Cat's Way of Grieving Golden Retriever Big Brother Breaks Hearts: 'Crying'

Cats and dogs have always been portrayed as mortal enemies but, in real life, they can be the best of friends. If you own both as pets, you probably know how special their bond can be.

A cat has melted hearts all over the internet after her owner shared the feline's special way of mourning her late big brother, a golden retriever she used to hate before she got to know him a little better.

In the emotional clip, shared on TikTok by her owner on Tuesday, under the username @_lindsayrae, the cat can be seen rubbing her head onto her late brother's collar, wishing that he was still there to play with her.

In the post, the owner said: "When I got my cat 2 years ago, she was terrified of my golden retriever. She hissed at him for weeks until she realized he is the biggest sweetheart and would never hurt her.

"He just passed last week and I found her today with his collar... she missed her big brother," the owner added. "Words can't describe how heartbroken I am, my babies."

When cats lose a companion, whether animal or human, they grieve and react to the changes in their life. The experts at animal-hospital chain VCA Animal Hospitals say cats alter their behavior when they mourn, just like people do. The animals may also become depressed and listless, as well as having a decreased appetite and desire to play.

In some cases, cats may also sleep more than usual and move more slowly, hiding under the bed, choosing to be alone more than expected.

If you want to help your grieving cat get through their loss, you can spend more time with them and be more affectionate. If your cat likes company, you can even invite friends over to play with them and give them attention.

You should also provide enough entertainment for when you're gone and reinforce their good behavior while ignoring them when they misbehave. You should also consider medical therapy if your cat has prolonged difficulty following a loss.

The video of the grieving cat quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 3.2 million views and more than 1.1 million likes on the platform.

One user, Han, commented: "I've been crying for 5 [minutes]." And r.marie wrote: "This is so sadd and these stories just lets us how precious pets are."

User beeshoneyknees added: "My cat & dog would hide around corners & jump out at each other after my dog passed my cat would look around corners for her."

Newsweek reached out to @_lindsayrae for comment via Instagram. We could not verify the details of the case.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.