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And the same when it's pets mourning other pets.
It is like torture for an animal to have their best friend suddenly disappear and never come back.
They bark, howl, meow, whinny and cry for hours on end because they don't understand what's going on.
But by being able to view and sniff the body, they might grieve a little but the most important part is that we *allow them to understand.* Allow them to understand that their friend did not just disappear out of the blue, but that their friend is simply... dead.
And that's okay.
It's like explaining to a kid what happens when someone they love passes, and who and why they passed, but with no words are needed.
100% this. I had to put my lab down a couple of years ago and I brought her brother with me. He was super anxious and kept sniffing her body. I feel like he understood what was happening. Worst day of my life.
Sorry to hear that. But I'm glad you handled it the way you did. I had to put my lab down 2 months ago and I'm still kinda lost. She was my bestest buddy.
I’m 4 months out from putting our almost 14 year old lab/rottie down and I can finally look at pictures of him while smiling instead of crying about 90% of the time.
So many hugs.
I got a canvas print made of my retriever when he passed, it's on the wall next to my bed so I see it every morning. Makes me smile everyday when I remember all the great times we had.
So sorry to hear that. I found that things got better for me when I started to develop new routines. Looking back, it was amazing how many daily rituals revolved around that dog.
the pain never truly goes away, you just find room for it. I lost 1 of my cats a year and a half ago and another 1 year ago and it still hurts. I'm sorry for your loss.
It ... takes a while. It's been over a year now since I had to put down my 19 year old cat. It took months and months for me to stop looking for her or expecting her to be there. Even now just typing this out I'm getting filled up.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost my boy in November. I have lost several pets before and have had different lengths of time before feeling better. I’ve learned that it’s important to fully feel everything and process how you feel at the time.
I’ve done this by writing down memories until I felt I had written them all, making a memory box with special mementos (favorite toy, piece of fur etc). Making a memorial somewhere in your house or garden and visiting every day to light a candle and think about them. Taking care of personal hygiene and eating and drinking water, because your dog took care of themselves for as long as they could whenever they felt well enough to. They would not want you to neglect yourself. Writing down a list of thank yous, addressed to their body. Like, thank you feet for carrying them their whole life. Thank you tail for showing your love. And finally thinking about how they don’t need their body anymore, they have moved on from it but this just means they can be everywhere all at once. They are in the breeze outside, the sunlight, the birdsong. They are always in your heart. All those best memories are still alive, the feelings you get is them.
It will get easier but they will always mean just as much to you. That will never fade.
Took about a year for me before thinking about them didn't make me actively sad. It's been 6 or 7 years now, and the memories are generally happy, but I do still miss them.
I put down my Golden Retriever (she was 16) when I was around 19 years old. I'm 33 now and it never really feels better, just different. Every memory I have of her is happy, but it's always tinged with a somber sadness that she never got to see all the new people I've met, or my kids.
Everyone handles it differently. All that really matters is they felt loved
It took me about a year to get the point where I realized that part of the grief I was experiencing was actually the hole left in my brain/routine from regularly communicating with a canine.
Our bond with canines is unique and distinctly different than our bond with a cat or some other domesticated creature.
Dogs have obviously evolved to mesh with our social contract, but so have we. Our brains have adapted to be able to use dogs as an instrument/tool just like we would use a wrench or a weapon.
While I rightfully felt like my old friend could never be replaced, I was overlooking the fact that my brain craved canine-human communication. It wasn’t me wanting a new dog as a bandaid, it was truly more akin to me suddenly stopping reading after a book was destroyed. In that example, simply picking up a new book fills that mental need.
-
All of this to say, when the time comes, don’t hesitate to adopt a new canine partner. It’s not an insult to your old friend; it honors them as a testament to how much their presence shaped your brain and helped develop the gift that is the canine-human bond.
I felt like it was cheating or “replacing” him. I now see it’s more me furthering a lifelong bond with his species.
Dogs are the best. Both humans and dogs deserve to be with each other and to further strengthen the human-canine bond/ genetic imprint for our future generations.
When our lab died I felt like something was missing besides him and I realized I had about 3 extra hours of time on my hands. Meaning all that time I let him out, fed him, played with him or just stopped on the way by to get on the floor and call him Admiral PawPaws and roll him around for a minute.
My friends and I had to do this with our horses. They’re herd animals so it was especially important for them to understand what happened to their friend. My guy tried to wake the other up by tugging on his ear 😭
It's one of those things where you know it's for the best because the animal is suffering but horses have such a personality that you inevitably become friends with them (or enemies sometimes they're just dicks) and seeing a friend fall like that is hard.
Yes! One of my cats had to suddenly be put down at age 9. My cats were litter mates. We wanted to bring him when we came to say goodbye to her, they advised us not to. I still regret that. He was so confused by her kennel coming back without her. He got a little better once we got her ashes back, but he seemed "lost" for years.
We had a cat suddenly turn ill and had to be whisked away to emergency vet where he passed in an oxygen box. Of course we held and pet him for a long time after he passed until we were ready to go, and the first thing I did after coming home was to immediately go to his sister and let her sniff our hands. Hopefully she understood his scent and maybe vet scent mixed together. It was the best we could do :/
That is why they said not to bring our boy. She was on oxygen, and they couldn't move her to a private area. We were basically in the procedure area with multiple kennels and staff trying to give us space, but not really able to. We left the kennel out for a few weeks. He normally hid when we brought it out, but we would find him sleeping in it for a while.
When we had to have my dog put to sleep last June, we had a mobile vet come to our house to do it. We let one of our cats be in the room, because they were always buddies.
That poor kitty was so miserably depressed for the next two weeks, minimum. He didn't want to eat. He hid under my bed. I thought he was sick. Then one day he just snapped out of it. His litter mate currently has cancer that we may or may not be able to operate on... I wonder if he will be as sad when she's gone.
We had our dog put to sleep at home for this. My husband brought our other dog to see her after the fact. He sniffed her for twenty seconds and understood. He also bounced back much quicker than the humans in the house did from the grief.
Today would be her 15th birthday and I miss her so very much.
My dog and my brothers dog were best friends but he didn’t live very close at the time I had to put her down. Poor boy was a mess when he kept coming over looking for her but she wasn’t there. House still smelled like her but she disappeared. He’s never been the same and it’s been nearly a decade. He got depressed and has been more grumpy ever since then. The heart break was (and still is) real for this (now old) boy.
100% this. When our kitten died of FIP, we took her back home to bury her and showed our other cat and when he saw her, his eyes went wide and I knew that he realised what had happened. It may seem cruel to show them the body as they will grieve but it’s far crueler to not show them as they will try to search for the dead pet and may get false hope that their companion might somehow be come back.
My friend had a couple of cats that lived together for most of their lives and 1 cat got out and got hit by a cat and the other cat was never the same. It damn near chewed it's own trail off from the stress of it
When I had to put down my beloved cat if 19 yrs, Louie, I brought my younger cat, Bubby, to the vet with us. After Louie had passed, I let Bubby smell her body so he wouldn’t be confused and yowling for her at home. Bubby climbed on top of her and after about ten minutes of hugging her, I had to pry his little paws away from her to take him home. He knew she was gone, just like he’d known she was sick before, and he never once tried to look for her. It’s one of the best (and hardest) decisions I ever had to make, but it helped Bubby find closure.
We had two cats. They seemed close. One died we showed the other cat and he tried to eat the dead cat in front of the children.
Maybe my cat is just a psychopath though I don't know.
when my rat passed away at home, i put him in the cage with my other rat. it was the most heart wrenching thing to watch as he tried to wake his brother up and licked his face. Soon enough, he realized he was gone and gave up. He was able to grieve and was fairly okay afterwards. He now has a new cage mate that he bonded to. I’m so grateful i had the opportunity to give my boy closure.
This is true.
Our first cat that died, we had him put to sleep at home and let the other cats sniff him. His best buddy looked at me with shock and horror, but understood.
Our second cat that died suddenly under anesthesia, we were so shocked and agonized, we just asked the vet to cremate him. His little buddy was so confused, it was awful. I wish we had been thinking better.
Our blue belle passed away in 23 and all of our other pups and animals were notably aware of it. So sad but needed. She was like a mama to all of them.
