Owner watched her cat mourn by her dog’s grave for 10 days straight — but the loss that came next was beyond anything she imagined

The cat would follow her to the grave, quietly sharing in the absence of his brother.

PUBLISHED 6 HOURS AGO

(L) A cat sitting by the grave, (R) A worried woman. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | (L) Christopher Jones, (R) Maria Korneeva)

It is believed that animals do not grieve, but a pet owner’s heartbreaking experience is enough to prove otherwise. A viral video shared by the owner, Greta Westhoff, who goes by @gr.ma20 on TikTok, showed her pet cat sitting by a grave in the backyard. It was Carlo, a cat who had just lost his pet sibling. He sat by the grave for hours, mourning the loss, which moved the owner to tears. While she was also grieving the demise of their family dog, Merlin, the owner did not realize how much his absence affected their pet cat.

A dog and a cat playing on a grass field (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Photo by Snapwire) — A dog and a cat playing on a grass field. (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Photo by Snapwire)

After Merlin was buried in their yard, the cat would spend more of his time outside, often sitting by the grave. It was clear that he missed his dog sibling. Westhoff wanted to share the heartbreaking sight with the world and posted it on social media. “My cat was my dog’s best friend, and after my dog passed away, my cat was mourning and sat in front of his grave,” the caption hinted. Meanwhile, a brown fluffy cat was seen quietly looking down at the burial site. He did not budge from the spot while the owner filmed Carlo mourning the loss. Merlin had passed away due to heart disease.

A woman mourning at a headstone. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by digitalhallway)

"In the days after losing Merlin, Carlo was quieter than before, and it felt like he had lost his zest for life. Whenever I went to our bench to look at the grave, Carlo did too. I realized that I lost my dog, and he lost his brother,” Westhoff told Newsweek. The owner felt a sense of comfort in the fact that she was not the only one mourning. But she could not have predicted the tragic ending. Ten days later, Carlo lost his life in a car accident. After all this time of living in the neighborhood, Westhoff speculated, it was strange for the cat to get hit by a car.

Cat and Dog in owner's lap (Image Source: Pexels | Nadia Vasil'eva) — Cat and Dog in owner's hands. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Nadia Vasil'eva)

"We live in a small area where people drive slowly because of the children, and he was too smart to get hit by accident. I don't think he understood why his friend wasn't there anymore, and that threw him out of focus,” she figured. However, Westhoff took solace in believing that both Merlin and Carlo were in heaven together now. After all, losing a best friend is always deeply painful. Moreover, the pet siblings shared a precious bond from the start. The family rescued Carlo at six months and brought him home to a 4-year-old Merlin. They hit it off “instantly” and bonded well because of their similar personalities. “They were both very calm, friendly, and cuddly," the German owner recounted.

@gr.ma20 my cat was my dogs bestfriend and after my dog passed away my cat was mourning and sat infront of his grave. That broke my heart.. my cat died a few days later by a car. #cat #dog #bestfriend #rainbowbridge #passedaway #sad #pets ♬ Mom Told Me Everything Will Be Okay - Gab Sadie

The post with 17.1 million views and 3.9 million likes struck a chord with several people. “Poor baby. He had broken heart syndrome,” said @britt_any9.2, and @bancuhmilo_ noted, “They meet again. Fly high, two babies.” @gordeevanatalie wrote, "poor baby." While cats and dogs are popularly seen as frenemies, some pet siblings share a bond too profound to be comprehensible by humans.

You can follow @gr.ma20 on TikTok for more videos.