Hey!
My female cat, Doris, and her brother came to us almost 1 year ago.
They have behaved exemplary since day 1 with a litter box and cohesion.
This spring they had to start going out and we quickly noticed that they both liked it.
They have played a lot together, slept and licked each other and we have seen them as nice and close friends.
Almost 2 weeks ago, our male cat was unfortunately hit by a car and died.
We were saddened and a great deal of concern was raised for Doris.
Now to my thoughts…
Since Doris’ brother passed away, Doris has changed a lot both in routines and behavior.
She has not been out as much as her brother but now she is out all day (as before) but comes in later / early evening and is in the rest of the time.
Then she cuddles and rests the most. We also play with strings, ping pong balls and other toys, but most of it is cozy.
Doris has changed her behavior in such a way that she was previously quite reserved and kept to her side.
It was rare that she spontaneously came and lay down on us to cuddle, but rather lay at a distance and watched. She wanted to cuddle and be petted but still lie down herself.
Now she’s the world’s cuddly pig. She crawls up to us, comes when you call and wants a lot of closeness. She did not talk any further before either but now she talks Liiite more with us even though she is still a quiet cat.
Her brother, on the other hand, always talked and loved to lie on us when he was cuddling and was very close in our faces.
I’ve read a lot about cats losing a friend and how they can be affected. But I have not read about anything that is consistent with Doris’ behavior.
Do you think she’s sick? We have thought about whether we should get a new friend for her in the future but we feel so insecure.
We wonder if her brother demanded so much attention that she felt a limit of power and had to stand back?
She also does not use the litter box since this happened, but only does her needs outside. Goes in the evening and goes out around six in the morning.
Is it good that she stays that long?
Would need some advice in this sad situation.
Right now Doris is giving us so much joy in the home and we really want her to feel good.
Hey!
I’m sorry for the loss of your cat and Doris’ brother.
I think it sounds like Doris is fine. Her behavior sounds completely normal and you can almost suspect that Doris works better as a lone cat.
I would not recommend getting another cat as company.
Most cats do not appreciate cat company other than close relatives (but there are, of course, exceptions).
Cats are good at staying long and it should not be a problem that she does not use the box.
However, I would recommend always having a box available if she would like to use it.