by Renee' Palmer

Created on: November 13, 2007   Last Updated: October 13, 2009

Many wonder if the human animal is the only creature to mourn the loss of a loved one. Though we are uncertain as to whether or not animals feel love for one another, we know that many are loyal to each other, as well as protective. They become attached to the other, developing a friendship, and depend on each others presence. So do they grieve when the other dies?

I have personally seen many different species of animals mourning over the loss of one that is close.

For instance, I have seen mother cats crying and calling for their kitten after it had died, not eating for days, and even weeks after losing its precious offspring.

Recently, I saw a pair of hawks flying around together near my home. They come here to nest at the same time each year. After one was found dead by a neighbor nearby, the other flew around searching for its mate, calling for days. It would sit perched on an old dead tree in my backyard, and just cry out for its beloved partner. Soon, I no longer saw the hawk, and I assume that since Red-Tailed Hawks mate for life, it too died from depression.

This not only happens when one dies from the same species. I know of a person who died and had a cat for years before his death. After he passed away, his family would see and hear the cat crying, calling out for him. She was so riddled with grief that she would not eat, she barely slept, and refused to leave from beside a pair of his old work boots. Her eyes became matted, and it took her several weeks before she started to accept that he was gone.

I feel that animals probably do not, or more likely, cannot understand the concept of death; they just know that their loved one is gone, and they miss them deeply. And as with humans, often, the pain of losing someone becomes slightly less painful as the days go by.

Many times, an animal may pick up on your own emotions and may go through a period of mourning because you are as well. So, when your animal loses a loved one, do for them what they would do for you; sense that something is wrong and try to give comfort in a time of grievance.

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