My cat is thin, lethargic after brother died. Mourning or sick?

First off, I'm sorry very sorry you lost Rigby! Please accept my condolences for your loss. I don't think the chances are high Chicken has cardiomyopathy as well. You can have his heart checked out by a vet to make sure everything is ok. Again, I'm sorry for your loss.

I am so very sorry for your loss. I can't image how surprising and upset that must have been for you. The best way to find out why you're little boy passed away would be an autopsy. Without an autopsy, my best guess would be heart disease. Cats get a heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, where the heart muscle is abnormally thick and doesn't pump blood effectively. Often and tragically the first symptom of this disease is sudden death. Little One could be grieving the loss of her brother - this is quite common. The surviving pet's routines and life are suddenly different and their playmate is gone, so they experience true loss. Depending on how recently your boy passed away, I might be concerned about a toxin making them both sick. If you know about any potential toxin exposure or if there is mouse bait in or around your home, Little One needs to go to the emergency vet right away. I would be most concerned about a toxin if it was within the last 12-24 hours that your boy passed away. Beyond that, it's unlikely that it's effecting her so much slowly. All in all, if she's really acting strange, not eating, sleeping too much, having any vomiting or diarrhea, it would be best to take her to the emergency clinic for an exam. If you still have your little boy's body, doing the autopsy could ease your mind as well. Please accept my condolences during this difficult time.

While loss/grief can certainly cause behavioral changes in cats, losing weight, not eating and urinating everywhere make me worry there is an underlying health condition such as a urinary infection that is causing him distress. Not being neutered can also lead to marking behavior/stress if there is a female in heat nearby. It is a good idea to have a thorough exam done along with bloodwork, X-rays and urine tests potentially to determine if there is any health issue. If he checks out healthy, spending more time together may help him to relax some, as well as using a pheromone diffuser such as Feliway to help with the marking behavior/stress. If you think he'd benefit from a friend, gradually introducing a new cat may help as well, but can also be stressful.

These kittens are very young and the fact that a sibling passed away is very concerning. They need to see a vet to check for different viral and bacterial infections that they could be suffering from which may have been the cause of death with the one that passed. They are pretty young to be showing signs of depression.

Five months is a long time to mourn the loss of a companion, and that tells me this is something more serious than mourning. Cats do not mourn this long. Have Ebbie seen by a vet, I'm concerned he may be sick.

These signs are probably not due to old age alone and there is likely something going on with Shadoe. Unfortunately, without a full physical exam and diagnostic testing, it is not possible to determine what could be causing these signs. However, lethargy and eating and drinking very little along with weight loss are very concerning signs that warrant a visit to the veterinarian. Here are some resources that will hopefully help you afford a vet for Shadoe: 1) You can see if your vet accepts payment plans. 2) Look for a low cost clinic in your area 3) Try to apply for Care Credit online (www.carecredit.com) 4) There is an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants (redrover.org) 5) Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website (bestfriends.org)

Hello. This is very concerning because your first thought is that both kitties got into something toxic. Until proven otherwise, I truly urge you to get Momma in to your vet as soon as possible. She is not depressed. She is very sick & it would be tragic for you to lose her as well. I hope she is feeling better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.