Poo help please!

[SallyD]

Hi.

Yesterday we had to have our seventeen year old cat put to sleep, which of course has upset us all greatly, and we can't believe we'll never see him again. This morning our ten month old dog, who loved the cat, has been behaving in a very unusual way for her. She hardly touched her breakfast, unheard of before as she's a labrador, and she put herself back in her bed after she'd been in the garden and has more or less remained there ever since. I'm sure she's not ill so my question is do you think she knows the cat had gone and do animals grieve for other pets?

 

Thank you

Sally

[karencopas]

hi, sorry to hear your sad news and yes definitely they do miss the other pets when they pass on. we had a lab and a springer and when our lab died suddenly dotty our springer was very sad and subdued she layed and slept in all bella's places for a long while, they do get over it tho. i think dogs really know when their humans are sad too and am guessing yours is a sad house today x

[mollyripkim]

Hi, so sorry to hear your sad news, sending hugs, its always a horrible time but hopefully you will be able to look back with happy memories eventually.

 

I really do think that pets grieve, my little yorkie became very poorly when we lost our elderly cocker spaniel, quiet, subdued and wouldn't eat despite treatment from the vets to try and stimulate her appetite as there was nothing physically wrong with her. In the end we made the decision to have another cocker (breeder friend conveniently had a litter) and I must say the change in Molly was remarkable and she is again best friends with the cocker. Am not saying that is the solution in every case as we always intended to have another dog but just did it sooner rather than later.

 

I also have a cat that sleeps with the dogs and will rub around them when they come back from a walk so I have no doubt that they would miss her, I don't think it has to be same species necessarily and also as karencopas said Im sure he is picking up on your sadness too.

 

Hope you are all ok.

[SallyD]

Thank you for your kind replies. I think Poppy is missing the cat, she always rushed to welcome him before anyone else and gave him a quick lick on the head which I'm not sure was altogether appreciated! I'm just surprised that she seems to realise that he's no longer here as often he would be outside all day and she wouldn't see him very much. We all realise that at seventeen the cat had had a long and happy life, and had spent it doing exactly as he wished, but it just is hard to imagine we won't see him again.

 

Thanks again

Sally

[Cheeky Chooky]

So sorry to read this Hope you all adjust to your cat not being there very soon *hug*

[Groovychook]

I'm so sorry Sally

It's so hard to lose such an old friend.

Sending you ((hugs)) and a cuddle for Poppy.

xx

[Space Chick]

So sorry for your loss

 

Other pets definitely grieve.

 

When we lost Henry our terrier last year, Thomas our cat grieved for him terribly, wouldn't eat and was really clingy.

 

Sadly Thomas developed cancer only a few months after Henry died and we lost him too.

 

I'm glad they are now together again.

 

Interestingly they sent us two new rescue cats, Harry and Sabrina.... Harry has a very similar personality to Henry, and Sabrina has a very similar personality to Thomas. It's quite freaky actually, like they hand picked the perfect pets for us from beyond