Is my little boy lonely after his sister died?

[oxcat1]

I have two movies, both just about to turn 7. Loved them both so much - they were so very different in characters despite being with us since 8 weeks old.

Two weeks ago, my beautiful girl died. She was not herself one morning and wouldn't eat breakfast, so DH took her to the vets. She had low blood pressure, low temperature, and was enormously anaemic. Tests were negative for AIDS, leukaemia etc (she had been vaccinated, as they both have). She appeared to pick up again, but whilst receiving a blood transfusion she had a sudden cardiac arrest and was gone. My beautiful, elegant, loving little girl. The vets believe ot to be a huge internal tumour, but there was no weight loss, and she still ate and player until that morning.

Anyway, her big soppy brother appears to be missing her. He is moping around, sleeping lots, and occasionally goes round he house shouting as though looking for her - a new thing.

I am nervous about attributing human emotions, but do you think he is lonely? Because he is so sociable, and still a young cat in terms of behaviour: he runs around chasing straws, will play with catnip for hours and is is many way a big kitten. Should I get him a friend? A companion? Not to replace my beautiful little girl - and personally I would like to wait longer before getting another cat, but if it would make my boy happier, Then no problems at all.

What have others found? suggestions?
L.

Had Two moggies!!

Any thoughts at all, please?

Should I get him a companion quickly, to assist with what seems to be grief and loneliness, or should he be allowed to work through those?!

I really don't know, you know him best. If you think he is lonely then you could get a socialable adult rescue for him.

I do, and there is no doubt that his behaviour has changed, but I don't know whether cat experience grief in the same way, and therefore need to experience a process?

It's a difficult one. Because he had his sister, you and DH probably became accustomed over the many years to them playing with each other and didn't actually spend as much time as you could interacting with them. How long do you spend now, say?

As to another cat? You just can't tell who'll get on with another cat and if so which. My own old boy loathes and despises other cats but The Lodger who was with us recently dearly loved to have cat chums. It's a lottery.

I am sure your boy is missing his sister, I would give him lots of extra attention and I think you're right, he is feeling lonely. Finding another companion would be ideal but I agree with cozie, this could be a lottery.

To be honest, our cats were completely, totally spoiled! We have been unable to have children and have followed all fe cliches!

Our cats were thoroughly used to be thrown around for DH to blow raspberries on their tummies, and no chance of going to bed at night without a good night kiss each, and usually a specially constructed bed, made out of dirty clothes,whether they have chosen to settle.

We wake every morning with them on our bed, and DH won't leave the house without kissing them goodbye, again! You can't sit down to watch tv without a mog on your lap, and they follow you around from room to room, even if just to watch you ironing. Working at the computer couldn't begin until my beautiful girl had demanded her dedicated 'desktop' attention, after which she would still just sit behind your back on the chair.

I think it is fair to say that they were pretty spoiled with many, many hours of devoted attention a day. perhaps too much!

Ah.

My instinct would be to wait a tad and see if he settles down - but that may be because I still bear the mental scars of the recent psychological warfare between Seniorboy and The Lodger. Other posters might well advise you to get in while he's still lonely - perhaps with a friendly adult rescue - and they would have some justification.

Could you give a new cat a decent crack of the whip, love-wise, do you think?

I would wait a while and see how he gets on. Our CatB behaved as you described when her sister CatA went missing. They were both 7, we'd only had them under a year, but had been together since birth with their previous owner.

She settled down after a couple of weeks and really came out of her shell. She now seems quite happy by herself.