Posted on 08/05/2013 5:37:54 AM PDT by TurboZamboni
When a family pet dies, people grieve. But the reverse is also the case: When you go, your dog, cat or rabbit may grieve over losing you. And when a pet dies, a surviving pet may take it worst of all.
Pet grief exists. It's not the same as the grief a person experiences nor is it as deep. It's not present in every case. But it exists in ways recognizable to us.
The most evident manifestations of grief are a loss of appetite, social withdrawal or the frequent revisiting of places that were meaningful, according to Barbara King, a professor of anthropology at Virginia's College of William & Mary who specializes in animal behavior.
King, the author of "How Animals Grieve" (University of Chicago Press, 2013), says that in some cases an animal's response to a death can be explained by the pet being in tune with the surviving people in the house.
(Excerpt) Read more at twincities.com ...
I was forced to chain up a rather stupid dog I had after it learned to jump the fence to get out. It was a female large brown dog of unknown mix I had for 3 years. We had also gotten a “Benji” type male much smaller.
The brown dog jumped over an enclosure fence with the gate open and hanged itself (I swore I would never chain up a dog again). Our Benji dog mopped around for a week and then layed down and died at the same spot brown dog died.
Recently my wife’s cat was killed by a loose dog in the neighborhood. Though a house cat, he insisted on going out some though he didn’t leave the front yard. My young male outdoor cat who was raised as a kitten around the older cat, meowed in a howling way for over a week mourning his friend. He would go through the neighborhood waling, as if calling him to come back home. He probably got away from the dog that got the other cat, as they were out there together. The younger cat had more street smarts, as he was a full time outdoor cat.
Fascinating observations. Your goats, cows, and chickens are more maternal than a lot of teen-aged humans, sad to say.
I am so sorry. My daughter in law lost her horse to an aneurysm last year. She and her coach had just finished a dressage exercise and the horse collapsed. My DIL was heartbroken since she’d had that horse since it was foaled. It was 1/2 thoroughbred and 1/2 Swedish warm blood.
What a wonderful story. You have a special dog, as well as a special husband.
My wife brought 2 kittens (Muff and Jr) home to Texas from Ohio on board a plane. Actually had them in her purse! Well, one of them, Muff wouldn’t stop spraying in both our young kid’s closets. She eventually had him put down. He was a cool cat but we couldn’t stand the spraying! His brother, Jr changed overnight. He was withdrawn. Not mean but just went cold. Stayed that way for the rest of his life...
Your Hannah will come around. She is just dealing with a loss in her own way.
With the exception of Quatorze (tortoiseshell, the original Viking Kitty), my other pets come with me on that last, sad ride. They are in the treatment room when we say “goodbye”.
The other critters are given the COURTESY of knowing their friend can’t play anymore. It’s all I can do for them in this situation.
For those compassionless among us, all I can say is that I hope you treasure your shallow life.
My sister’s little dog has had to endure quite a bit of grief in a short time.
First, the family had to put down her German Shepherd. My sister said little 2yo Sparkles was confused by the disappearance of her big mentor.
Then a month later, her master, my sister, died. Sparkles was lost and confused, sad. She would stay on her bed and not eat. Finally Sparkles starting transferring to my nephew, who is a mama’s boy living in the house. She is very attached to him now. Interesting how she isn’t nearly as attached to the others, which shows just who best associated with my sister.
The few times we come over, I notice Sparkles is much more excited about any of us visiting, and especially me and our mom, than she was in the past.
OMG! So sorry to hear that! How horrible. Glad you all were not hurt, either.
Devastating. My wife’s Quarter Horse went down due a stroke at age 26 a number of years ago. Fortunately was in her corral one night, and not on the trails. Had to have a Vet. put her down the next day. We understand your grief.
We adopted two kittens, Lucas Prince of Darkness and Slinker.
When they were 8 years old, Slinker died of lymphoma, and we nearly lost Lucas because he wouldn’t eat,
and he became lethargic.
Lucas is pretty spoiled now. He got us trained to give him treats and lots of his favorite foods when we were
saving his life, so that he did not mourn to death.
He had a less-serious setback when my Rocket died a year ago, but he seemed to recover faster that time.
He’s 14 now, and still very thin, but he is healthy.
What was the purpose of that crap? Why didn't you just stay away from the thread or at least give the rest of us the courtesy of just remaining silent..........
Because it had to be pointed out that animals don't "grieve".And to add insult to injury I'm forced to inform you that there's no Easter Bunny either...grieving or otherwise.
My mother got a brown tabby Persian male in exchange for a breeding to another of her cats (she raised Persians). My father fell in love with that kitten, and it became his. (My mother swore that its feet never touched the ground as my father carried it everywhere.) My father ended up dying of heart failure rather suddenly. A few days after his death, my mother was sitting on their bed & the kitten jumped up & sat with her (his name was Rebel). After that moment, he never got on the bed again.
He was affectionate with everyone in the family. Just odd that he seemed to consider that place ‘sacred ground’.
that's your opinion but the facts and continuous articles regarding the same prove you to be wrong........
My long-time veterinarian, who has seen a lot, once told me that animal do suffer from grief , she has seen a lot of it. I'll go with her opinion, thank you.
Then one day she didn't come home, and I'm sure he picked up on what happened from me, and he would just sit on the recliner and cry. He wanted "his mommy," and he pined for months before one day he just left and never came back (he was an indoor/outdoor cat).
I have no doubt that he was in mourning for "his mommy."
Mark
Sad about Handsome Boy. Hope he’s ok now.
When my Lucky cat died, his partner-in-fun, MaiseyJane ran upstairs and jumped onto my bed. I followed, knowing she needed to mourn. WE talked, we commiserated, I stroked her, we somehow got through it together. But we surely did need each other that terrible day.
So terribly sorry for your loss. Sounds like your wonderful horse was part of the family.
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