As one of those “childless cat ladies” JD Vance is constantly “quipping” about, I can’t say that I haven’t wondered – were I to die at home – how long it would take mine to start eating me. I adore my pair of cornish rexes, Vlada and Myshka – but I’m well aware the feeling is only intermittently reciprocated. They are most enthusiastic about my presence when I am opening a tin of Applaws. If, heaven forbid, I were to be prevented by death from carrying out my duty towards them, I’ve never been certain that my extremities wouldn’t go the same way as their beloved meat-stick treats.
But I’ve been cheered by new research, suggesting they might actually register my absence, and even mourn. A recent study found that cats displayed “grief-like behaviours” after the death of another pet in the household, losing interest in food, sleep and play, isolating themselves and (rather heartbreakingly) appearing to “look for their lost companions”. The research didn’t look at how cats respond to human deaths, but they were found to mourn the loss of the family dog.
