Grief

[jazzy_dave]

I must admit i cried as well when i read this recent blog from my brother -

The Grief of a Cat



"How long does a cat grieve over the loss of a soulmate? A week? A month? Longer? Oliver and Bertie were constant companions for more than fourteen years. Oliver is now 14½ years old. His soulmate Bertie died 11 days ago. Oliver seems - lost. He still wanders the house and garden - alone. He looks for Bertie. His mood has changed. His demeanour is sorrowful. His eyes are sad. Mood changes - listless. How do you mend the broken heart of a beloved cat? It breaks my heart to see Oliver like this.


I miss Bertie so much, Oliver, as you do. I wish I could bring him back. But I can't. I know you are sad. So am I. I will comfort you as much as I can because I love you too.

And Riley is trying to be your new soulmate. I know he doesn't understand bereavement. But I think - deep down - he misses Bertie too.

It's time to move on Oli...."

Comments

[dark-phoenix54.livejournal.com]

Poor little lad.

[cat-o-love.livejournal.com]

I really can't understand people who claim animals don't have feelings. They are so clueless.

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

I absolutely agree with you.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Their feelings may be DIFFERENT, but, c'mon, they're nothing BUT feelings. They don't have a whole lot of LOGIC (some of 'em have some, but not a whole lot by human standards), which leaves EVERYTHING as feelings.

[cat-o-love.livejournal.com]

And how does it contradict what I've said?

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

I hope it doesn't, since I was intending to agree with you. :)

[cat-o-love.livejournal.com]

Oh :)

[seekerval.livejournal.com]

My sympathies to Oliver and to your brother. Losing a well-loved pet is tough, but watching another loved pet grieving with you ratchets the sorrow deeper into your soul.

[thespian15.livejournal.com]

That is just heartbreaking. :(
I hope Oliver will be able to move on soon.
HUGS, Jon

[femme-slash-fan.livejournal.com]

Sometimes they take a long time to move past a death, but when that time comes Ollie will probably become a total cuddle-butt, our dog went from mourning to wanting all the snuggles she could get.

[altamira16.livejournal.com]

I hope Oliver feels better soon.

[evilzerg-r.livejournal.com]

This is sad

[anita-margarita.livejournal.com]

They do grieve and feel loss and sadness and depression. And it hurts to not be able to help them.

[kaishin108.livejournal.com]

Awww how sad, I am very sorry for his loss :-(

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

Beautiful and heartbreaking. I hope Riley can bring Oliver back to joy.

[deborahw37.livejournal.com]

Aww, it's horrible watching a much loved companion animal grieve; like people they need time.

[ani-mama.livejournal.com]

Poor kitty. When my previous orange cat died(car accident), his best friend the black lab grieved for about 6 months. You could tell he was sad. People who say animals do not have feelings must never have had pets. I hope Oliver recovers soon.

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

Agreed. Pets feel loss as well.

[oakmouse]

Poor Oli!

[maxauburn.livejournal.com]

Timothy missed her sister, Maude, for the rest of her life- and she outlived Maude by almost 11 years.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

Ohhhh...poor Oliver!! OF course he misses Bertie!! I do not care what anyone says...our animals have feelings, too. They just do not express them as we do.

Here is hoping Oliver, Riley and your brother get through this time of grief together.

*HUGS*

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

Thanks Mandy and to everyone else.

[kabuldur.livejournal.com]

My sympathies to Oliver, too. I think he needs a few extra strokes.

[halfshellvenus.livejournal.com]

One of the saddest things is that you can't tell a pet that someone is "gone." If their human or one of their friends dies and they don't witness it, their loved one will just seem to have disappeared. They don't know why. They don't know whether it's permanent. So they wander and sometimes howl, all with the hope of finding their lost one around the next corner.

They stop grieving some time after they've given up hope, which is even sadder, when you think about it. And it IS hard when your pet is feeling so sad and you can't help them understand what has happened.

Poor Oliver.