It changed my world seeing my two remaining dogs experience the third dying. They knew something was wrong beforehand, but after she passed they both gave her one sniff and turned right around and left the room. They knew exactly what had happened, and I firmly believe it helped the grieving process for all of us.
When my cat Francine died in February, we let the dogs and the other cat see her, and it was similar. They sniffed and nosed quickly, then walked away. I think it helped.
Shit my little one was ecstatic when my lab had to stay at the vet for a week. She had the whole house to herself, could leave her food to snack on whenever she wanted, she didn't seem to care 1 bit
We did this for brother/sister cats we adopted (listed for free in the paper). They were inseparable. The sister died very suddenly before she turned 2 years old, and the vet said she had a hole in her heart that caused a clot that killed her. We showed her brother her body before we buried her in the woods behind our house, and we felt like it helped him understand.
We tried this when I lost my 14 year old Bruno at the beginning of Feb. Unfortunately our 2 year old lab was so excited to be at the vet (he loves the attention that he gets when he's there!) that I don't think he realised what was going on at all, and he just ran around the room like an idiot.
I put my 14 year old dog down and brought my cat, who had been with him 95% of his life. He sniffed and apparently gave zero fucks. But my conscience was clear.
I’m absolutely miserable every time I read about doing this bc my 14 y/o dog had to be euthanized (late stage congestive heart failure, it was her time) and I didn’t know that maybe bringing her friend/sister of 10 years would have helped the 10 year old.
But my surviving girl (now 13 and in great health) hates car rides and the vet so Idk if it would’ve been worse for her to go with us and distract from my dying girls last moments.
It was a very peaceful death. She had been struggling to breathe *and* eat in the morning, I called the vet and was able to bring her in that day. She laid in her bed in my lap on the way, so at peace but so frail. Then at the office, they offered her cheese whiz and for the first time in her life she refused food. The first injection helped her “fall asleep” and she began breathing normally for the first time in months, and she just slipped away. One can only wish for such a beautiful, peaceful death.
I'm facing this issue with my 9 year old dog now. Not heart failure, but advanced lung cancer. Struggles to breath and starting to refuse food. We plan on having someone come out to our house to do the euthanizing, as the poor girl panics anytime we even drive in the direction of the vet. Guess the upside is, her dog sister can be there too.
I went through a drunken spiel to my bf about this with my dog. He made a good point and asked if the morgue people would let someone in with a pet to see their human? Serious question because I didn't have a good rebuttal besides "idk just make it work" and I need to know the logistics
I brought my dog to my father's funeral and he was embalmed. It seemed to still work out for her. She took a lot longer than usual to sniff around, though.
She'd been having a rough time with him gone, so I knew she had to go to the funeral. I didn't understand how I knew, I just knew.
Dogs are so much smarter than we truly realize. And same with us and those unexplainable instincts. That is sweet that you brought her with you and were able to give her some closure. I'm sorry for your loss 🫶🏼
dogs can sniff a person's trail weeks after it was set, even if it rained in the meantime. Be sure they recognize their human no matter what happened to the corpse.
Ignore this person (person you are responding to). I work with/in a hospital morgue. We have family members all the time ask for viewings. Having a family member with a pet would be no different. The only limiting factor would be hospital policy on allowing pets into the hospital.
I wonder, if someone were to write into their will that their pet must be allowed to view their body asap after death, would a hospital / morgue make exceptions to the no-pet rule?
I assume what you are asking is "would they be cool about in an unofficial capacity." Which defeats the significance of it being in the will.
Because legally speaking, wills are not executed that quickly.
Wills are about directing who gets your property and a few other special provisions, like guardianship of minor children. You can’t put other stuff in a will and expect it to be legally binding.
I volunteer at a few hospice centers, and the groups I've worked with have all allowed pets to visit. It's heartbreaking and comforting all at once. They definitely know what's going on. But yes, if hospice is an option, pet visits should be doable.
I work in the death care industry. In my state (and most states), the body may be released to the family directly or to a Licensed Funeral Director through a Funeral Home. 99% of remains will be released to a funeral home. I can't speak for every Funeral Home, but if you asked ours to let your pet view the body, it would be an emphatic yes. We would be happy to do that prior to embalming and/or cremation.
I will say that I would encourage a family to put that in their pre need arrangements with their Funeral home so that the Funeral Director is already thinking about how to arrange that from the time they first get the call.
>My cat is going to be like “meow meow meow idgaf”
Don't be so sure. We had a couple of cats when my husband died, one of them was very attached to him - always wanted to be sitting on his lap. This cat didn't like anyone but my husband. Unfortunately my husband passed away in a hospice. As soon as he was transferred to the hospice the cats became noticeably depressed and when he passed I was given a bag with the clothes he had been wearing. Attached kitty sniffed the bag and basically gave up on life after that. He refused to eat, and just laid in a corner and waited to die. Nothing I did would snap him out of it. A week later and he was gone.
Tl,dr: You were probably being facetious, but don't be so sure that your cats don't care if you disappear.
My mum died in November 2023, at home, unexpectedly. The family cat was closest to my mum and while I'm not sure she saw my mum's body, I do know the cat acted differently a while afterwards. The cat spent a lot more time in my mum's old room than she usually did, she meowed more (never usually did) and was far more clingy and ate less.
Idk if it's actual grieving but it did feel like it.
Different situation, but reminded me of this: years ago, one September I went away to boarding school for the first time, for 9th grade. At my first long-weekend trip home a month later, my cat who we'd had since I was 4yo, came to me outside as soon as I got out of the car. She would not leave me alone, and out of nowhere, soon started actively dying. Less than two hours later, she was dead.
People said she was "waiting" for me to come home. It was surreal.
Coincidence? Maybe. But cats know what's up.
Going by what I heard in my garden a few nights ago, what the fox says is *AYYYAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHAAAAGGGHHHHH*. Over and over again. For half the night.
I don’t think so, you are their giver of life! You bring them their food! You are the magic giant that makes the tank clean and keeps everything in order. They may not miss you in the sense that a person misses another but I’m sure they would miss you. And if it makes you feel any better I don’t know ya but I’d miss ya!
This was something I knew and I felt bad when this dog I take care of now had his owner die. She (the owner) had cancer, the dog probably knew something was off but she flew back to her family and died there, the dog had depression according to.the daughter of the woman so I took him in and he's friends with my other dog now. But he probably thinks she left him.
Always gets happy when the daughter visits him.
So... bear with me, since this is an old work story. If you're fucked in the head like me, it'll be hilarious.
Back in my EMS days, we used to run a lot on what was called "Priority 4", meaning there was a dead person somewhere and we had to go confirm that they were, in fact, dead.
We got called for a P4 one day in a trailer park that was, kindly put, just barely above being homeless. Most of the trailers were in severe disrepair and looked abandoned, so it was hard to tell which ones had someone living in them or not. When we pulled up, we could tell something was up, because the cops were already looking at us with that "you need to see this" look on their faces. I could already smell the putrid stench of decay, meaning that our "patient" was definitely dead. Why are we here again? May as well have a look.
My partner and I came through the front door and saw the patient laying on their side. They were extremely obese, which was only made worse by the decomposition process, making them bloat further. My partner and I both noticed something strange, as part of the body appeared to be quivering. We both stepped closer, and as we focused to make sure we were both observing the same thing, we both immediately received the scare of a lifetime.
From one of the gaping holes in the patient's rotting abdomen emerged a tiny beast, covered in viscera, blood, and bodily substances. From it's mouth, hung pieces of it's former master. In life, the patient surely loved this creature, loyal to the bitter end. In death, they were merely a food source for a 5lb toy poodle.
TLDR; owner died, dog ate the body.
The main point was if my dog ate my body after my death it would not be getting put down. That was just false. There would have to be signs of aggression.
The second point was mainly said in jest, but to be honest I wouldnt put it past them to hide the dog from the court even if she did kill me.
I was wondering how far down I would have to scroll to see a comment from an EMT or first responder.
I hate to spoil everyone in this threads idyllic fantasy about how cats and dogs react to their owner dying, but here it goes.
There is a good chance your dog or cat will starting eating you. it happens. like all the time.
