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A post about a cat that appeared to "grieve" over the death of its feline friend has gone viral on TikTok.
The clip shared from @grampsthecat, the TikTok account of Gramps the late deaf cat, had received over 891,000 views at the time of writing.
A message overlaid on the clip read: "Animals need to say goodbye too," as the footage showed Helen (Gramps' blind cat friend) hovering near Gramps, who was wrapped in a blanket. "Animals grieve too," another note read as the clip ended.
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Do Cats Grieve?
As touching as the latest viral video may be, do cats actually grieve? The answer to that is still widely debated, but cat owners may observe changes in their pet's behavior that could be attributed to grief.
A 1996 survey conducted by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reported the following about a cat's grieving process, as noted by veterinarian Lynn Buzhardt in an article for VCA, one of North America's largest animal hospital chains:
- Some 46 percent of cats were reported to have experienced a decreased appetite following the loss of a feline friend.
- Many cats slept more than usual, while others suffered insomnia.
- Some cats changed the area of the house where they slept.
- About 70 percent of cats were reported to have exhibited changes in vocal patterns. Some meowed more, while others were quieter than they were prior to their loss of their feline companion.
- Surviving cats were often more affectionate with their owners and became clingy.
Buzhardt said: "Even though cats cannot verbalize that they are happy or sad, astute pet owners interpret their pets' emotions based on behavior. With these interpretations in mind, it is commonly acknowledged that cats do feel happiness, sadness, possessiveness and fear. They also get angry and nervous."
A June 2020 study in the peer-reviewed journal Animals found that "cats have a general mental representation of the emotions of their social partners, both conspecifics [members of the same species] and humans."
According to the previous video shared by the original poster, the cat duo in the latest viral post were "inseparable."
In a caption shared with the latest video, the poster wrote: "After Grampy passed and before his cremation, I brought him home from the hospital so that Helen and the others could say goodbye. She was still sad, but stopped endlessly searching the house for him. Animals need closure too. Animals grieve too."
'So Heartbreaking'
The latest video has melted the hearts of users on TikTok, who shared messages of support for the original poster.
Michelle wrote: "Ohhhh gosh, my heart feels so heavy for you guys."
Sheri Peterson Hildreth said: "My heart breaks for Helen, you and the entire gang. I'm glad they all know your love & that they're safe."
Kaye & Mabel wrote: "So heartbreaking," while Marcy Flores agreed, saying: "It breaks my heart."
User RayvennePoe said: "What a beautiful gift to give them closure even if they don't fully understand."
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video hasn't been independently verified.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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