My kittens are depressed after sibling died. Is it grief or illness?

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.

Yes, this is concerning. First I'd have him checked by a vet to make sure Phoenix isn't sick. If he's healthy, then I would consider getting him a companion. I'm very sorry for your loss of Blizzard.

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Tiger and John. I am sorry to hear that they are not feeling well. They will need to see a veterinarian right away. I am concerned they are affected by the same disease that took the life of their litter mate. They will be evaluated and hopefully their disease diagnosed. I am worried they are suffering from feline panleukopenia. Their veterinarian will let you know if this is the case and how best to treat them. In the meantime, try to get them to eat and drink small amounts if possible. I hope this information helps. Good luck!

No, this is not a reaction to the death of the other cat, it is a medical condition, most probably a gastrointestinal infection. i would recommend taking him to the vet the first chance you get, he will need to be checked first, if the vet thinks it's a simple gastrointestinal infection he will need an anti vomiting injection, antibiotics and a special food for a few days in order to get better.

I am so sorry to hear about your losses. It is never easy to lose a special part of the family. Depending on what is going on with your other two cats, they could be depressed or ill. They could be saddened by losing the other two cats especially if they were friends with one another. As long as they are eating and they just seem to somewhat depressed, I would just continue to give them time. If they are not eating, lethargy, vomiting, having diarrhea, sneezing, coughing, or having any other abnormal behaviors then I would recommend to have your vet take a look at them. If all of your cats were completely healthy and over a few weeks to months been getting ill I would consider having their blood work checked and their feline leukemia and feline aids statuses check to ensure there is no toxins or viruses involved that could have affected all 4 cats. Without all the information and without being able to do a full exam, it is difficult to give you all the details as what could possibly be wrong with them. I hope this helps but if you would like more information, I would be happy to do a consult or you can write back on the forum again with more information. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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.