# One of our cats passed away - siblings - help please



## CharleneUK (Aug 19, 2020)

Good evening everyone.

Our cat Kookie was killed by a speeding driver on Sunday night. Our family is absolutely devastated. Kookie and Jiminie came to us as kittens and their 2nd birthday is on the 1st of September. We were so looking forward to many years with the girls and I am just in complete shock and I'm so angry.

I've had support from a really loving cat lover of a friend who I was able to share the details with, as distressing as they are, it helped me to talk to someone else. My kids are in pieces and Jiminie (Kookie's sibling) is definitely grieving. There is so much I'd love to say about Kookie, so much I want to share. I'm just not ready but I really need to talk about it all for a bit if anyone has some time? I don't want to be seeming to be going on and on to my friend, even though deep down I know she won't mind.

I wanted to know if anyone has had something similar with sibling cats and if the other cat will ever recover or if you feel she may need a companion? Right now we are not ready and I really don't want any more pets because this is too painful. I sit here typing this with anxiety in my stomach and the thought of anything happening to Jiminie much less another pet really upsets me.

Has anyone had the unfortunate experience of this, please? Thank you so much. x


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## MilleD (Feb 15, 2016)

Not had the same with siblings, but I had a cat pass suddenly when I had another unrelated cat.

She died on my neighbour's drive, no idea of the cause and I was totally devastated.

My surviving cat did seem to grieve, but I adopted a new cat quite quickly. It wasn't intentional, just sort of fell into it. I love her, bit not as much as I did Sasha. You need to do what seems right for your family.

They are always people on here willing to listen and understand how you feel.

If it's possible, maybe make your remaining cat indoor so she is safe from traffic?

RIP Kookie x


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## CharleneUK (Aug 19, 2020)

Thank you so much Millie. I'm sorry to hear about your cat. I can't imagine the shock, especially the not knowing.

I thought about making Jiminie an indoor cat but realised this was based on an irritational fear and that there is nothing to say she won't have a long and nourishing life, especially as she never crosses unless following us around. It's still petrifying though and will be for some time to come. It's just so devastating, tomorrow will make a week without her. She'll be cremated on Monday.

Thanks for listening.


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## urbantigers (Apr 13, 2014)

I’m so sorry to hear about your cat. Not easy losing a cat under any circumstances but the way Kookie died, and at such a young age, must be devastating.

I had siblings when one died suddenly aged 8. The other cat definitely grieved and was very clingy for some time. Even though they weren’t particularly close, they were indoor cats and he seemed to really miss the companionship. I’m not sure how quickly this would have resolved by itself, but I had to take him to my mum’s over Christmas as I’d failed to get them booked into a cattery in time. Magpie died at the end of October, and by the time Christmas came around he was still clearly grieving. When we got home after Christmas, he changed and was more like his old self. i don’t know whether it was just the timing or whether being in a different place and then returning home sort of jolted him out if it. Maybe being away from the home he shared with Magpie was part of it. 

Certainly cats grieve, and most do get over it quite quickly. I do think Jiminie will get past her grief in her own time - it may be a few days or a few weeks but I’m sure she will adapt to being an only cat. I got another cat, but not until the following April. If you get another cat, it should be because you want to and when you are ready. Jiminie will be fine as an only cat. Cats reach social maturity at about 2 years of age, and often cats close as siblings up until then become less close anyway.


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## kimthecat (Aug 11, 2009)

Im sorry for you loss. I had two siblings and the male passed away at 16 and his sister grieved but recovered. We decided not to get another cat as she was elderly. She survived another couple of years .


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