I think my boy is broken hearted, what can I do?

[thenewaveragebear1983]

My old cat was PTS on Wednesday, we were sad of course, but he was very old, it wasn't sudden, he was deteriorating and it was the kindest thing to do.

However, his buddy is heartbroken. He is currently sat on a cushion on the table and he hasn't moved all day. It's like he's waiting for him to come home. It's absolutely breaking my heart.

Is there anything at all I can do? He looks so sad. I've been going in to give him a stroke and some fuss but he's not really responding very enthusiastically.

Is it too late to let him see the body? I think it helps them understand. I took my cat along when her sister was PTS. And she knew instantly. Sorry for your loss.

Yes it is too late. We left his body there to be cremated.
I have to admit it never occurred to me that he would need to see it and now I feel really guilty I didn't let him say goodbye to his mate

Don't feel guilty. He will get over it in time. Could you get him a cuddly toy to snuggle with?

I had a similar experience a few years ago when my boy lost his littermate.

Luckily we brought him home to bury him so he did get to spend time alone with the body, he he was so heartbroken.

I did what a PP suggested and actually did get him a teddy that looked similar to his brother. We also got him treat feeders and lots of nice treats and toys for stimulation and gave him lots of extra attention. We weren't in the position to get another cat (As you can tell by my username we had dogs!) But if he had continued to be very sad we think we would have got him a kitten or a rescue cat to be befriend.

Lost our girl yesterday and I’m worried about our other cat (her kitten who’s now 10) too. There was only a year between them and always together. Heartbreaking on so many levels

My friend lost her cat after she was hit by a car. She let the other cat have a sniff of the body.
However the other cat still pined for a few weeks and seemed not himself. He would go out searching for his friend. In time he was ok, and she got a kitten a few months later who he absolutely adores. It all takes time.

So sorry you are going through this.

We actually do have another cat but they are definitely not buddies unfortunately . We had thought about getting another kitten prior to this, but I can't face thinking about it, for now at least. These two used to sleep curled up together and he Hero worshiped the older one.

I have bought some felix pouches and some dreamies in an attempt to cheer him up!

Aww. Does he like catnip?

I'm sorry for your sad loss and for your younger cat grieving. Its very early days for him, our little cat is just about getting back to normal 7 months after losing our old boy.

The early weeks were especially tough but we just fussed her as much as she would let us - often like yours she would take herself away from us or sleep deeply during the 'social hours' when previously she would be running round and demanding attention. If you have anything with your old cats scent on (e.g. blanket, cushion, bed) you could try leaving for your cat to snuggle with if he chooses and just let the scent fade over time. You could also try not mentioning old cats name around him as that could also be confusing him.

Also, dont be too hard on yourself about not letting him see the body. Not all animals understand, some can be more confused or even frightened so it might not have helped.

Sparkling lol I did suggest to Dh that we scored him some nip as a little comforter.....

He's a lot more perky today. He's actually been socialising in the main family room in the old boy's favourite chair and getting lots of fuss.

Thanks everyone for your kindness. They are never 'just a pet' are they, no matter what we think.