Despite what was previously thought, scientists have found solid evidence that cats and dogs can feel grief and Mourn the loss of other furry companions – or even their humans (yes, really). This post explores the mysterious land of feline feelings, revealing you the facts derived from scientific research that proves cats mourn as well.
Cats Feel the Pain of Loss
While we may stereotype cats as aloof and uncaring creatures, the latest scientific work shows a far more complex animal. Research suggests that cats can be quite attached to their human and feline family members, and when there loss of any companion, they grieve genuinely.
Brittany Greene and Jennifer Vonk, from Oakland University in Michigan, recorded behaviours of 452 cats and concluded almost all showed capacity to recognise another cat had died as they showed “a diverse range of negative behavioural change which persisted over months”. These behaviors included increased attention-seeking, vocalizations and loss of appetite. The depth of the animals’ social relationships, time spent together and closeness on a daily basis were contributing factors to this grief-like behavior.
A similar study carried out by animal welfare researcher Jessica Walker and her team in 2016 found that when it comes to their pets, cats and dogs process grief the same way. Results of this study revealed that 75% of surviving pets had at least one behavior change, and in cats increased level of affection, clinginess or new anxiety related vocalizations have been mostly found. Although anecdotal, this provides compelling evidence that cats can and do grieve for the loss of someone they love.
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Except the translation is not as clear cut as it might appear. According to some studies, what we interpret as grief in cats is not grief at all but a survival instinct rather than an emotional reaction to losing their buddy.
Examples like research on western scrub-jays (Aphelocoma californica) and bumblebees or demonstrate alarm calls or avoidance of dead conspecifics, which would likely reduce the risk of experiencing danger. 6 Likewise, the hiding or former Hagere turns to a hole in the wall could also be seen as a form of shelter instead of grief.
Cats and dogs across the world have URGE to eat their human tributes… Although many see this as a cruel move, others suggest that [the dog] may actually be trying to resuscitate the owner being unresponsive instead of just an act of disrespect or indifference [16]. A better fit for the grief aspect of the animal attempting to return his friend.
The fact of the matter is, what happens to a cat when another cat dies is still being heavily argued and studied. While it seems that cats do grieve in some sense, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the inner workings of their grief.
Conclusion
This whole idea of cats grieving over the loss of their own is an interesting, almost romantic notion. Certainly the scientific evidence is persuasive, but we still do not know very much about emotional life as experienced by those who purr. And while we wade further into the murky waters of the beautiful and bizarre realm that revolves around cats, it is likely that we shall uncover an even greater amount of information about feline emotions and their methods for dealing with difficult occurrences as we continue our journey exploring cat behavior.
