The past 2 weeks have been very hard for my household and all of us in here...
Having ferals that have a innate tendency to hide things going wrong with themselves, it becomes a full time job to be on constant watch and to know what is their normal pattern.
I failed with Chewey... He died.
The Pride has changed...
Changes taking place here now is heartbreaking to watch as all the cats are trying to adapt and accept the new ways without Chewey.
Unlike when older members of the Pride have died, having a younger one pass has rocked their world.
Dream the first to adopt Chewey as his baby to instruct and teach and train and be the big brother/daddy that was always there to make sure Chewey left the other cats tails alone and not be a pest when they were sleeping. His new ways has been to with draw away from us all unlike his normal I am the golden haired child and my place is always in daddy's arms to snuggle down (he has not let hubby touch him).
TT has from the start treated him like her personal project to groom (long haireds needs serious grooming all the time) and the only one she would allow to snuggle with her. Her new is like a mother who has lost her only child and she moves from spot to spot trying to find a new to her comfort place.
Betty Boop being the dingy blond type who has always believed she is about an inch tall with flowing hair (graceful, elegant, petite) and in reality is a bull moose and trips over her own tail has turned into someone who is staying in the bathroom sleeping on the side of the tub, comes out to eat and use the liter box and go back to the side of the tub.
Spunky the giant who always thought any of the other cats was his personal pillow is now head butting everyone (his head butting is like being hit with a sledge hammer).
Honey, T-bone, Shield and Dotdot have become fixtures under my feet or under my chair at all times.
Squirt can't seem to stay out of trouble and has been very aggressive to the point of having to cage him to stop it at the moment till he calms down. (interesting that when I say "cage" he goes into it and stays till he calms down)
Bolt and Grace are just staying under the couch, not interacting at all with anyone.
Abe to me is the hardest to watch, he is constantly looking and calling for Chewey and has such a look of loss in his eyes, this was always his partner in crime as they found ways to open cabinets and get into general mischief together. He has now started to want in the bedroom with me (not his normal).
Because of the not knowing the real cause and the vet thinking it was an upper respiratory infection (did not have the normal to me visual clues or sounds) which can be catching by all, we took them all in for shots of a antibiotic in the hopes it stops it in its tracks. So $1,000 shorter in my pockets and not being able to leave their sights has limited me even going out the door for more than a few short minutes and leaving the screen door open for them to see me.
So as we all adapt to the missing member of the Pride we just take it day by day...
Chewey and Abe
DO YOU NOTICE ANIMAL BEHAVIOR CHANGES WHEN ONE OF YOURS DIE?
Come chime in and chat!
So sad for you and your pride. Yes I believe that animals mourn the passing of one of their companions. I have seen this with my dogs and my cats.
What were the changes in them that you noticed?
They were depressed looking. My dog was listless and wouldn't play with his ball or catch his stick. His eyes were so sad. He would lie on the spot where I buried her. I eventually got another companion for him and he did a complete turn around.
My cat wouldn't eat for 3 days, and she would restlessly walk around the house giving out a soul wrenching miaow. Intense hunger I think drove her to the food bowl. I never replaced my Dutchess simply because I couldn't bear going through that again.
I understand that and no I have no plans to get another.
Losing animals is heartbreaking. It's the bad side of homesteading (for me) Having so many animals you also face greater loss. And I also see how the rest of the "Tribe" grieve - be they goat, dog, cat or human. May ABBA comfort you and the little creatures
Have you had creatures that showed their grief to you?
Well I definitely have noticed changed behaviour and distress with my cats and dogs. But my flock of goats all express themselves in a different way. Some of them really suffer, literally cry for days. It's heartbreaking. The first time it happened I only had 3 goats and two, the mother and daughter died very suddenly of bloat. The third was highly pregnant and cried for them for weeks until her baby was born. I didn't know what to do with her. When we lost our dairy cow to heat stroke her biological calf as well as her adopted calves (all half grown) mooed and ran around the field for a couple days. If you read Josephus he tells of Adam talking to the animals. And it was after the Fall that we could no longer understand their language. I don't believe this is a simple fictional embellishment
I agree it is not fictional, maybe it comes from us working and trying harder to be good stewards to our flocks so we can know when things trouble them.
Proverbs tell us to know well the state of our flocks....
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