Do Cats Grieve?

Have you ever wondered if your cat feels the loss of another pet in the household just like you do? New research suggests that it is possible.

Though often seen as independent and aloof, cats may show signs of mourning when a companion animal dies. A recent study published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science indicates that cats might grieve, challenging the idea that they are not as antisocial as they are often labeled.

Grief is not just a human experience. Mourning behaviors are well-documented in many animals including dolphins, elephants, and chimpanzees. They may guard the body of a deceased companion or show signs of emotional distress. Even bereavement among dogs has been observed after the death of another dog in the household. But does this apply to cats, given that their wild ancestors were primarily solitary creatures?

New Research Throws Light on Feline Grief

Do cats grieve? This question was recently explored by US-based comparative psychologists Brittany Greene and Jennifer Vonk from Oakland University.

Their study surveyed 412 cat owners about the behavior of their surviving cats after another household pet (either a cat or a dog) died. Here are some of the findings:

Grief-like Behaviors: Cats that had better relationships with the deceased animal tended to sleep, eat, and play less after the loss. “They (cats) engaged less in sleeping, eating and playing but more in seeking attention from humans and other pets, hiding, spending time alone and appearing to look for their lost companions,” reported the study.
Influence of Time Spent Together: The longer a cat lived with the deceased companion, the more caregivers reported that the surviving cat sought attention after the loss
Impact of Daily Interactions: The more time cats spent engaging in daily activities with their companion animal, the more caregivers noticed grief-like behaviors and fearfulness in the surviving cat after the companion’s death

This research expands on prior work by animal welfare researcher Jessica Walker and her team in 2016, which explored how cats and dogs react to the loss of a companion animal. Conducted in New Zealand and Australia, the study revealed that:

78% of cats showed changes in affection, often becoming more clingy or vocal
Many cats showed increased frequency (43%) and volume (32%) of vocalizations, indicating anxiety and a desire for attention
Cats often spent time searching for their deceased companion in their favorite spots

These findings suggest that both cats and dogs may react similarly to the loss of a companion animal. At the same time, it highlights that domestication played a major role in reshaping the behavior of cats, allowing them to form social bonds.

Additionally, this shows that humans are not the only ones impacted by the passing of a loved one.

Grief or Misinterpretation?

There is a debate over whether cats truly experience grief or if these behaviors are driven by survival instincts. When an animal dies, it may signal danger in the environment. This may prompt other pets within the household to behave cautiously. This could explain why some cats hide or become more alert after the death of a companion animal.

Another theory is that pet owners, grieving themselves, may unintentionally project their feelings onto their surviving pets. For example, owners who feel more sadness might be more likely to notice or interpret changes in their cat’s behavior as grief-related.

“If caregivers reported avoidant attachment with the deceased cat, they reported greater decreases in grief-like behaviors in surviving cats following the death, suggesting that caregivers without strong, secure attachment binds were less likely to perceive that their surviving animals experienced grief,” the authors from Oakland University mentioned in their study.

This suggests that pet owners without strong emotional connections to the deceased cat may overlook signs of grief in their surviving cats, adding another layer of complexity to the answer to “Do cats grieve?”

Can Cats Truly Mourn?

The answer is not entirely clear. While there is evidence to suggest that cats may mourn the loss of a companion, it is also possible that their behavior is a survival response or a reflection of their owner’s grief.

However, the studies do challenge the perception of cats as completely detached and antisocial. Just like dogs, cats may form bonds with other pets and feel the absence when those companions are gone.

Recent scientific evidence even suggests that the psychological experience of loss may be universal in the animal kingdom and not just limited to humans. As research continues, we will gain a better understanding of the social cognition of cats and their response to grief.

Overall, it seems cats may feel more than we give them credit for, especially when it comes to losing a friend. So, make sure you are there for your feline companion and offer them support and comfort as needed during such difficult times.

References

Greene, B., & Vonk, J. (2024). Is companion animal loss cat-astrophic? Responses of domestic cats to the loss of another companion animal. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 106355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106355

Walker, J. K., Waran, N. K., & Phillips, C. J. (2016). Owners’ Perceptions of Their Animal’s Behavioural Response to the Loss of an Animal Companion. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 6(11), 68. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani6110068

Uccheddu, S., Ronconi, L., Albertini, M. et al. Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) grieve over the loss of a conspecific. Sci Rep 12, 1920 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05669-y