Although Cats Are Seen As More Aloof, They May Still Grieve The Deaths Of Fellow Furry Friends

The theory has not been tested on domestic cats yet, but research on western scrub jays in 2012 showed that seeing a dead member of their species led them to produce alarm calls and behave in ways that were similar to when they would avoid a predator.

Additionally, a study on bumblebees in 2006 found that they were less likely to visit flowers that contained the body or scent of a freshly killed bee, a strategy that helps decrease their chances of being attacked.

This suggests that cats may be acting on a survival instinct. Some of the owners who participated in the study noticed that their cats went into hiding or sought higher vantage points after a fellow pet died, which could support this idea.

The study was published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science.