Cat Death

senordingdong

Of the two kittens we got last june, one has died recently.
We disposed of the body appropriatly and all but before we did, I suggested we allow the other one to see it...for clarity like.
Anyway, the parents disagreed and it didn't happen.

Now the other one is running around like a mad thing, acting very irritated and behaving in a way that could be interpreted as seraching, for her brother imo.

So would seeing he body have been better or worse?
How common is cat depression and how common is it in relation to the lose of a sibling? Will she 'get over' it?

doctor evil

If you get another kitten she will forget quite quickly, animals do understand death but since the kitten is buried there is not much you can do about it except just give her extra attention. I`m not too sure if its depression in the same way that humans have it, she may just be quite lonely. Did the kitten die suddenly and was removed quite fast?.

senordingdong

Died very suddenly but wasn't found for almost a day.
The corpse was brought to the vet before the other got a sight.

doctor evil

Maybe she already saw it before it was found?, was the cat knocked down.

senordingdong

Yeah but it was on the dart line, a place she doesn't go..
And she really isn't behaving like someone who has closure.

tricky D

found http://messybeast.com/emoticat.html from googling 'cat senses death'

COMPREHENSION OF DEATH (BEREAVEMENT)

Cat appear to comprehend a state of someone not being alive - body temperature changes, smell changes etc. Whether they make the link between a corpse and someone previously alive is not certain, but many cats stop looking for an absent companion after being shown the body of a deceased companion. Therefore cats probably have some comprehension that something dead cannot become alive again.


I remember when my old cat lost her first kittens, there was the recognition of death. Very sad and distressed, sniffing, nudging for a while. Didn't bury the kits immediately, but left for a few hours then buried them with her attending. She 'seemed' to have some understanding of closure and didn't hang around the burial site after. Then sadness for a few days.

also
http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour_felinebereavement.html

senordingdong

Aw...that's terrible.

I hate having to look at the poor little thing getting so distressed looking for her big brother but actually knowing that she is bereaved is awfull.

Does anyone know how long it will take for her to forget him or 'get over' it?

FranknFurter

When we had two cats, the older one (a rescue female) died of FLV (Feline leukemia), the other who had lived with her for about 5 years did'nt get to see her dead body as she died in the vets. But he did see her very ill being taken to the vet.
He was a bit "off kilter" for about a week, but he seemed to get over it eventually. (A lot quicker than we did thats for sure!).

I wouldnt worry too much, just give him lots of love and maybe consider adopting a playmate for him. Ours seemed to have missed the pure "companionship" of another cat to curl up to, because when we took in another, he made friends immediately and watched her every move in case she vanished too.

But to be honest, if you live near the DART line, or in a built-up area, its only my personal opinion, but they should be house cats.
Or at the very least, make sure they are neutered (?) as they wont roam as much.

b

senordingdong

They are/were neutered.
And trying to keep them inside just wouldn't have been right.

What's the typical memory span of a cat?