A touching TikTok video has captured the hearts of thousands after showing a gray cat quietly sitting beside a grave dedicated to a deceased pet it never knew. Posted by user @drisaaa7 on May 26, the video shows the cat next to a concrete slab decorated with a heart and a cat statue. The overlay reads: “My old cat died. Now my new cat spends every day at her grave. I think she feels she’s still there.”
The video quickly gained attention, amassing over 566,000 views and more than 74,600 likes. Viewers flooded the comments with sympathy and personal stories, while some offered spiritual or scientific explanations for the cat’s behavior.
Pet calm coach Liz Clifton told Newsweek that cats can grieve just like humans, depending on their experiences and relationships. She advised owners to offer calm companionship during such times. “Cats often sense our emotions and respond accordingly,” she said.
A 2024 study by Oakland University found that cat owners emotionally impacted by a pet’s death were more likely to see grief-like behavior in their surviving cats. In a survey of 412 cat owners, many reported behavioral changes like reduced appetite, increased hiding, and attention-seeking—especially when pets had formed close bonds.
Interestingly, the cat in the video never met the pet who died in September 2024. Still, many believe the cat may be sensing something deeper. Some users suggested that cats can smell remains or even connect with the spiritual world. Science supports the idea that cats rely heavily on scent, with noses up to 40 times more powerful than those of humans.
Others shared similar experiences. One viewer commented, “My cat died and his twin brother and the neighbor’s cat used to visit him every day.” Another added, “Our cat passed two weeks ago and she keeps rubbing against the tree planted on her grave.”
Whether driven by scent, memory, or emotion, the cat’s actions have resonated widely, offering a quiet reminder of the depth and mystery of animal bonds—even those we don’t fully understand.