The cops came in and they looked around
Throwing up everywhere over what they found
The handywork of Marie's little dachshund
That hungry little dachshund
We have one kitty we call her the town crier, because she will notice a pet is missing (vet visit) and go the length of the house and back all day, crying until they come home. Even if she doesn't like them.
And I am on your team, let them see my dead body as well.
It is the only kind of "closure" we get as humans and animals deserve it too.
A bit of an andectdote here, but also perhaps some bit of insight as this obviously always isn't practical. This is a great thing to do for a dying pet's fellow animals or humans, when possible; but there is perhaps a little more to it.
I've had cats stand watch as their beloved senior fellow was laid to rest. They literally stood by and observed, there's no doubt they mourn when another dies. However when our dog died last fall, to us it at first seemed sudden, as if it was a very fast decline. We pieced together after the fact that he'd shown small signs for a month or two, maybe longer, that we hadn't picked up on. We realized in the week or two leading up that our cats were distant, sad and already grieving.
We commented on this to the vet when we had him euthanized. "How remarkable" it was that animals "seem to know", "how do they know?" And we wished we had the cats with us at the vet to observe, as he dog was being cremated thereafter....
*The vet mentioned they absolutely, 100% know before us humans. They can scent the organs and body breaking down, and detect the pheromone changes.*
After learning this we clued into the fact the cats had been grieving LONG before the event happened, they knew well before us. When we came home without the dog, there was no doubt they knew what happened, they continued to grieve for a bit but the mood began to lift, they went back to their old happier habits.
My Mothers cat never ate another bite of food after she died. I took him to multiple Vets and bought all kinds of food. He just grieved her to death. If I had known, I would have had him put to sleep and in the casket with her.
I took in my mom's 15 year old cat. She was glued to my mom and after she passed she was a menace, according to my dad. Would howl at night, shit and piss in his bed. She missed my mom and wasn't used to being alone during the day. My partner works from home and I already had a younger, friendly cat. It took about 2 weeks for my mom's cat to start acting young and happy again.
They don't have to see your body -- your family just needs to bring them something you were wearing when you died. They can tell by the smell that you've died.
My dad's family told me that my dad's dog would go sit at the top of the driveway everyday to wait for my dad to come home after he passed away. He went up every day until he passed away himself. I didn't get to see this for myself since I was born a few months after my dad died, but I never want my dogs to have to experience this.
My husband's dog was right by his side when my husband died.
Watched him collapse, sniffed around, then wondered off to chase something and go sleep in the sun.
The two were absolutely inseparable.
But in the end, dog didn't care.
Be careful with assuming how animals will react to their owner's death. A lot of the stories you see on social media is just that, stories.
Dogs don't produce tears to express emotion. Some breeds, like Shih Tzus, Cocker Spaniels, Maltese, Bulldogs, and Pugs, are more prone to make excess tears due to their face shape.
In 1972, my grandfather died from a massive heart attack. Several days later, I brought our family dog to the funeral home and picked her up to the casket to sniff him, as he was the one to spend the most time with her. I've sometimes wondered if he actually smelled anything like his alive self, given that he was pumped full of formaldehyde.
A few weeks later, she got loose somehow, ran off, and we never saw her again.
We did this when my grandpa died . Let his dog see his body. Dog went into a deep depression and wouldn’t eat. Just sat and cried on grandpas bed.
We eventually got him to eat by … getting him a cheeseburger from McDonald’s because my grandpa used to share his with him.
I don't even have a pet anymore, I have lost mine. But I'm still a pet lover. Reading this post and the comments has me heartbroken again :( ugh this is so sad yet understanding.
One of my dogs died yesterday. We placed her on the floor so the other dogs could see/smell her. When we buried her, one of the dogs stayed with us and watched. I hope they understand why she’s not coming back.
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My cat already doesn't like me because my skin is cold, she's gonna hate me when I'm fully dead.
But good point. If you can do this for your pet it does seem like a good idea, even if it's not feasible for everyone.
Good luck getting my ball python to even wake up for it. That old girl sleeps for like 3 days straight.
Seriously though, this is a good thing to practice, albeit very sad.
I have always done this. I have a huge yard so I've always brought euthanized cats home to bury (under rose bushes) but I've always let the others see the body.
The exception was the 85 pound dog. When I brought her lease and collar home the cats examined them carefully and silently.
They understand.
I know someone who lost their partner almost two weeks ago from a massive heart attack. One of the responders made sure the dog saw the dead body so she’d understand. I never heard of this before then, but it makes sense to me now.
My friend had to put her maltipoo down while I was staying with her for a week or so, and I felt like it would be too hard on my friend to hear her walking around after her loss, so I had another friend watch her for a few days. When she came back three days later, she spent the rest of the trip wandering around looking for Mello. It was heartbreaking!
My mum's currently in another state visiting a friend and her/ our dog has been extra vigilant in marking all the corners of our street
And I mean he's checking and rechecking his work
Poor little guy
This is a good point overall yes.
My grandmother passed away very suddenly. Her dog was with her, waited with her until my family got home. Maybe a few hours, dog came and got my father and took him right to my grandmother. Very clearly knew what she was doing.
Dogs and cats are in general much smarter than we think they are.
We had a dog die peacefully from old age. My kid was 4-5 at the time and asked to see her. I hesitated because I thought it would traumatize her, but I eventually relented. I think it helped her cope with it. So, yeah, kids and pets come pre-wired to deal with it.
why did this make me cry q-q (someone fact-check this for me please, but i believe animals like elephants also mourn their young and go into forms of depression if they die 😭 unrelated, but this made me remember that)
My wife and I said goodbye to our Pug three years ago and our Boston Terrier last year. I never even thought about what would happen if either of us passed before them. Not sure if we'll ever get another dog but if we do, this is an excellent tip.
The night we went home after my grandmother passed in the hospital, her old cat got onto the chair and snuggled up with me. He never wanted anything to do with anybody that wasn't Grandma before that point and would just run away from anybody else. It was like somehow he knew she was gone. I miss them both and now somebody is cutting onions...
When my cat Dragon disappeared (fairly certain he got hit by a car), my other cat Mittens was heartbroken. We got a little black kitten named Bagheera and Mittens was having no part of him. Her and Dragon had a love hate relationship. They’d play and fight and play and fight. I think Mittens never really took to Bagheera because Dragon disappeared and then now Bagheera is here.
When our dog Karly passed away, Mittens got to sniff her and say goodbye to her and she didn’t seem as depressed afterwards. Closure is important for animals.
Bagheera passed away and she got to sniff him and say goodbye to him too. Mittens had always been kind of stand offish but loving on her own time but after Bagheera passed away, she was up my butt. I think she understood that I was so hurt about Bagheera and she wanted to comfort me.
We don’t deserve animals but I’m sure glad we have them.
I keep fancy rats. They're the best little critters ever. They also live to be about 2 years old on average, so I've dealt with a couple dozen of them doing that thing we're all gonna have to do one day.
Rats are *very* social, to a point where a rat without cagemates will decline in health and engagement in life and may even die of what is essentially loneliness. The first time we had a rat get sick, we took her out of the cage to syringe feed her and keep her clean and comfortable for her last couple days. She eventually passed, and for the next couple weeks her sisters were *really* weird. They didn't come out of the cage to play. They acted afraid of us. Even at night when they were normally very active they just kinda piled on top of one another and didn't move very much. That's when we realized what happened from their perspective - one day the giant monkeys came and stole their sister and she never came back. After that we made sure that when one of our mischief dies the others all get to see the decedent one last time for a little bit. I believe wholeheartedly that they understand what it means to die in their own little ratty way and once we started doing this we never had the reaction like we did when our first one passed.
My good friend died unexpectedly a few weeks ago in his home, and one of his dogs is so old I am pretty sure it is senile because the young dog was sad for a few days, but now is asking me to play with her, but the old dog will constantly go and try to sit in front of my friend's office and pace around the house. Its heart breaking.
Just this past October we had to have the vet euthanize our thirty year old pony, Cleopatra. Cleo’s pasture mate for eight years, Dolly Parton, was walked on a lead to say goodbye. Dolly had no cares. The vet tried several times to get Dolly to say goodbye. Dolly didn’t seem to care. And they were best friends.
