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How can we help our remaining cat to feel safe after her brother died?

4 replies

freshstart24 · 04/03/2017 08:08

I posted yesterday about our beloved old boy having to be PTS on Thursday night. We miss him so much.

15 years ago we adopted him and his 'sister' together. He was the big, brave, dominant cat. She is tiny, more timid, needy and used to her brother looking out for her.

When he came home briefly last week she was so pleased to see him. Chirruping and licking him. He managed a few licks back but he was so unwell that we took him back to the vets again a few hours later.

She seems to be doing ok. I've heard her meowing outside our door a few times in the night, which is unusual - I've gone out each time to reassure her. She sleeps on beds a lot in the day but I can't sleep with her at night unfortunately.

She's been showered with affection but I need to find other ways to help her.

They always chose to sleep together in the conservatory (not a full one so not cold), more recently on a heated mat. However the cat flap is in there and I'm worried it might be a bit of an open space for her and too close to the cat flap (I think she worries about intruders, her brother always took care of them).

I need to help her feel safe, and to cope without her brother.

Any thoughts would be very gratefully received?

OP posts:

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GruffaloPants · 04/03/2017 08:11

Maybe the things you would do for a kitten away from its litter, like a soft ticking alarm clock and a hot pack wrapped in a blanket?

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pterobore · 04/03/2017 11:51

So sorry to hear you lost your cat last week.

One of my cats did this pining and mourning when her dear friend died last year. She still calls for her at night. She also took to collecting up her 'litter of kittens' as we called it, where she gathered things into a pile each night. These were things like socks, gloves, crochet squares.

We have showered her with love and affection and attention. She sleeps between us at night and we bring her up to bed with us. We do have other cats so she's found comfort there too.

Could you lock the cat flap at night and give her a litter tray? And perhaps set a bed up for her in the bedroom to help her during her difficult time.

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Potentialmadcatlady · 04/03/2017 18:29

Im so sorry so for your..lost one of mine today and was just coming on here to ask the same question...😥