There is a romantic concept that cats prefer to die alone. That they want to return to their roots when dying and distance themselves from the human world. But this a misconception as the cat is instinctively very pragmatic and practical in human terms. The infographic explains what I mean. More: dying
NEWS AND COMMENT – Beckenham, Greater London, UK: This is shocking to me and many others. I’ll start with the picture which tells the entire story, actually. I don’t need to add many words because you can guess what is going on. The problem is I can’t publish the photo on this page as …
People ask whether it is true that cats go away to die. It’s a misconception. Domestic cat do not ‘go away’ to die. They are simply finding a safe place where they hope that they will recover from the injury or illness. It’s a matter of securing safety while they try and recover. This …
I have to say that the question is poorly formulated. There is an element of truth about it but it’s formulation misleads. The question should be, “Is it true that cats find a place to hide when they are badly injured or very ill?” The answer to this question is of course, yes. When …
People search for signs that their cat is dying of old age. I have just read about a 31-year-old Maine Coon cat living in England. The Daily Mail reported his death of old age yesterday. His name was Rubble. He lived with Michele and her husband. She describes his death which I think is …
No, cats do not fear death. The reason is straightforward. Cats are not self-aware by which I mean self-conscious. Some people will dispute that statement. I’ll proceed though. As they are not self-aware when they are in pain or discomfort due to a chronic illness which is killing them or a sudden trauma and …
An alternative but similar question would be, ‘Why do cats want to be alone when they die?’. Both questions assume that cats – by which I presume we mean domestic cats – want to be alone when they are dying. The small wild cats – understanding domestic cats It is starkly noticeable that in …
Was this animal shelter trying to reduce euthanasia rates when they put a dying female feral cat through unnecessary surgery and returned her to the streets? Nob Hill, Albuquerque, USA: Days before Thanksgiving this year, a woman, Tamara, saw a female stray cat who looked very poorly and old. She felt she had to …
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