Stages of Grief in Animals

Grief in humans is common. Humans grieve the death or loss of friends, family, co-workers and even pets. Grief includes short-term grief, such as when children go to college or get married, which is bittersweet for parents. Animals like dogs and cats are also known for grieving the loss of other animals or people in their lives. Even animals in the wild, like dolphins and elephants, have displayed grief at the loss of an infant or mate.

  1. Searching for the Missing Individual

    • Animals that have not seen the body or death of the animal, person or other being that is missing might look for the individual. Usually, the animal will search in odd patterns, as Psychology Today explains in the behavior of a wolf pack, which walked in figure eights for an extended period of time after a pack member died.

    Silent Grief

    • Some animals might display signs of silent grief. Many animals do not cry as humans understand crying, but their body language shows listlessness, a lack of energy, tail or ears down, a drooping head and similar silent signs of grief. This is commonly shown when animals first start grieving the loss of a friend or mate.

    Loud Grief

    • Animals like wolves or monkeys might display grief with loud sounds or shows. For example, a wolf pack might howl its grief at odd and random times or a monkey might rage or make noise that shows grief upon seeing the body of a dead family member or mate. While some animals are silent in grieving, others are loud.

    Loss of Appetite

    • Many animals lose their appetites when grieving, eating less in a similar manner to humans when depressed or grieving. According to Pet Place, cats are shown to eat less and in extreme cases starve to death after the loss of a companion. Dogs might eat less and stare out, waiting for the other animal or individual to return.

    Recovery

    • Animals often recover from grief in shorter periods of time than humans. For example, a wolf pack that loses a member of the group might return to normal behavior within a couple of months. Different animals recover at different rates, ranging from a few days to several months. The amount of time depends on the specific animal. Some animals, like lovebirds, never recover from certain losses, like the loss of a mate.