There is no fixed timeline. Many cats show changes for a few days to a few weeks after losing a companion, and some stay unsettled for several months. In one large owner survey, the typical cat’s behavior changes lasted less than six months, and some cats show no obvious change at all.
How long your cat takes depends mostly on how close the two cats were. Here is what research and veterinary guidance say, how to tell grief from illness, and what you can do to help.
Do cats really grieve?
Nobody can ask a cat how it feels, so researchers rely on what owners notice. Two studies are especially useful.
In 2016, researchers in New Zealand and Australia published a survey of owners whose pets had lost an animal companion. The report, Walker, Waran and Phillips in the journal Animals, covered 152 cats and 159 dogs. Owners reported that surviving cats:
- Changed how affectionate they were (78% of cats), with 40% demanding more affection than before
- Meowed more often (43%) or more loudly (32%)
- Spent time in the dead companion’s favorite spot (36%)
- Ate less (21%)
- Slept more (20%)
In 2024, a team at Oakland University in Michigan surveyed 412 cat caregivers about 452 cats that had lost a household companion. That study, Greene and Vonk in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, found a similar pattern. Owners described cats that slept, ate and played less, sought more attention from people and other pets, hid or spent more time alone, and appeared to look for the missing animal.
Both studies come with an honest caveat. They rely on owner reports, and grieving owners may read their own feelings into their cat’s behavior. The Oakland team found that owners who grieved more reported more hiding and sleeping in their cats. Owners also tend to behave differently after a loss, giving more attention or treats, and that can change a cat’s behavior on its own. So the safest answer is that cats clearly react to losing a companion, even if we can’t be sure their experience matches human grief.
How long does a cat’s grief last?
The New Zealand and Australian survey found that the median duration of reported behavior changes was under six months in both cats and dogs. For cats, changes in affection typically lasted two to six months, while changes in territory use and vocalizing usually lasted two months or less.
International Cat Care, a feline welfare charity, gives a similar picture in its guide to feline bereavement: there is no set grieving period, some cats work through it in days, and a few stay unsettled for several weeks or months. It describes three loose stages:
- A short, active stage. The cat is more vocal, paces and searches the house, checks windows and sniffs the places the other cat used.
- A quieter stage. The cat may become withdrawn, hide, sleep or play less and avoid people or other pets.
- Acceptance. The cat returns to its usual routines. Some cats even become friendlier or more active than before.
Cats don’t move through these stages on a schedule, and a cat may skip one entirely. How a cat experiences the passing days is hard to know, a question we look at in how cats perceive time. What owners can see is the trend. Most grieving cats gradually return to eating, playing and sleeping normally.
What affects how hard a cat takes the loss
How close they were
The Oakland study found that the bond mattered most. Cats that spent more of their day doing things with the other animal, such as sleeping together, grooming or playing, showed more grief-like behavior and more fearfulness afterward. Cats with warmer relationships showed bigger drops in eating, sleeping and playing. The longer two animals had lived together, the more the surviving cat sought attention in the weeks and months that followed.
Whether the companion was a cat or a dog
Cats in the Oakland study did not respond significantly differently to losing a dog than to losing another cat. A cat that shared naps with the family dog can miss that dog just as much.
Cats that merely put up with each other
International Cat Care notes that some cats show no response at all. Two cats that shared a house without a real bond may barely react, and some cats even become friendlier or more active afterward. That is not a sign your cat is cold. It reflects the relationship they actually had.
Should your cat see the body?
People often wonder whether letting the surviving cat see or sniff the body helps it understand. The research suggests it makes little difference. In the 2016 survey, behavior changes were reported whether or not the cat saw its companion’s body. In the Oakland study, whether the cat had witnessed the death was not strongly tied to how it behaved later.
International Cat Care says there is no harm in it if there is no risk of disease and it’s practical, though some cats react badly to unfamiliar smells on the body. It’s your choice, and neither option is wrong. If the cat who died had an infectious illness, ask your vet whether the surviving cat should be checked.
Grief or illness? Don’t assume
Many signs of grief, like hiding, sleeping more and eating less, are also signs of illness. International Cat Care warns against assuming they are purely emotional.
Appetite is the one to watch most closely. Cornell’s Feline Health Center notes in its guide to appetite loss in cats that not eating can have a severe impact on an adult cat’s health if it lasts as little as 24 hours, and it advises calling a veterinarian as soon as you notice it. Cornell even mentions seeing cats lose their appetite after the loss of a feline companion. Grief can be the cause, but a cat that stops eating still needs a vet.
Call your vet if your cat:
- Has not eaten for a day
- Hides constantly and won’t come out for food
- Has changes in litter box habits, vomiting or weight loss
- Seems to be getting worse rather than slowly better after several weeks
- Is fighting with another pet in the home
How to help a grieving cat
You can’t speed up your cat’s adjustment, but you can make it easier. Most of this comes from International Cat Care’s guidance and the veterinary advice above.
Keep the routine predictable
Feed, play and go to bed at the usual times. When a cat’s social world has changed, a predictable household matters even more.
Don’t rush to clear away the other cat’s things
Leave the other cat’s favorite bedding out for a while if you can. The familiar scent fades gradually, which may help your cat adjust.
Be available, but let your cat come to you
Heavy fussing can backfire if it’s more attention than your cat is used to. Sit nearby, keep your lap open and let your cat choose how much contact it wants.
Offer gentle play
Short play sessions with a wand toy or a few treats hidden around the house give a withdrawn cat something to do without pressure. Stop if your cat isn’t interested and try again another day.
Let remaining cats sort things out
In a multi-cat home, relationships often shift after a death, depending on the role the lost cat played. International Cat Care suggests letting the cats find a new balance without stepping in. Put out extra litter boxes so no cat has to cross another’s path to use one. If you see real fighting or a cat being blocked from food or litter, talk to your vet, who may refer you to a behaviorist.
Watch for outside cats
If your cats go outdoors, neighborhood cats may test territory the lost cat used to defend. Your cat may need more cover in the yard, or a safe place to retreat indoors.
Hold off on a new kitten
A new companion is not always the answer. International Cat Care notes that a young, boisterous kitten usually isn’t a good substitute for a long-term companion, and some cats reject a newcomer outright. If you are thinking about another cat, wait until your current cat has settled, and ask your vet for advice on introductions.
Look after yourself too
Your cat is reacting to the whole household, including you. Cats notice changes in our routines and moods, as we explain in can cats sense when something is wrong. Taking care of your own grief helps steady the home for everyone in it. If you’re wondering what cats notice around death itself, see what cats do when they sense death.
The short answer
Most cats that grieve a companion begin to settle within a few weeks, and many are back to normal within a few months. Cats that were closely bonded may take longer, and some cats show little reaction at all. Keep the routine steady, give your cat space and company on its own terms, and call your vet if it stops eating. Time does most of the rest.