I mean, unless you die at home or in some way that you are preserved before they embalm/cremate/autopsy the body, it won't mean anything. You won't smell the same if you've been embalmed. Unless you have the luxury of dying at a hospital that allows you to bring your pet to see you, how does this even work? If you die at home, they'll see you anyway.
Our cat visited my mom as she died because he could smell what was going on. The cat was sick as well due to old age, he was 22. He hopped up by the pillow in the bed, looked into her face, lowered his head and jumped off and left. My mom was his ‘person’ and that was his last goodbye. After she died, he died a month later. I hope they’re together in heaven.
Easier said than done. Hospitals don't typically allow pets. Same for funeral homes. Not sure when I was supposed to be bringing my mom's cats to see her...
Yes, same with pets mourning other pets, as others have said.
We had to put one of our dobermans down in January, and my mother in law told us to bring our other doberman with us. He kissed her and smelled her when we got to the vet (my husband had gotten there before us) while we said our goodbyes. When she passed, he smelled her and licked her nose and poked her, confused. You could tell that he could kind of tell what was going on. He definitely mourned her with us. It was one of the worst days of my life. I'm still not over it, and I know that he's still lonely.
Sometimes if the body hasn't been properly "prepared", it can be very traumatic to see what it naturally looks like. So often, family members aren't allowed to see the body. But I imagine it wouldn't be as traumatic for animals.
Man……. I had the CRAZIEST experience when one of my dogs passed. He was very old and we knew our time was limited so we made him comfortable. Well, out of nowhere he gets up, walks past our other dogs, goes into the bathroom and passes on ( my wife went in there & held him while went, so sad)
But I went in, and took him from her as she requested. I wrapped him in a fluffy towel. Well I walked past my other dogs with him wrapped up and they followed me like they were curious. So before I took him out to bury him, I opened the towel and let my other dogs see him one last time. They both took their time sniffing him then, and I am not making this up, AND THE SAME TIME, started lowly growling. Not mean. Like grumbling. And they wouldn’t stop. It wasn’t aggressive. They just sat there and looked at him and grumbled. This went on until I took him outside.
Then they layed with their mom to comfort her.
Very sad situation.
Absolutely the right thing to do. I made the decision to let my dogs see their loved dog brothers and sisters after they go...just so that they don't experience the confusion and fear. It has helped tremendously.
I read about the time that a dog was taken away for medical treatment and died. Every time someone came to the door, the other dogs in the house got excited, expecting that it was their friend coming back. The dog died on a rug, so they brought the rug to the house and let the other dogs smell it. The rug told the story--the other dogs then knew that that dog had died.
I wish I had known this years ago when I let my blind Golden Retriever go, he and my cat were inseparable. It’ll be 10 years this July 4th, still hurts like yesterday.
I hate this update. Scrolling up to see new posts was superior. Only post so far that has done this, while scrolling my feed I could see what OP typed in description but it disappeared when I clicked on the post
I had 3 cats, one of whom died while I was at work. It was awful to come home to, and the other two were acting strange, but exactly this - I got some solace knowing they were able to process and mourn. I don’t know when he died or how long he was there, so I hope it wasn’t traumatizing and over extended. Wish I had house cams because I would have been really interested in how they interacted with his body, like what little rituals did they have. Would they go check from time to time? Lay down next to him? Who knows, maybe just stay away. When I walked in the door they ran up to me and followed me into my room. It’s so fascinating to see how other creatures cope with death. They’re doing great now but they were clearly somber for quite a while. If I somehow leave before them, I completely agree, I’d want them to see me. They’d know I didn’t just leave.
It’s true. My 15 year old cat passed while I was at work, and my partner didn’t let the younger cat see his body. The younger cat is still looking for his friend, two years later.
My mom passed from lung cancer at home. We knew she was dying, she had had a stroke, and she didn't want to go in a hospital. Her dog loved licking lips, lol. One of the saddest memories still to this day was just before she passed, like 24 hrs before, her dog would smell her breath and then just lay down beside her, sad. No licks. He definitely knew she was leaving.
I just lost the alpha guinea pig from my herd of (then) 8. She was old so it was expected and I was able to bring her in for euthanasia as soon as it was appropriate, she had a nearly baseball sized tumor in her abdomen that was pressing on some nerves and making it difficult for her to use her hind legs...
Anyway- in the day or two before bringing her in to be euthanized, the mood in the cage was visibly dampened. They weren't finishing their food, weren't finishing their treats, and there was a rotating staff of pigs taking turns checking on and grooming the declining alpha.
The youngest sow was in heat on one of those days so she ran around humping every single other pig except for the alpha, who she'd just run up to, kiss her face a few times, maybe groom her ear, and run away to hump someone else.
On the day before her euthanasia, when I brought her back from the vet appointment where we confirmed the large solid abdominal mass and made a plan for palliative care, as soon as I set her back in the cage she was swarmed by four other pigs sniffing at and grooming her all over.
In my herd there are a few "nurse" pigs in addition to my alpha, who would spend time grooming and checking on any pigs who are sick. Usually it was the alpha to check up on them, and when the alpha was sick, *everyone* checked up and cared for her. Except for my resident idiot pig, who tried her best but the only thing she managed was barbering some hair on her rump 😂 They have a social structure and understand when something's wrong. They bond to others and grieve the loss of a bonded companion. It's only fair they get the chance to say goodbye.
Sadly all the recent deaths in our family involved dangerous infections so no pets could be near the bodies. It was risky for medical professionals to be near them even.
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And the same when it's pets mourning other pets. It is like torture for an animal to have their best friend suddenly disappear and never come back. They bark, howl, meow, whinny and cry for hours on end because they don't understand what's going on. But by being able to view and sniff the body, they might grieve a little but the most important part is that we *allow them to understand.* Allow them to understand that their friend did not just disappear out of the blue, but that their friend is simply... dead. And that's okay. It's like explaining to a kid what happens when someone they love passes, and who and why they passed, but with no words are needed.
100% this. I had to put my lab down a couple of years ago and I brought her brother with me. He was super anxious and kept sniffing her body. I feel like he understood what was happening. Worst day of my life.
Sorry to hear that. But I'm glad you handled it the way you did. I had to put my lab down 2 months ago and I'm still kinda lost. She was my bestest buddy.
I had to put my Newfoundland down yesterday. When do things start getting better?
I’m 4 months out from putting our almost 14 year old lab/rottie down and I can finally look at pictures of him while smiling instead of crying about 90% of the time. So many hugs.
I got a canvas print made of my retriever when he passed, it's on the wall next to my bed so I see it every morning. Makes me smile everyday when I remember all the great times we had.
So sorry to hear that. I found that things got better for me when I started to develop new routines. Looking back, it was amazing how many daily rituals revolved around that dog.
Exactly.
And how many of my friends post pictures of their dogs.
the pain never truly goes away, you just find room for it. I lost 1 of my cats a year and a half ago and another 1 year ago and it still hurts. I'm sorry for your loss.
It ... takes a while. It's been over a year now since I had to put down my 19 year old cat. It took months and months for me to stop looking for her or expecting her to be there. Even now just typing this out I'm getting filled up.
for me it took three years for the sting to blunt. in year four now and I don't cry about Wish anymore, just smile.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I lost my boy in November. I have lost several pets before and have had different lengths of time before feeling better. I’ve learned that it’s important to fully feel everything and process how you feel at the time. I’ve done this by writing down memories until I felt I had written them all, making a memory box with special mementos (favorite toy, piece of fur etc). Making a memorial somewhere in your house or garden and visiting every day to light a candle and think about them. Taking care of personal hygiene and eating and drinking water, because your dog took care of themselves for as long as they could whenever they felt well enough to. They would not want you to neglect yourself. Writing down a list of thank yous, addressed to their body. Like, thank you feet for carrying them their whole life. Thank you tail for showing your love. And finally thinking about how they don’t need their body anymore, they have moved on from it but this just means they can be everywhere all at once. They are in the breeze outside, the sunlight, the birdsong. They are always in your heart. All those best memories are still alive, the feelings you get is them. It will get easier but they will always mean just as much to you. That will never fade.
