By Leonie Helm
Life Reporter
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The heartwarming story of a girl and her partner who took a road trip through France to pick up her grandmother's cat after she passed away has gone viral on TikTok with more than 1.5 million views.
In the video, user @felixthegoateecat explains, "I promised to keep my grandmother's cat when she left us." So, she drove the 708-kilometer [439-mile] round trip between Paris and Cavaillon in the South of France.
"He had never travelled before," the poster explained. She added that it took the cat a little while to stop being "scared" and settle into his new home.
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"Our grandma was the nicest person on Earth, and she was always afraid he was hungry, so she fed him all the time," she explains. Then, the video cuts to Félix the black-and-white cat eating his "first biscuits in his new home."
One user commented, "Awwww he will feel the same loss, love him & treasure every day," to which the original poster replied, "We will, cats can have fear of abandonment too, I want him to be happy for ever with us."
Do Cats Feel Abandonment?
It has long been debated whether animals grieve, with Charles Darwin being an early pioneer of the belief. However, do cats feel abandonment in the same way that we know dogs do when they are forced to live with a new owner?
Cats "do indeed mourn," according to VCA Animal Hospitals, one of the largest such chains in the U.S. The experts argue that, when a cat loses a companion, whether animals or human, they do not simply show signs of acknowledging the change, they mourn like people. The cat display certain behaviors:
- They may become depressed and listless.
- They may have a decreased appetite and decline to play.
- They may sleep more than usual and move more slowly, sulking around.
- They may hide under the bed, choosing to be alone, even more than usual for cats.
VCA Animal Hospitals experts reference a study conducted in 1996 by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) entitled 'Companion Animal Mourning Project'. It found that "46 percent of cats experience a decreased appetite following the loss of a feline companion." The study added: "Many cats slept more than usual, while some suffered insomnia."
About 70 percent of cats exhibited changes in vocal patterns, the study also found. Some became more vocal, and others less vocal, than before their owner or companion died. Surviving cats often grew more affectionate with their new owners, even clingy.
Users on TikTok were moved by the video. One commented: "Poor guy.. thankful that he has you, he deserves all the best like all of them, wish you all the luck in the world Felix." Another wrote: "cat is exposing his belly during that nap, so he certainly feels safe."
Newsweek has reached out to @felixthegoateecat via TikTok for comment.
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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