Cats, Dogs and friendship

Discussion in 'Health & Nutrition' started by Jenny Heart, May 7, 2012.

  1. Jenny Heart Member

    Member Since:
    Mar 30, 2012
    Message Count:
    165
    Do cats and dogs feel the bond of friendship? I think they can, but I don't know how long the bond of friendship can be for two such creatures. I saw a movie once called, Where the red fur grows, I think it was called. It was about 2 dogs, and their journey together. One dog died, and the other dog couldn't live without the other one, and soon after one died, the other one died as well. Can cats feel the same bond as dogs can feel? I'm asking this because when my one cat was dying, the one cat just sniffed at him, and walked away as if he was already dead. I never saw the evidence that the one missed the other one. Then, one of my other cats had a heart attack, and the one that was the closest to him, didn't seem to reacted mournfully. Does anyone else understand about this topic?
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  2. kinser New Member

    Member Since:
    Apr 13, 2012
    Message Count:
    27
    Cats may be wired differently than dogs when it comes to death of other pets because they aren't pack animals. Their survival does not depend on the survival of the group, so they simply may not be capable of forming that attachment to another being that will cause them to mourn his or her death. They can definitely feel affection, but only when their friends are living. My cat did not appear to mourn the death of my other one eithe, and they seemed to be pretty close friends in life. Just an idea. Dogs definitely mourn.
  3. Jenny Heart Member

    Member Since:
    Mar 30, 2012
    Message Count:
    165
    I wonder if cats mourn for the people that loved them. My one cats is very attached to me. I wonder if he would act different if something happened to me. I think they might, because when my one daughter went on vacation from home, they was not acting right when she was gone. They missed her alot. Then the behavior went back to normal.
  4. Jessi Well-Known Member

    Member Since:
    Mar 19, 2012
    Message Count:
    1,065
    I think so. This happened when I went away for school and left my cat behind. While she returned to normal quickly and didn't seem to be "mourning," per se, she was very obviously effected when I'd come back. She would be ecstatic...coming from a cat who is always b*tchy, heh. She'd hear me on the phone when I'd call every so often, too, and make it very clear that she missed me.
  5. Victor Leigh Active Member

    Member Since:
    Dec 1, 2011
    Message Count:
    904
    Location:
    Malaysia
    I had a cat and a dog that grew up together and were inseparable buddies. One day, the dog died of poisoning. A few days later, the cat did something which it had never done before. It walked out on the road in the path of an oncoming car. Food for thought, eh?
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