behavior after a death

IMPORTANT: If your cat is in any distress or discomfort, please consult your own vet as your first priority.
Post Reply
Figgymyheart1
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 11:05 pm

behavior after a death

Post by Figgymyheart1 »

Recently a dog came thru our lot, at night, and killed 2 of the feral kittens that had been born to a feral mother who has been around for some time.
The mother was crying and looking for them all the next day until I found them, dead. I tried to take her to the area where they were but as Icant catch her, she never could see or find them. How sad it was as we all grieved. The thing that I want to talk about is this. The cat who had the babies,mother, who is never friendly, appeared and became her grown babies shadow, that day and night and this continues now after at least a week. The mother/grandmother has now started leaving her adult child/cat for periods, but still is around often, rubbing against each other, lying down beside each other, walking together like shadows. My question is, "Has anyone ever seen this kind of behavior in cats? I hear that elephants grieve together, but I have never seen this happen in my feral cats in 20 years of feeding. We often have dogs kill the feral babies and the cats adjust after 2 or 3 days it seems. We have no shelter or animal control to speak of, so I do what I can and wish I could do more.
User avatar
Lilith
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 3600
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2014 8:00 pm
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: West Yorks

Re: behavior after a death

Post by Lilith »

Hi and welcome.

This is so sad - the dog thing is disgusting.

Yes, I've seen this sort of thing, once. As a child I haunted a farm where there were cats and 'adopted' a ginger kitten (though my mother wouldn't have her in the house so she stayed at the farm.) One day I found her lying dead (probably from some virus/infection) in an outhouse - with a circle of cats sitting round her, just looking at her, as if for all the world they were holding a wake.

The writer Joyce Stranger, in her book 'Kym' described how Kym, a feisty Siamese, wouldn't allow any of the neighbourhood cats in his garden, but, straight after his death, JS found them sitting there solemnly in a crowd ...

Cats' intuition is marvellous.

Good on you for looking after these wildies and hope you have no more trouble with the dogs ... could some sort of fencing that the cats could climb but the dogs not, be an option? All the best.
User avatar
Janey
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 930
Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2014 1:04 pm
No. of cats in household: 1

Re: behavior after a death

Post by Janey »

Hi and welcome. Oh this awful, having experienced this myself I too would advise to try and secure your area better, and I would have a serious word with the owners of the dogs (we had to do this when it happened to us). I don’t know where you’re from but neutering the cats is so important, can you contact rescues to help with this?
Figgymyheart1
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 11:05 pm

Re: behavior after a death

Post by Figgymyheart1 »

I tried to respond and it all did not print, so I will try again and shorten my comment/ Thanks so much for your comments as they were so helpful. Nice to know that cats are not cold hearted as they are portrayed and are saddened at a loss of each other, perhaps. The fence is a great idea, that I have considered, but costly and feral cats may not choose to stay within the bounds. Thankfully, I have funds to build a fence in the near future. At least a fence would give them a choice to get away from the dogs. As I can't walk well, due to worn out knees, it is difficult to catch the cats in a trap, to then have them "fixed", tho I have tried with some success. A Group was going to help me, but I would still be out $75.00 each for 30+ cats and they only kept them overnight and then released them, which I thought was too soon with no healing time. The dogs that come thru are unknown to me and run as soon as I get outside, leaving destruction in their absence. I am doing what I can to keep the feral cats fed, watered and giving them winter houses for shelter. My age does not promise many more years, but for today I will love my wild cats. A friend has promised to have them caught and put down, if I die before her. Cats have taught me so much about life and brought me hours of happiness. Thanks again for your words and for loving cat creatures.
Post Reply