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Cats appear to grieve death of fellow pets – even dogs, study finds

US researchers say findings challenge view that cats are antisocial and suggest bereavement may be universal

“They [cats] engaged less in sleeping, eating and playing but more in seeking attention from humans and other pets, hiding, spending time alone and appearing to look for their lost companions,” the authors from Oakland University in the US wrote in their study, which was published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science. “Unlike dogs, we tend to think that cats are aloof and not social,” Prof Jennifer Vonk, a comparative/cognitive psychologist at Oakland University and a co-author of the work, told the Times. “Consistent with this hypothesis, caregivers who experienced greater grief were more likely to report increases in their surviving cats’ sleep, spending time alone and hiding following the death,” they wrote.

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