve so strongly that they slowly die.  Their grief is real and felt very strongly.

Dogs and cats can also grieve for other pets in the household.  Even if the pets weren’t close they feel the loss of the member of the household and may become unhappy or stressed.  They do not understand where the other animal has gone or if the animal will return.  On top of that they feel the sadness of the humans in the house who are also grieving for the animal.  The grieving process can last for weeks and even months.

If your dog or cat has experienced the loss of an owner or another animal in the household you should keep a close eye on their behavior and habits.  If they are not eating and you cannot get them to eat food you should take them to the veterinarian immediately.  It only takes two days of not eating for a cat’s liver to become damaged. 

Other signs of grief could be lethargic behavior, clinginess, aggression toward other animals in the house and sleeping more than usual.  Try keeping your animal’s daily routine as normal as possible and give him some additional attention.  This may help alleviate his feeling of stress.

It is best not to board your pet at this time or schedule any medical procedures that will put more stress upon the animal.  Like humans, too much stress can make your animal physically sick.  Try not to make any big changes for at least a few weeks.

It is strongly recommended not to bring a new animal into the household soon after the death of a pet. Pets that haven’t had enough time to grieve the loss of their companion may react negatively toward this new intruder or become even more stressed. In instances where there are several dogs or cats already the remaining animals may be adjusting to their new “status” in the pack and some may even be fighting for the dominate position. A new animal may upset this balance and could be hurt by the other animals.

Our cat has slowly adjusted to the dog being gone but even now, many months later, we catch him checking the room as if to see if the dog is really gone. Like people, animals need time to grieve. Give your pet time to adjust to the loss and soon he will be back to his old, happy self again.

(Copyright 2007 Deanna Lynn Sletten)

(This article is owned by Deanna Lynn Sletten and shall not be copied or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the owner.)