Do pets mourn?

[tabtab13]

Just been listening to a rather interesting debate on the radio about whether or not pets mourn - either on the death of a family member or another family pet. Not surprisingly, the views were pretty clear cut - those who had seen it and gave examples believed they do, while others dismissed it as complete hokum.

I've not seen it myself, in fact, a few years back we had to have one of our cats put to sleep and our other one showed no difference. Perhaps because they didn't get on that well, so may be what he was feeling was relief!

However, I see no reason why they shouldn't mourn. As an example, any dog owner will know that the bond between you and the dog is very strong, so why shouldn't it feel upset and distressed if you are no longer around.

I once saw a documentary about a lioness in the wild who 'adopted' a young deer or impala. The locals couldn't believe this and a film crew set out to find it and record what was going on. And there the two of them were! They were monitored for a while, but unfortunately a passing lion caught the scent and killed the young deer. The sadness of the lioness was evident.

Elephants have also been filmed gathered around a dead member of their family for hours on end - are they mourning or is it a case of they just don't understand what's happened?

So, have any members experienced a sense of their pets mourning? Do you think it's possible - or are we just putting 'human emotions' onto animals?

 

[treeve]

I was informed by an aging missionary and an active minister that animals have souls, it is in their ability to 'attach' to humans, in the same way that certain humans are emotional.

I have personally seen animals react to the space left by the departed owner or departed animal. I will add that there is a classic photograph of a sparrow, photographed by a New York cop, who had seen this little soul die on the pavement. The male hung around for 9 days, close to his mate. The copper had put up a protecting barrier for the little couple. Eventually the male flew off, but came back to the spot for some time after. I think that tells us not to be so sceptical.

I have seen a puppy l around miserably for days, until it found the cardigan of its deceased owner. It dragged it around for ever and a day, not wanting to be apart from it, sleeping on it.

As to elephants, this I have seen on film. They have lived in this herd long enough to know more than a simple 'I dunno what has happened'. They know their companion in life has left this world, or in elephant terms, is no longer active in their group. To spend time with the departed expresses more than that.... they are conscious that they are prey, despite their size. They are also aware that young are particularly vulnerable. They would not place the herd at risk for a trivial reason. They have been reported to have incredible memory, going back many years. I have no doubt at all, that animals can and do grieve for the loss of a companion. Just as we absorb and pass on emotional and ancient memories, animals as well have this 'world picture' in their life memory. The consciousness of millions of years is in their memories and awareness.

It is easy to dismiss such thoughts, as it is harder to think just what it actually means. It is not all a life framed by the comforts provided in shelter and food. There is more.

 

[tabtab13]

A few years back, I saw a news story where a farmer had been murdered in Zimbabwe by Mugabe's men in able to take over his land. The camera panned around and on the ground lay the dead farmer, covered by a blanket and his Jack Russell was huddled up close to his body. The look in the dog's eyes was full of despair and I've never forgotten that image. I wept.

 

[Halfhidden]

Yes... well that's my observation. I wouldn't call myself an expert in this but having lived with so many animals during my childhood... I can say that each and every one of them has shown a sign of remorse at the death of their mate.
Even recently Andrews sick Blackmore fish (one of two) died after many, many months of nursing, the remaining partner stopped eating and being as active as he use to be.
Tracey just reminded me that when our smallest dog died, the big dog wouldn't eat his food from the kitchen any longer he would take a bite of his food and take it to the hall, spit it out and then eat it there instead.
It's a well known fact that elephants mourn the dead... so why not other species?

Just to elaborate a little more on the elephant.... they have specified graveyards, just like us. They will, if possible walk many mile to die at the graveyard... surely that's a sign of mourning? isn't that part of the process we understand of mourning.
I sometimes wonder if us humans think that we are so far up the food chain that we have lost connectivity with this wonderful system we dubbed nature!