Cross Breeds

My Cat keeps looking for his mother who is now dead...what can I do to help him?

He's 7, she was 8 and they had never been separated since she had him. She died on May 8th (20 days ago) and he continues looking for her in all of the places she frequented (who said Cats have short term memories?). Often he will go to a certain spot, pause, then call out loudly for her. It breaks my heart especially because she died on account of me not questioning why her belly was bloated (died of a ruptured uterus) while there was still enough time to save her. I dismissed it as weight gain and possibly some constipation. There's another Cat I have from a separate litter who is also her offspring and over the past week, he's been doing something similar...looking for her. Thanks very much for your help!

Public Comments

1. Well when my dog's companion died, he was miserable and always moeped around. What you do to make him forget, it get him another freidn, a new dog, and he will forget. Hope I helped!
2. Just give them time. My cat had 4 kittens and 3 of them died for unknown reasons. She was always looking around for them and meowing for about 2 weeks. But luckily the last baby she had kept her busy and got her mind off of the other dead kittens. Just let them. They will soon learn that the mother is not coming back and get used to it. Just try to keep them occupied and play with them. Just feel lucky that they aren't newborns or something.
3. It will take time for him to get over losing her. Pets do have their own way of grieving. You can try to spend more time with him and get him some new toys and play with him a lot.
4. Oh that's so sad. There really isn't much you can do to help him, beyond making sure he has lots of cuddles and love. Is he off his food? Hopefully, he isn't fretting too much that he's lost his appetite. Maybe spoil him for a while by getting him some special treats and toys, etc. As time goes on, he will get used to her absence, it will take him a while though as he's been used to having her around for so long. Could you consider getting a kitten? A new family member would distract him nicely and make a new friend for him to love and take care of. Good luck.
5. It's horriblely painful for you to go through a loss, but to have to deal with it over and over again through one of your other furry friends is even worse. I'm going through the same thing right now. But sadly, the only thing you can give is time for how he is feeling. The kitty will stop eventually. To help though, try an extra dose of love and a few extra treats.
6. The homeopathic remedy Ignatia is specific for grief in animals and humans. You can try one 30C dose of that with the cats. It can help a great deal. You can not harm them by giving a couple of more doses on subsequent days. Take some yourself. You can readily purchase homeopathic remedies in health food stores or pharmacies such as Elephan or Pharmaca.
7. haven't you ever heard of spaying your cat?! the scent of the momma cat is still in her usual spots, try washing all of the bedding and the toys and the areas that she liked to lay.
8. I think you should play with them every time you can to help them.
9. Cats go through depression too and Im sure this is what is going on. Extra attention to both the kittys is much needed and only time will help these two babies. My cat Trixie went through the same thing when my cat died in March. She got to the point of not even eating anymore and just lying around because she was so depressed. Lots of extra love and talking to them, (yes, we cant meow in their language but the influx of our voices they understand). Also maybe buy them a couple of new toys as new items in the home might help too a bit. In time they will be better and lucky for you there are 2 of them and they have each other also. They can still smell her mommy's scent I am sure so changing here special areas are needed. Please do not feel guilty and say she died on account of you. Cats cannot tell us something is wrong. From the sounds of it you didn't even know she was pregnant again so how could you know? Take care!
10. I am sorry to hear about your cat. My cat died too and I wish I were there to help her (I was away for military things). Animals pretty much accept the death of another if they were there to see the dead body etc. Did he see that she had died? It sometimes takes time to realize that the other cat is gone... it's possible that you might need to get another cat for him for a companion.
11. The link below is to an article "When Cats Grieve" which offers practical and helpful advice on how you can best comfort and reassure your cats. It really is worth reading. http://www.messybeast.com/cat-grief.htm It's natural for you to feel responsible for your cats' welfare, but please try not to blame yourself for the mother cat's death. I don't know your location, but the Blue Cross animal charity in the UK offers pet bereavement support (by email) from trained volunteers. http://www.bluecross.org.uk/web/site/Memorial/MemorialIntro.asp I'm so sorry for your loss and hope that you have someone you can talk to and share your feelings with at this very sad time. There are some very kind people answering questions on here, so I hope that you receive answers that will be of comfort to you and your cats.