Many people don’t realize that animals grieve, but it’s important to recognize it so you can help your cat.

Even if companion cats aren’t close, grieving can occur. The grieving cat also gets the double whammy grief effect when she sees her owner acting distraught. From her point of view, the bottom just fell out of her world. Her companion is gone, her human family is acting strange, and she doesn’t understand any of it.

If you’ve recently lost a companion animal and you’re concerned about your surviving cat, don’t be in a rush to fill that empty space. Instead, spend time playing with your cat and interacting in a casual, comforting way. She needs normalcy in her everyday life. Comfort, but don’t cling so much that it sends off alarms in her head that this is the end of the world.

Watch her eating and litter box habits, and make sure all is normal there. It’s not unusual for a grieving cat to stop eating or stop using the litter box. If you notice either of these behaviors, contact your veterinarian. It’s very dangerous for a cat to go two days without eating because of the risk of liver damage.

If you do decide to bring home a new companion for your cat, wait until she is emotionally and physically ready.

For more information refer to the book Starting from Scratch or Cat vs Cat.

© 2009 Cat Behavior Associates, LLC