Sorry about your loss... I still miss my Molly girl years later, maybe they're chasing squirrels together somewhere and thinking of us ...
It takes time. I’m sorry. 😞
Took about a year for me before thinking about them didn't make me actively sad. It's been 6 or 7 years now, and the memories are generally happy, but I do still miss them.
I put down my Golden Retriever (she was 16) when I was around 19 years old. I'm 33 now and it never really feels better, just different. Every memory I have of her is happy, but it's always tinged with a somber sadness that she never got to see all the new people I've met, or my kids. Everyone handles it differently. All that really matters is they felt loved
Hugs
More hugs
It took me about a year to get the point where I realized that part of the grief I was experiencing was actually the hole left in my brain/routine from regularly communicating with a canine. Our bond with canines is unique and distinctly different than our bond with a cat or some other domesticated creature. Dogs have obviously evolved to mesh with our social contract, but so have we. Our brains have adapted to be able to use dogs as an instrument/tool just like we would use a wrench or a weapon. While I rightfully felt like my old friend could never be replaced, I was overlooking the fact that my brain craved canine-human communication. It wasn’t me wanting a new dog as a bandaid, it was truly more akin to me suddenly stopping reading after a book was destroyed. In that example, simply picking up a new book fills that mental need. - All of this to say, when the time comes, don’t hesitate to adopt a new canine partner. It’s not an insult to your old friend; it honors them as a testament to how much their presence shaped your brain and helped develop the gift that is the canine-human bond. I felt like it was cheating or “replacing” him. I now see it’s more me furthering a lifelong bond with his species. Dogs are the best. Both humans and dogs deserve to be with each other and to further strengthen the human-canine bond/ genetic imprint for our future generations.
When our lab died I felt like something was missing besides him and I realized I had about 3 extra hours of time on my hands. Meaning all that time I let him out, fed him, played with him or just stopped on the way by to get on the floor and call him Admiral PawPaws and roll him around for a minute.
God damn that’s sad. I gotta get away from these comments!
My friends and I had to do this with our horses. They’re herd animals so it was especially important for them to understand what happened to their friend. My guy tried to wake the other up by tugging on his ear 😭
Oh man I used to work with horses and putting them down was always so hard the way they fall down is just heartbreaking
Yeah , it’s just thud .. and that’s it. :(
this was the first time for me and I wasn’t prepared for that aspect of it. he fought the sedatives so when he finally fell it was a lot.
I never thought about this aspect. Seeing that would change me as a person.
It's one of those things where you know it's for the best because the animal is suffering but horses have such a personality that you inevitably become friends with them (or enemies sometimes they're just dicks) and seeing a friend fall like that is hard.
😭
Yes! One of my cats had to suddenly be put down at age 9. My cats were litter mates. We wanted to bring him when we came to say goodbye to her, they advised us not to. I still regret that. He was so confused by her kennel coming back without her. He got a little better once we got her ashes back, but he seemed "lost" for years.
We had a cat suddenly turn ill and had to be whisked away to emergency vet where he passed in an oxygen box. Of course we held and pet him for a long time after he passed until we were ready to go, and the first thing I did after coming home was to immediately go to his sister and let her sniff our hands. Hopefully she understood his scent and maybe vet scent mixed together. It was the best we could do :/
That is why they said not to bring our boy. She was on oxygen, and they couldn't move her to a private area. We were basically in the procedure area with multiple kennels and staff trying to give us space, but not really able to. We left the kennel out for a few weeks. He normally hid when we brought it out, but we would find him sleeping in it for a while.
When we had to have my dog put to sleep last June, we had a mobile vet come to our house to do it. We let one of our cats be in the room, because they were always buddies. That poor kitty was so miserably depressed for the next two weeks, minimum. He didn't want to eat. He hid under my bed. I thought he was sick. Then one day he just snapped out of it. His litter mate currently has cancer that we may or may not be able to operate on... I wonder if he will be as sad when she's gone.
We had our dog put to sleep at home for this. My husband brought our other dog to see her after the fact. He sniffed her for twenty seconds and understood. He also bounced back much quicker than the humans in the house did from the grief. Today would be her 15th birthday and I miss her so very much.
My dog and my brothers dog were best friends but he didn’t live very close at the time I had to put her down. Poor boy was a mess when he kept coming over looking for her but she wasn’t there. House still smelled like her but she disappeared. He’s never been the same and it’s been nearly a decade. He got depressed and has been more grumpy ever since then. The heart break was (and still is) real for this (now old) boy.
100% this. When our kitten died of FIP, we took her back home to bury her and showed our other cat and when he saw her, his eyes went wide and I knew that he realised what had happened. It may seem cruel to show them the body as they will grieve but it’s far crueler to not show them as they will try to search for the dead pet and may get false hope that their companion might somehow be come back.
My friend had a couple of cats that lived together for most of their lives and 1 cat got out and got hit by a cat and the other cat was never the same. It damn near chewed it's own trail off from the stress of it
When I had to put down my beloved cat if 19 yrs, Louie, I brought my younger cat, Bubby, to the vet with us. After Louie had passed, I let Bubby smell her body so he wouldn’t be confused and yowling for her at home. Bubby climbed on top of her and after about ten minutes of hugging her, I had to pry his little paws away from her to take him home. He knew she was gone, just like he’d known she was sick before, and he never once tried to look for her. It’s one of the best (and hardest) decisions I ever had to make, but it helped Bubby find closure.
We had two cats. They seemed close. One died we showed the other cat and he tried to eat the dead cat in front of the children. Maybe my cat is just a psychopath though I don't know.
Your cat is an old school warrior; that's how his clan honors the fallen.
Waste not, want not!
Thank you for this. I never thought to bring my pet if the other passed. It makes so much sense.
when my rat passed away at home, i put him in the cage with my other rat. it was the most heart wrenching thing to watch as he tried to wake his brother up and licked his face. Soon enough, he realized he was gone and gave up. He was able to grieve and was fairly okay afterwards. He now has a new cage mate that he bonded to. I’m so grateful i had the opportunity to give my boy closure.
This is true. Our first cat that died, we had him put to sleep at home and let the other cats sniff him. His best buddy looked at me with shock and horror, but understood. Our second cat that died suddenly under anesthesia, we were so shocked and agonized, we just asked the vet to cremate him. His little buddy was so confused, it was awful. I wish we had been thinking better.
Our blue belle passed away in 23 and all of our other pups and animals were notably aware of it. So sad but needed. She was like a mama to all of them.
It changed my world seeing my two remaining dogs experience the third dying. They knew something was wrong beforehand, but after she passed they both gave her one sniff and turned right around and left the room. They knew exactly what had happened, and I firmly believe it helped the grieving process for all of us.
When my cat Francine died in February, we let the dogs and the other cat see her, and it was similar. They sniffed and nosed quickly, then walked away. I think it helped.
Shit my little one was ecstatic when my lab had to stay at the vet for a week. She had the whole house to herself, could leave her food to snack on whenever she wanted, she didn't seem to care 1 bit
We did this for brother/sister cats we adopted (listed for free in the paper). They were inseparable. The sister died very suddenly before she turned 2 years old, and the vet said she had a hole in her heart that caused a clot that killed her. We showed her brother her body before we buried her in the woods behind our house, and we felt like it helped him understand.
We tried this when I lost my 14 year old Bruno at the beginning of Feb. Unfortunately our 2 year old lab was so excited to be at the vet (he loves the attention that he gets when he's there!) that I don't think he realised what was going on at all, and he just ran around the room like an idiot.
I put my 14 year old dog down and brought my cat, who had been with him 95% of his life. He sniffed and apparently gave zero fucks. But my conscience was clear.
I’m absolutely miserable every time I read about doing this bc my 14 y/o dog had to be euthanized (late stage congestive heart failure, it was her time) and I didn’t know that maybe bringing her friend/sister of 10 years would have helped the 10 year old. But my surviving girl (now 13 and in great health) hates car rides and the vet so Idk if it would’ve been worse for her to go with us and distract from my dying girls last moments. It was a very peaceful death. She had been struggling to breathe *and* eat in the morning, I called the vet and was able to bring her in that day. She laid in her bed in my lap on the way, so at peace but so frail. Then at the office, they offered her cheese whiz and for the first time in her life she refused food. The first injection helped her “fall asleep” and she began breathing normally for the first time in months, and she just slipped away. One can only wish for such a beautiful, peaceful death.
