Research Suggests Cats Mourn The Death Of Companion Animals, Even Dogs

Contrary to the popular belief of their aloof nature, cats may experience grief when a fellow pet dies, according to a new study published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

A research group from Oakland University surveyed 412 pet owners who had lost a dog or cat but still had at least one cat in the home. The researchers found that cats did appear to show common signs of grieving. Surviving cats meowed more often than usual, lost their appetite, and slept more or less than they had before, according to the study. Such reactions occurred even when the other dead pet was a dog. It has therefore been suggested that cats may actually form deeper bonds than are usually perceived.

"Our results are consistent with the idea that cats may experience the loss of companion animals in ways similar to what dogs experience despite having evolved from a less social ancestor," write psychologists Brittany Greene and Jennifer Vonk from Oakland University in the US.

Though these findings debunk the notion of cats as solitary creatures, researchers tell us that there is a way to go before definitely establishing these behaviours as symptoms of grief. It could well be a case of owners projecting their emotions onto their cats.

"More positive relationships between the dead animal and surviving cat predicted decreases in sleeping, eating, and playing. The longer the cat had lived with the dead animal, the more the caregivers reported increases in attention-seeking following the death. However, higher levels of caregiver attachment also predicted reports of increases in attention seeking behavior, which may reflect anthropomorphism in the projection of caregiver grief onto surviving companion animals," wrote the authors of the study.

This research, however, provides insight into the emotional lives of these complex animals and thus deepens our understanding of their social interactions.