Feline sad: Cats show key signs of mourning after one of their friends passes away – including sleeping more, eating less and hiding, study finds

The death of a pet is devastating for any owner, but if you have multiple animals, a new study suggests the loss is just as hard for them. 

Researchers from Oakland University have revealed that cats show key signs of grief after the death of another pet in the same household. 

This includes changes in sleep, seeking attention, and spending time alone. 

And it isn’t just cats that mourn like humans. 

The findings of the new study come shortly after research revealed that dogs show grief-like behaviours after losing a companion. 

Researchers from Oakland University have revealed that cats show key signs of grief after the death of another pet in the same household. This includes changes in eating (stock image)

In 2022, researchers from the University of Milan revealed that dogs show key signs of morning after losing a companion. 

However, until now, it was unclear whether the same thing applied to cats. 

‘Whereas dogs, descended from pack animals, might reasonably respond more strongly to the death of a conspecific, cats under human care have adapted to live among conspecifics and their capacity to respond to the loss of a companion warrants further study,’ the team wrote in their study, published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 

In the new study, the researchers enlisted 412 cat owners, who were surveyed on the immediate and long-term changes seen in a surviving cat, following the death of another pet. 

The results revealed that some cats showed key indicators of grief, including changes in sleeping, eating, playing, seeking attention, hiding, and spending time alone. 

However, the team found that these behaviours varied depending on the cat’s relationship with the deceased animal. 

Some cats showed key indicators of grief, including changes in sleeping, eating, playing, seeking attention (stock image), hiding, and spending time alone

The team found that the grieving behaviours varied depending on the cat’s relationship with the deceased animal (stock image)

‘The longer the cat had lived with the deceased animal, the more the caregivers reported increases in attention-seeking following the death,’ the researchers explained in the study. 

What’s more, the owner’s own relationship with the deceased cat also affected their surviving pet’s response.   

‘This suggests that our feline friends might be mirroring their caregivers’ grief,’ the researchers added. 

The team hope the findings will help to challenge the stereotype of cats as aloof and asocial.  

Brittany Greene, lead author of the study, said: ‘Our study reveals that domestic cats exhibit behavioral shifts that reflect their canine equivalent. 

‘The psychological experience of loss is universal throughout the animal kingdom and the bonds forged with our pets are a mirror of the care and connection we provide.’