Do Cats Grieve? New Study Says Felines Can Mourn the Loss of Fellow Pets — Including Dogs

Mar. 15, 2025

A stock image of a sad cat.Photo:Getty

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Catscan grieve the loss of other pets — includingdogs— according to a newstudy.

Researchers from Oakland University in Michigan released their findings in the journalApplied Animal Behavior Scienceearlier this month, after they set out to see if felines are able to mourn when another animal in their shared household dies.

After surveying more than 400 cat owners about their pets' behavior after another cat or dog died, the study determined that cats showed behaviors that are typically associated with grief, including eating and playing less.

Jennifer Vonk and Brittany Greene, the study’s co-authors, also found that cats similarly spent more time alone, looked for more attention from their owners, slept more and appeared to search for their deceased animal companion.

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A stock image of a sad cat.Getty

“It made me a little more optimistic that they are forming attachments with each other,” Vonk, a professor of psychology at Oakland University, said, perNPR.

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In a statement toThe Sunday Times, Vonk also said that she thinks cats are mischaracterized as being antisocial, compared to their dog counterparts, and are capable of feelings many associate with canines.

“Unlike dogs, we tend to think that cats are aloof and not social,” she told the outlet. “I think we’ve been mischaracterizing them.”

source: people.com