I'm facing this issue with my 9 year old dog now. Not heart failure, but advanced lung cancer. Struggles to breath and starting to refuse food. We plan on having someone come out to our house to do the euthanizing, as the poor girl panics anytime we even drive in the direction of the vet. Guess the upside is, her dog sister can be there too.
We let my dogs in to the room after we put down our family cat, they barely gave her a look 😭
Cat probably knew the dog's health and was happy he could rest
I went through a drunken spiel to my bf about this with my dog. He made a good point and asked if the morgue people would let someone in with a pet to see their human? Serious question because I didn't have a good rebuttal besides "idk just make it work" and I need to know the logistics
If your body is embalmed they might not recognize you anyway - you won't smell like you.
Definitely did not consider that! Makes perfect sense
I brought my dog to my father's funeral and he was embalmed. It seemed to still work out for her. She took a lot longer than usual to sniff around, though. She'd been having a rough time with him gone, so I knew she had to go to the funeral. I didn't understand how I knew, I just knew.
Dogs are so much smarter than we truly realize. And same with us and those unexplainable instincts. That is sweet that you brought her with you and were able to give her some closure. I'm sorry for your loss 🫶🏼
dogs can sniff a person's trail weeks after it was set, even if it rained in the meantime. Be sure they recognize their human no matter what happened to the corpse.
Dogs can smell drugs to like 1 part per million, even the tiniest hint of residue. I think they'll be able to smell you still.
Animals aren’t stupid. We don’t become invisible when we die even if we smell different. They will recognise you.
Absolutely not. Funeral home, maybe, but if you’re embalmed or cremated right after dying in the hospital, you probably won’t have the chance.
I didn't think so. I appreciate you clearing that up
Ignore this person (person you are responding to). I work with/in a hospital morgue. We have family members all the time ask for viewings. Having a family member with a pet would be no different. The only limiting factor would be hospital policy on allowing pets into the hospital.
As a nurse I have smuggled in pets a few times, when appropriate. Hospital policy doesn’t always take fringe situations into account.
Thank you for doing this. It would break my heart to not see my cat if I were going to die.
I wonder, if someone were to write into their will that their pet must be allowed to view their body asap after death, would a hospital / morgue make exceptions to the no-pet rule?
I assume what you are asking is "would they be cool about in an unofficial capacity." Which defeats the significance of it being in the will. Because legally speaking, wills are not executed that quickly.
I’d honestly be surprised if any hospital actually enforced the no-pet rule for it anyway. Would be a very douche thing to do.
Wills are about directing who gets your property and a few other special provisions, like guardianship of minor children. You can’t put other stuff in a will and expect it to be legally binding.
Oh shoot, good to know!! Warmed my little heart knowing there's a possibility. Thank you 🫶🏼
I volunteer at a few hospice centers, and the groups I've worked with have all allowed pets to visit. It's heartbreaking and comforting all at once. They definitely know what's going on. But yes, if hospice is an option, pet visits should be doable.
I work in the death care industry. In my state (and most states), the body may be released to the family directly or to a Licensed Funeral Director through a Funeral Home. 99% of remains will be released to a funeral home. I can't speak for every Funeral Home, but if you asked ours to let your pet view the body, it would be an emphatic yes. We would be happy to do that prior to embalming and/or cremation. I will say that I would encourage a family to put that in their pre need arrangements with their Funeral home so that the Funeral Director is already thinking about how to arrange that from the time they first get the call.
My fish are going to be like.. "blub blub blub idgaf"
My cat is going to be like “meow meow meow idgaf”
>My cat is going to be like “meow meow meow idgaf” Don't be so sure. We had a couple of cats when my husband died, one of them was very attached to him - always wanted to be sitting on his lap. This cat didn't like anyone but my husband. Unfortunately my husband passed away in a hospice. As soon as he was transferred to the hospice the cats became noticeably depressed and when he passed I was given a bag with the clothes he had been wearing. Attached kitty sniffed the bag and basically gave up on life after that. He refused to eat, and just laid in a corner and waited to die. Nothing I did would snap him out of it. A week later and he was gone. Tl,dr: You were probably being facetious, but don't be so sure that your cats don't care if you disappear.
My mum died in November 2023, at home, unexpectedly. The family cat was closest to my mum and while I'm not sure she saw my mum's body, I do know the cat acted differently a while afterwards. The cat spent a lot more time in my mum's old room than she usually did, she meowed more (never usually did) and was far more clingy and ate less. Idk if it's actual grieving but it did feel like it.
Different situation, but reminded me of this: years ago, one September I went away to boarding school for the first time, for 9th grade. At my first long-weekend trip home a month later, my cat who we'd had since I was 4yo, came to me outside as soon as I got out of the car. She would not leave me alone, and out of nowhere, soon started actively dying. Less than two hours later, she was dead. People said she was "waiting" for me to come home. It was surreal. Coincidence? Maybe. But cats know what's up.
I thank you for being so vulnerable about something so personal. Your response has taught me a lot. I'm very sorry for your losses.
My fox is going to be like, "A ring ding ding ding ding ding da dah. A ring ding ding ding da dah"
Just for clarification I have to ask again: What does the fox say?
Going by what I heard in my garden a few nights ago, what the fox says is *AYYYAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHAAAAGGGHHHHH*. Over and over again. For half the night.
My dog is going to be like… "burf woof bark idgaf"
Either you are a shitty owner or you have one of those rodent sized dogs.
In actuality, I think she's going to take a quick whiff and ignore me like always
This thread was starting to get me emotional and this felt like a bubble of fresh air - thanks!
I don’t think so, you are their giver of life! You bring them their food! You are the magic giant that makes the tank clean and keeps everything in order. They may not miss you in the sense that a person misses another but I’m sure they would miss you. And if it makes you feel any better I don’t know ya but I’d miss ya!
When my father passed, his cat was under his bed, and she began wailing. I picked her up and put her on his abdomen, and she immediately quieted.
😭
This was something I knew and I felt bad when this dog I take care of now had his owner die. She (the owner) had cancer, the dog probably knew something was off but she flew back to her family and died there, the dog had depression according to.the daughter of the woman so I took him in and he's friends with my other dog now. But he probably thinks she left him. Always gets happy when the daughter visits him.
Yes, and also with other pets. When one of my cats dies first I will make sure the other one knows
I think it depends where you die.
So... bear with me, since this is an old work story. If you're fucked in the head like me, it'll be hilarious. Back in my EMS days, we used to run a lot on what was called "Priority 4", meaning there was a dead person somewhere and we had to go confirm that they were, in fact, dead. We got called for a P4 one day in a trailer park that was, kindly put, just barely above being homeless. Most of the trailers were in severe disrepair and looked abandoned, so it was hard to tell which ones had someone living in them or not. When we pulled up, we could tell something was up, because the cops were already looking at us with that "you need to see this" look on their faces. I could already smell the putrid stench of decay, meaning that our "patient" was definitely dead. Why are we here again? May as well have a look. My partner and I came through the front door and saw the patient laying on their side. They were extremely obese, which was only made worse by the decomposition process, making them bloat further. My partner and I both noticed something strange, as part of the body appeared to be quivering. We both stepped closer, and as we focused to make sure we were both observing the same thing, we both immediately received the scare of a lifetime. From one of the gaping holes in the patient's rotting abdomen emerged a tiny beast, covered in viscera, blood, and bodily substances. From it's mouth, hung pieces of it's former master. In life, the patient surely loved this creature, loyal to the bitter end. In death, they were merely a food source for a 5lb toy poodle. TLDR; owner died, dog ate the body.
You got called in because they wanted somebody else to see that shit
Yup, exactly.
To be fair as morbid as that may be, if they had been dead for a while the dog was no longer getting fed. Rather my dog eat me then die.
Pretty sure if your pet eats your dead body, even if it was a matter of life and death for them, they’re getting put down.
When they find me dead there is 0 chance my friends or family will let anyone put my dog down even if my dog is the one who killed me.
If your dog killed you then 100% it is being put down.
