Forums

People often say that when a human couple have lived together for a long time and reached old age together, if one partner passes away, it is quite common for the other person to also pass away in the near future, even if they have previouly been healthy. It is as if the remaining partner has lost the will to live or simply does not want to live anymore with a part of them missing; like one person was the life source for or completed the other.

I wonder whether a similar thing has been noticed with other animals that live together for a long time. Have any of your pets departed for the Rainbow Bridge earlier than expected after the loss of their lifelong furry companion or do you know of any examples of this?

A comment in the beautiful Memorials by Kaz about Mo and Oscar got me thinking about this.

Some posts from our Facebook page:

"I HAD 2 CHINCHILLAS ,ONE DIED ,THE OTHER ONE PINED FOR THE ONE WHO DIED . STOPPED EATING THEN JUST DROPPED DEAD IN THE GARDEN . I WAS REALLY UPSET ABOUT THEM"

"Yes! After losing one cat who was only around 5 years old, my old cat of 18 became ill within 2 weeks after the other's death. I battled to save her life but had to have her put to sleep 6 weeks after the other had died!"

In some ways I couldn't agree more with the belief that your beloved babies might miss their siblings so much that they want to leave this world for Rainbow Bridge to be together. I lost my little man Finlie in September 2011 to cancer he was my youngest, it has been very hard for all of us so much so I still cry every day, my older two girls began to show their age almost immediately, they both doted over Finlie their baby, anyway I lost Charlie at the beginning of February she was 13, and had coped very well with being deaf and blind for over a year, within 2 weeks my oldest girl Sophie aged 14 became ill with cancer and and we had to have her pts just like the others two. It has been very emotionally draining, to lose one of your babies is heart braking I am trying to cope with the loss of three, I hope no one else has to go through this x

From our Facebook page:

"Yes this is very common. When one of my last two dogs died the other one would not settle, even after being taken for 2 hour walks he still would not rest till he was allowed out alone ,which I may quickly add did not like doing but it was his way of coping thinking that he'd see her on his travells. as long as he got a few minutes to himself every night he would then go to sleep but it was a shame he missed her so much." (Linda)

"I lost my little 4 month old kitten last week, and my 5 year old dog had been really protective of her from day one, almost as if he knew she was weak and ill, even before she had symptoms of FIP, which took her life, and last week when the vet came to the house and the kitten was pts, and we buried her in the garden, the dog sat by the grave and wouldnt follow me back into the house, he just stayed there, and he has been very quiet since she died, and following me everywhere, even breaking out of the garden and following my car down the road, so now i have to lock him in the house when i leave....he is definately showing signs of missing his little pal...."

"When my husband and I got married we had a dog each both aged about 2. When my husband's Golden Retriever died aged 11+ my Gordon Setter spent all day aimlessly wandering about and not settling despite her bad heart. After a year of this when I was afraid to get a puppy, because of the old girls heart, someone dumped a young puppy in out garden with our children. He was good to old Penny and from that day she stopped her wanderings and lived to over 14 years, old for a big dog. i think she had been searching for her friend."

"we lost our fenny 2yrs ago and our other yorkie winston was so nasty every time you went by him he woulg grwel she had looked after him for 7yrs and we had an awfull job bringing him back how he was it took us nearly 6mnts he would wait by the dood and sit in the window now he is okay but he still has odd days wher he wont do anything except sit by the door xxxxxx"