Pets and Grief: Do They Mourn Too?

Photo byMercedes MehlingonUnsplash

Most Americans own pets. About 62% of US households have at least one, be it a dog, cat, bird, or otherwise. Approximately 35% of the population own more than one. My wife and I run a small dog-sitting business out of our home, we understand how attached families are to their non-human companions. It is always heartwarming to see how excited both pet and owner become when they are reunited. There seem to be emotions on both sides of those reunions. It would be a natural assumption that pets feel other emotions as well.

Anyone who has lost a dear pet knows how traumatic it can be. It creates a void in the home; a family member is gone, never to return. Do pets also feel that loss? Do they grieve? Bence Nanay, Ph.D., suggests that they do. In a recent article in Psychology Today titled, Do Cats Feel Grief?, Nanay compares the emotional range of cats to dogs. While dogs display their emotions much more openly than cats, both canines and felines seem to react in a similar manner when a fellow pet dies. They both sleep less, eat and play less, and they may also hide or seek more attention than usual. It is hard to deny that there is a mood shift to what looks like grief.

It is imoptant to note that these finings are not difinitive. The writer does make the point that our four-legged friends may simply be mimicking the mood of their owners.

What do you think?

Do our pets grieve? What behaviors have you seen in your pet when they lose a companion.

Please leave your comments below. Also, consider sharing this article to bring more voices into the conversation.

I write about business, lifestyle, pop culture, and spiritual matters. If you found this article informative and useful, hit the "like" and "follow" buttons--it would be appreciated.