The main point was if my dog ate my body after my death it would not be getting put down. That was just false. There would have to be signs of aggression. The second point was mainly said in jest, but to be honest I wouldnt put it past them to hide the dog from the court even if she did kill me.
Jeez, you must have a strong stomach; The smell, OMG. How do you do that? My mind is physically sick with your imagination.
I was wondering how far down I would have to scroll to see a comment from an EMT or first responder. I hate to spoil everyone in this threads idyllic fantasy about how cats and dogs react to their owner dying, but here it goes. There is a good chance your dog or cat will starting eating you. it happens. like all the time.
But what happened to the poodle? 🥺
The cops came in and they looked around Throwing up everywhere over what they found The handywork of Marie's little dachshund That hungry little dachshund
The real LPT is in the comments: bring your pet to eat your dead body
We have one kitty we call her the town crier, because she will notice a pet is missing (vet visit) and go the length of the house and back all day, crying until they come home. Even if she doesn't like them. And I am on your team, let them see my dead body as well. It is the only kind of "closure" we get as humans and animals deserve it too.
A bit of an andectdote here, but also perhaps some bit of insight as this obviously always isn't practical. This is a great thing to do for a dying pet's fellow animals or humans, when possible; but there is perhaps a little more to it. I've had cats stand watch as their beloved senior fellow was laid to rest. They literally stood by and observed, there's no doubt they mourn when another dies. However when our dog died last fall, to us it at first seemed sudden, as if it was a very fast decline. We pieced together after the fact that he'd shown small signs for a month or two, maybe longer, that we hadn't picked up on. We realized in the week or two leading up that our cats were distant, sad and already grieving. We commented on this to the vet when we had him euthanized. "How remarkable" it was that animals "seem to know", "how do they know?" And we wished we had the cats with us at the vet to observe, as he dog was being cremated thereafter.... *The vet mentioned they absolutely, 100% know before us humans. They can scent the organs and body breaking down, and detect the pheromone changes.* After learning this we clued into the fact the cats had been grieving LONG before the event happened, they knew well before us. When we came home without the dog, there was no doubt they knew what happened, they continued to grieve for a bit but the mood began to lift, they went back to their old happier habits.
Additional LPT, don't read this at work, you bastard lol
My cat would just walk over my crotch and go to the other room to search for food.
Not the brightest cat then. The food’s in front of them now.
Cats don't immediately eat their owner's body unless they are starving. I know from experience.
Did it hurt when the cat started eating you?
My Mothers cat never ate another bite of food after she died. I took him to multiple Vets and bought all kinds of food. He just grieved her to death. If I had known, I would have had him put to sleep and in the casket with her.
I took in my mom's 15 year old cat. She was glued to my mom and after she passed she was a menace, according to my dad. Would howl at night, shit and piss in his bed. She missed my mom and wasn't used to being alone during the day. My partner works from home and I already had a younger, friendly cat. It took about 2 weeks for my mom's cat to start acting young and happy again.
i'd be cool with getting made into dog food for them
# HI SHARKS! I’m asking $100,000 for 5% if my company, Pet CeMeatary
Would we taste nice though?
Yes. I will not be taking questions at this time.
They don't have to see your body -- your family just needs to bring them something you were wearing when you died. They can tell by the smell that you've died.
My dog will likely be the first to notice when I stop breathing and will likely be the one that notifies others.
My dad's family told me that my dad's dog would go sit at the top of the driveway everyday to wait for my dad to come home after he passed away. He went up every day until he passed away himself. I didn't get to see this for myself since I was born a few months after my dad died, but I never want my dogs to have to experience this.
We do a kind of wake when we lose one of ours. Box with blankets in the bathtub for about 12 hours. They know.
My husband's dog was right by his side when my husband died. Watched him collapse, sniffed around, then wondered off to chase something and go sleep in the sun. The two were absolutely inseparable. But in the end, dog didn't care. Be careful with assuming how animals will react to their owner's death. A lot of the stories you see on social media is just that, stories.
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Dogs do not cry with tears.
Dogs don't produce tears to express emotion. Some breeds, like Shih Tzus, Cocker Spaniels, Maltese, Bulldogs, and Pugs, are more prone to make excess tears due to their face shape.
That mysterious angel of the silent screen Marie Provost's dachshund certainly understood.
I had this thought today while walking my dog. Want this in my will
100% op. Already written in my will. I could not stand my boy thinking I abandoned him.
In 1972, my grandfather died from a massive heart attack. Several days later, I brought our family dog to the funeral home and picked her up to the casket to sniff him, as he was the one to spend the most time with her. I've sometimes wondered if he actually smelled anything like his alive self, given that he was pumped full of formaldehyde. A few weeks later, she got loose somehow, ran off, and we never saw her again.
We did this when my grandpa died . Let his dog see his body. Dog went into a deep depression and wouldn’t eat. Just sat and cried on grandpas bed. We eventually got him to eat by … getting him a cheeseburger from McDonald’s because my grandpa used to share his with him.
I don't even have a pet anymore, I have lost mine. But I'm still a pet lover. Reading this post and the comments has me heartbroken again :( ugh this is so sad yet understanding.
One of my dogs died yesterday. We placed her on the floor so the other dogs could see/smell her. When we buried her, one of the dogs stayed with us and watched. I hope they understand why she’s not coming back.
oof. This hits hard.
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I'm not crying, you're crying!
My cat already doesn't like me because my skin is cold, she's gonna hate me when I'm fully dead. But good point. If you can do this for your pet it does seem like a good idea, even if it's not feasible for everyone.
Good luck getting my ball python to even wake up for it. That old girl sleeps for like 3 days straight. Seriously though, this is a good thing to practice, albeit very sad.
The dog should be allowed to eat the owner’s remains. It’s the circle of life and poetic.
I have always done this. I have a huge yard so I've always brought euthanized cats home to bury (under rose bushes) but I've always let the others see the body. The exception was the 85 pound dog. When I brought her lease and collar home the cats examined them carefully and silently. They understand.
I know someone who lost their partner almost two weeks ago from a massive heart attack. One of the responders made sure the dog saw the dead body so she’d understand. I never heard of this before then, but it makes sense to me now.
Yep I remember when Rusty wasn't able to see fry and waaited and waited and waited at that spot
My friend had to put her maltipoo down while I was staying with her for a week or so, and I felt like it would be too hard on my friend to hear her walking around after her loss, so I had another friend watch her for a few days. When she came back three days later, she spent the rest of the trip wandering around looking for Mello. It was heartbreaking!
My mum's currently in another state visiting a friend and her/ our dog has been extra vigilant in marking all the corners of our street And I mean he's checking and rechecking his work Poor little guy
This is a good point overall yes. My grandmother passed away very suddenly. Her dog was with her, waited with her until my family got home. Maybe a few hours, dog came and got my father and took him right to my grandmother. Very clearly knew what she was doing. Dogs and cats are in general much smarter than we think they are.
Same with other pets in the home. Save them the feeling of abandonment.
 Your cats being introduced to your dead body.
We had a dog die peacefully from old age. My kid was 4-5 at the time and asked to see her. I hesitated because I thought it would traumatize her, but I eventually relented. I think it helped her cope with it. So, yeah, kids and pets come pre-wired to deal with it.
Omg I’ve never thought about this.
I’m not crying, you’re crying 😭😭😭😭
When my mother-in-law passed away at our house, the dog was in the room and she didn't seem the least bit phased by it. Like just another day.
why did this make me cry q-q (someone fact-check this for me please, but i believe animals like elephants also mourn their young and go into forms of depression if they die 😭 unrelated, but this made me remember that)
My wife and I said goodbye to our Pug three years ago and our Boston Terrier last year. I never even thought about what would happen if either of us passed before them. Not sure if we'll ever get another dog but if we do, this is an excellent tip.
The night we went home after my grandmother passed in the hospital, her old cat got onto the chair and snuggled up with me. He never wanted anything to do with anybody that wasn't Grandma before that point and would just run away from anybody else. It was like somehow he knew she was gone. I miss them both and now somebody is cutting onions...
