A senior cat’s quiet grief over losing her dog sibling proves that animals feel love just like us

People have different ways of dealing with grief, and so do animals. When someone close passes away, many slip into anxiety and depression, while others find comfort in relishing their memories. On a related note, a woman who goes by @aubsprobz on TikTok shared how Lily, her 16-year-old senior cat, has been dealing with the grief of losing her canine sibling, who passed away recently.

The pet parent explained that Lily and Gunner, her pup companion, lived together for nearly 12 years before the dog passed away. Soon after his unfortunate demise, the woman got a large portrait of Gunner and placed it near the couch. Initially, when she brought the picture, the woman had no idea that it would make her other pets so emotional until she caught Lily, her cat, gazing at Gunner's portrait, as if waiting for him to return. When Lily saw the picture, she slowly went near it, and kept on staring at it, like talking to his portrait about how much she is missing his presence. At one point, the feline even extended her paw in the air, as if trying to touch Gunner. "I have never seen her do this before to any photos we have," Lily confessed. 

Further, the heartbroken woman, struggling to see her surviving pets mourn the absence of Gunner, asked, "Seeing my babies grieve for their brother makes me so sad! How can I help them cope?" Just like Lily, as per a report by Danielle Mackinnon, most surviving pets experience unbearable grief after losing a companion. "When another animal passes, what pets really seem to feel is a shift in their daily life and routine. The absence of their buddy’s physical presence can leave them feeling confused, sad, and even a little lost — but it’s not the same kind of emotional pain we humans experience," Danielle Mackinnon, an animal communicator, said.

Meanwhile, the TikTok video received an overwhelming response on social media, with over 6 million views online. People were clearly moved watching the cat grieve about losing her canine companion. For example, @freeasfuq commented, "She's looking for his scent, probably confused as to why she can see him but not smell him." Similarly, another user who goes by @chelsea9920 on TikTok revealed, "When my dog passed away, the following morning, my young, healthy cat went in the garden and had a massive stroke because the grief was too much for her to handle. Lost them both within 8 hours." @hwilky8 wrote, "This is why I don’t understand how some people can treat animals so badly. They have feelings just like we do."

@newemael15o said, "OMG, I have never seen anything like this. She absolutely knows who she is looking at in disbelief. I’m so sorry for your and your family's loss." On the other hand, @lmc3511 revealed, "We brought home our dog after he was put down and let our other dog, his best friend, smell him. She sniffed him all over and walked away. It was a closure, and she knew he was gone." @ldkelly1971 commented, "Oh my, tugs at my heart. Poor babies. Yep, she is grieving in a hard way. Would you happen to have a blanket or something with his scent? Might give her a bit of peace and calm her aching heart. Never cried over a TikTok before. Hope your babies find some comfort. Rest in peace, Gunner."

You can follow @aubsprobz on TikTok for more animal-related content.