Pets

My husband had a cat, named Cat, when we married. My sister asked me to take in a stray she found at her apartment complex. I really was going to find Alexandra another home, but you know how that goes! When Cat passed away, Alexandra stopped eating. I took Alex to the vet and after a workup they told me she was grieving Cat. So then we got another cat, Obie. Alex started eating again, and they were best friends. We added another cat, a stray that showed up on Christmas Eve, Beethoven, (pure white, blue-eyed with hearing issues--hence the name.) When Obie died years later at 16, both cats grieved. They walked around meowing for Obie--heartbreaking. They cuddled together and followed each other around. When Alexandra died several years later, Beethoven died a week later. He was ill, but he just kind of gave up. A few months later we adopted kitten litter mates, Seb and Osie. Osie died years later at age 18 right before the COVID lock down, and Seb followed me everywhere for several months. If I was too far away he'd meow till I came back. I guess I was his support human. We didn't get another cat because Seb had epilepsy, and stress could set off a seizure. He always got upset when another cat came in the yard, even though he was an indoor only cat. We were afraid the adjustment period bringing a new cat in would be too much. Seb hung on for 2 more years and passed at 20 years old. I am glad scientists are finally recognizing that animals have feelings. They have an emotional life just like humans do. I read a remarkable book a few years ago by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson and Susan McCarthy called When Elephants Weep about animal's emotional lives. I highly recommend it.