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> I very much doubt cats understand the concept of death and can "grieve," Why wouldn't they understand it? Death is a natural process. They may not be aware
by triceratops 2y ago
> I very much doubt cats understand the concept of death and can "grieve,"
Why wouldn't they understand it? Death is a natural process.
They may not be aware of their own mortality. But they can tell if another animal has died. And that if it has died it isn't coming back.
It's common advice to let dogs see and smell the bodies of their deceased companions, so they know they aren't coming back.
You've already said they react in a particular way when people or other animals they care about aren't around anymore. That's grieving.
> I have no idea idea why people are voting this down
Because you're stating something incorrect, confidently.
- _a_a_a_ 2y agoThat's unfair. "I very much doubt…" Is a statement of his opinion and not fact.
- InsideOutSanta 2y ago>Because you're stating something incorrect, confidently. I've read about this, though, and the scientific consensus seems to be that cats do not, in fact, understand the concept of death, because they tend to wait for deceased owners to return. The same applies to dogs. They understand the concept of absence, obviously, and they find it upsetting, but I think calling it "grief" is misleading, because it implies that they know that the person they miss is actually dead.
- actionfromafar 2y agoBut have these cats inspected the corpse of the deceased owner? Also, it's pretty common for humans to expect their loved ones to return, at least for a while until the reality sets in. Certain situations (like returning from a trip or visiting a place where they used to be) can trigger it long after acceptance.
- triceratops 2y agoYou're saying if they see and smell the dead body of a person or animal they knew, they don't know it's permanent?