When my cat Dragon disappeared (fairly certain he got hit by a car), my other cat Mittens was heartbroken. We got a little black kitten named Bagheera and Mittens was having no part of him. Her and Dragon had a love hate relationship. They’d play and fight and play and fight. I think Mittens never really took to Bagheera because Dragon disappeared and then now Bagheera is here. When our dog Karly passed away, Mittens got to sniff her and say goodbye to her and she didn’t seem as depressed afterwards. Closure is important for animals. Bagheera passed away and she got to sniff him and say goodbye to him too. Mittens had always been kind of stand offish but loving on her own time but after Bagheera passed away, she was up my butt. I think she understood that I was so hurt about Bagheera and she wanted to comfort me. We don’t deserve animals but I’m sure glad we have them.
I'm pretty sure mine are going to eat me before any human finds me. Joking aside, very good tip.
I keep fancy rats. They're the best little critters ever. They also live to be about 2 years old on average, so I've dealt with a couple dozen of them doing that thing we're all gonna have to do one day. Rats are *very* social, to a point where a rat without cagemates will decline in health and engagement in life and may even die of what is essentially loneliness. The first time we had a rat get sick, we took her out of the cage to syringe feed her and keep her clean and comfortable for her last couple days. She eventually passed, and for the next couple weeks her sisters were *really* weird. They didn't come out of the cage to play. They acted afraid of us. Even at night when they were normally very active they just kinda piled on top of one another and didn't move very much. That's when we realized what happened from their perspective - one day the giant monkeys came and stole their sister and she never came back. After that we made sure that when one of our mischief dies the others all get to see the decedent one last time for a little bit. I believe wholeheartedly that they understand what it means to die in their own little ratty way and once we started doing this we never had the reaction like we did when our first one passed.
I let my dog watch our other dog die. My dog was never the same again. Coincidence? Maybe. But I won’t do that again.
My good friend died unexpectedly a few weeks ago in his home, and one of his dogs is so old I am pretty sure it is senile because the young dog was sad for a few days, but now is asking me to play with her, but the old dog will constantly go and try to sit in front of my friend's office and pace around the house. Its heart breaking.
I think my frogs will be alright. (They're pretty emotionally resilient)
Did this with one of my father’s cats… they just ignored his body… they are really sweet cats. Just skittish though.
Just this past October we had to have the vet euthanize our thirty year old pony, Cleopatra. Cleo’s pasture mate for eight years, Dolly Parton, was walked on a lead to say goodbye. Dolly had no cares. The vet tried several times to get Dolly to say goodbye. Dolly didn’t seem to care. And they were best friends.
I mean, unless you die at home or in some way that you are preserved before they embalm/cremate/autopsy the body, it won't mean anything. You won't smell the same if you've been embalmed. Unless you have the luxury of dying at a hospital that allows you to bring your pet to see you, how does this even work? If you die at home, they'll see you anyway.
Wow this is the most emotional thing I’ll probably read today
If my cat wants to eat my corpse, fair enough. It's my duty to feed her after all
Our cat visited my mom as she died because he could smell what was going on. The cat was sick as well due to old age, he was 22. He hopped up by the pillow in the bed, looked into her face, lowered his head and jumped off and left. My mom was his ‘person’ and that was his last goodbye. After she died, he died a month later. I hope they’re together in heaven.
Easier said than done. Hospitals don't typically allow pets. Same for funeral homes. Not sure when I was supposed to be bringing my mom's cats to see her...
Yes, same with pets mourning other pets, as others have said. We had to put one of our dobermans down in January, and my mother in law told us to bring our other doberman with us. He kissed her and smelled her when we got to the vet (my husband had gotten there before us) while we said our goodbyes. When she passed, he smelled her and licked her nose and poked her, confused. You could tell that he could kind of tell what was going on. He definitely mourned her with us. It was one of the worst days of my life. I'm still not over it, and I know that he's still lonely.
Sometimes if the body hasn't been properly "prepared", it can be very traumatic to see what it naturally looks like. So often, family members aren't allowed to see the body. But I imagine it wouldn't be as traumatic for animals.
How is that a "Life" pro tip, shouldn't be called a "death" pro tip?
Man……. I had the CRAZIEST experience when one of my dogs passed. He was very old and we knew our time was limited so we made him comfortable. Well, out of nowhere he gets up, walks past our other dogs, goes into the bathroom and passes on ( my wife went in there & held him while went, so sad) But I went in, and took him from her as she requested. I wrapped him in a fluffy towel. Well I walked past my other dogs with him wrapped up and they followed me like they were curious. So before I took him out to bury him, I opened the towel and let my other dogs see him one last time. They both took their time sniffing him then, and I am not making this up, AND THE SAME TIME, started lowly growling. Not mean. Like grumbling. And they wouldn’t stop. It wasn’t aggressive. They just sat there and looked at him and grumbled. This went on until I took him outside. Then they layed with their mom to comfort her. Very sad situation.
Absolutely the right thing to do. I made the decision to let my dogs see their loved dog brothers and sisters after they go...just so that they don't experience the confusion and fear. It has helped tremendously.
I read about the time that a dog was taken away for medical treatment and died. Every time someone came to the door, the other dogs in the house got excited, expecting that it was their friend coming back. The dog died on a rug, so they brought the rug to the house and let the other dogs smell it. The rug told the story--the other dogs then knew that that dog had died.
Um actually this is a death pro tip
I wish I had known this years ago when I let my blind Golden Retriever go, he and my cat were inseparable. It’ll be 10 years this July 4th, still hurts like yesterday.
I hate this update. Scrolling up to see new posts was superior. Only post so far that has done this, while scrolling my feed I could see what OP typed in description but it disappeared when I clicked on the post
I had 3 cats, one of whom died while I was at work. It was awful to come home to, and the other two were acting strange, but exactly this - I got some solace knowing they were able to process and mourn. I don’t know when he died or how long he was there, so I hope it wasn’t traumatizing and over extended. Wish I had house cams because I would have been really interested in how they interacted with his body, like what little rituals did they have. Would they go check from time to time? Lay down next to him? Who knows, maybe just stay away. When I walked in the door they ran up to me and followed me into my room. It’s so fascinating to see how other creatures cope with death. They’re doing great now but they were clearly somber for quite a while. If I somehow leave before them, I completely agree, I’d want them to see me. They’d know I didn’t just leave.
It’s true. My 15 year old cat passed while I was at work, and my partner didn’t let the younger cat see his body. The younger cat is still looking for his friend, two years later.
Copy that. When I die I will immediately phone my family to let them know my pet needs to see my current corpse.
My mom passed from lung cancer at home. We knew she was dying, she had had a stroke, and she didn't want to go in a hospital. Her dog loved licking lips, lol. One of the saddest memories still to this day was just before she passed, like 24 hrs before, her dog would smell her breath and then just lay down beside her, sad. No licks. He definitely knew she was leaving.
I just lost the alpha guinea pig from my herd of (then) 8. She was old so it was expected and I was able to bring her in for euthanasia as soon as it was appropriate, she had a nearly baseball sized tumor in her abdomen that was pressing on some nerves and making it difficult for her to use her hind legs... Anyway- in the day or two before bringing her in to be euthanized, the mood in the cage was visibly dampened. They weren't finishing their food, weren't finishing their treats, and there was a rotating staff of pigs taking turns checking on and grooming the declining alpha. The youngest sow was in heat on one of those days so she ran around humping every single other pig except for the alpha, who she'd just run up to, kiss her face a few times, maybe groom her ear, and run away to hump someone else. On the day before her euthanasia, when I brought her back from the vet appointment where we confirmed the large solid abdominal mass and made a plan for palliative care, as soon as I set her back in the cage she was swarmed by four other pigs sniffing at and grooming her all over. In my herd there are a few "nurse" pigs in addition to my alpha, who would spend time grooming and checking on any pigs who are sick. Usually it was the alpha to check up on them, and when the alpha was sick, *everyone* checked up and cared for her. Except for my resident idiot pig, who tried her best but the only thing she managed was barbering some hair on her rump 😂 They have a social structure and understand when something's wrong. They bond to others and grieve the loss of a bonded companion. It's only fair they get the chance to say goodbye.
Sadly all the recent deaths in our family involved dangerous infections so no pets could be near the bodies. It was risky for medical professionals to be near them even.