As we grieve the loss of a pet, we may not be the only ones feeling the pain. Research is showing that cats who are left behind when another animal in their home dies could be mourning along with us.
Grief is a well-documented human response to loss – but its roots may be far more ancient as some scientists believe it evolved in extinct species of humans. Corvids – members of the crow family – primates, and marine mammals like dolphins and whales, have all been observed to change their behaviour when one of their own dies, from carrying dead offspring for days, to staying close by the body, as if keeping vigil.
