The sadness felt at the loss of a pet is not exclusive to humans: according to an American study, cats can also express deep grief when another pet in the same household dies, whether it’s another cat or a dog.

This study, conducted by researchers at Oakland University and published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, analysed the behaviour of felines following the loss of an animal companion – and it seems they, too, can go through a period of mourning.

Researchers collected testimonials from 412 cat owners through various online platforms, including Facebook groups and mailing lists, about their relationships with the deceased pet and surviving cats. The respondents had had a deceased pet while at least one surviving cat lived in their household.

Contrary to the stereotypical image of cats in popular culture as aloof and independent animals, the results of the study show significant behavioural changes in bereaved cats.

Immediately after the loss, some cats experienced sleep disturbances, loss of appetite and frequent meowing. Others became more demanding of their owners, abandoned their favourite games, or showed an increased need for attention.

In around two-thirds of the cases studied, the deceased animal was another cat, while in one-third of cases the deceased pet was a dog. The longer the relationship with the deceased pet, the more attention-getting behaviour the surviving cats showed around their owner after the death.

However, witnessing the death or the number of pets in the household had no significant impact. And these behavioural changes remain fairly subtle and don’t affect all cats.

“I think cats may be sort of indifferent to some members of the household,” said Jennifer Vonk, professor of comparative and cognitive psychology at Oakland University and co-author of the study.

“Some cats are very strongly bonded, but some really don’t like each other at all. Their quality of life might even improve when a companion dies,” she told The Times.