Do Animals Actually Grieve Or Do They Just Need Another Playmate?

Often times we as pet parents feel that our current pets are lonely and need a playmate.  This happens a lot after the passing of one pet that another pet played with or spent a lot of time with so we may feel the need to get another one for the comfort of the remaining animal.  This is not necessarily something that needs to be done.  At least not right away.

Animals do grieve more than we think and they do feel the loss of a friend.  We need to give the animal time to grieve and let them tell us what they need.  For instance, if you have two pets (be them two cats, dogs or one of each) and they play together, sleep together, etc. then they are clearly bonded.  If one of them passes away then the other one may not play as much or at all or do any of the things he/she normally did when the other one was with you.

What should you do?  Keep the schedule as normal as possible and show as much love and comfort as possible.  If you are crying because of your loss then your pet may know your sadness and try to comfort you as well.  Let them comfort you because it may help them as well.

For a lot of people this whole "animal grieving" thing may sound strange but it is very real.  When I lost my rottweiler, Breda, she had been best friends with my Dane, Lucien.  They were so bonded they shared a crate (yes it is very big).  The day I had her pts was the worst day of my life.  I had no idea how it would affect Lucien and quite frankly was so absorbed in my own grief didn't really think about how this loss would affect him.  He began breaking out of his crate to go look for her.  He wouldn't go in his crate at meal time at night.  The sedatives I tried for him only made him more hyper.  I thought the scent of her on their bedding would comfort him but it only seemed to make things worse because he knew she was missing and tried to find her every day.  He was so very sad and was losing his mind.  I had to take the bedding out, get a new tray for the bottom and buy all new bedding for him so he didn't have any scent of her at all.  He eventually calmed down and he is now a very happy boy again but it took almost a year.

My friends who have Newfoundlands are dealing with their oldest, Thor, being diagnosed with

This is Thor.

Wobbler's Disease.  This is not curable but they are doing what they can to make him comfortable until it is time.  This disease involves the spine in the neck (cervical spine) and is a compression of that part of the spine.  Over time he will be paralyzed and will have to be put to sleep.  It may be days or months or years.  This is a disease which most often affects larger breed dogs but can affect small breeds although it is rare.

http://vet.osu.edu/wobbler-syndrome

Their Newfoundland puppy, Megan, is bonded to him and this breed is more sensitive than most large breed dogs.  My friends told me they have heard of Newfoundlands almost grieving themselves to death after the loss of a sibling.  It will definitely take Megan some time to grieve the loss of Thor no matter when it happens.  Of course anyone who has met these dogs will be grieving to some degree because they are wonderful, loving animals and cannot get enough attention.

There is no set time for your pet's grieving process and there is no right or wrong answer as to whether or not to get another pet.  You, as the parent, just have to gauge your pet's needs and maybe consider temporary fostering to see how things go.  You don't need to make a commitment if you are not sure if your pet will accept a new family member. That never goes well, in my experience.

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