When a household loses one pet, it’s easy to focus entirely on the grieving humans and overlook that the surviving animal is often grieving too. According to PetMD, a study found that 66% of dogs and 65% of cats showed four or more behavioral changes after the loss of a companion animal in the household — patterns strongly suggestive of grief, even if pets don’t understand death the way people do.
What Grief Looks Like in Pets
- Lethargy and reduced activity
- Decreased appetite
- Lingering near the deceased animal’s bed or favorite resting spot
- Changes in vocal patterns — more or less vocal than usual (seen in around 63% of dogs in the cited study)
- Increased clinginess or affection toward their owner
These signs can look a lot like signs of illness or cognitive decline, which is worth keeping in mind — if changes persist for more than a few weeks or seem severe, it’s still worth a vet visit rather than assuming grief explains everything.
What Actually Helps
- Keep the schedule steady. Consistent mealtimes, walks, and playtime give a grieving pet a stable structure while everything else feels different.
- Add a bit of extra attention. More affection, play, and one-on-one time supports a surviving pet through the adjustment — and often helps the grieving owner too.
- Don’t rush to get a new pet. If your remaining pet is now the only animal in the house, it might seem like a new companion would fix the loneliness. In most cases, that’s not the right move immediately — a grieving pet may not be ready for a new relationship, and introducing one too soon can add stress rather than comfort.
- Watch for prolonged changes. A dip in appetite or energy for a week or two is common; if it continues much longer or worsens, loop in your vet.
The Bottom Line
A surviving pet’s grief is real, even if it looks different from human grief, and it deserves the same patience you’d extend to a person going through loss. Time, routine, and a little extra attention do most of the work — forcing a quick fix, like a new pet, usually doesn’t.
Sources: PetMD — Do Dogs and Cats Grieve?, VCA Animal Hospitals — Helping Your Grieving Pet.
Photo: “A lovely couple with two dogs” by freestocks.org, marked with CC0 1.0.