Cat bereavement is not as obvious as the same emotion displayed by dogs. This is because dogs are much more expressive, they generously wag their tails and often jump about with excitement when they see you and are consistently much more responsive than cats.
Cats tend to do their own thing, they are very independent and if they are not out and about checking their territory for many hours of the day they are probably sleeping! It is sometimes said, “dogs have owners, cats have servants!” This independence can make it harder to see the signs of a sad or depressed cat. But cats do grieve when they lose a friend and you may need to watch out for changes in behaviour.
Some more signs that your cat may feel depressed or sad are as follows:
Changes in your cat’s behaviour may be subtle or or obvious. You know your cat best, so look out for even small changes. Even though you may be grieving yourself, you surviving cat will need you more than ever now, the need is likely to be mutual.
Keep everything as regular and everyday as possible. Any changes in routine or anything new can cause confusion which may result in the cat’s defense mechanism – urine spraying. If this occurs it may be distressing for you, which your cat will pick up on, I am sure you can see the risk for accelerating any feelings of stress.
As with any behaviour changes or worries that you have, see your vet for a check-up if it doesn’t improve.
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