The loss of a companion animal causes genuine grief in human owners. Understanding the welfare implications of this experience, and the grief that animals themselves may experience at the loss of companions, is important.
Companion animal bereavement welfare has two dimensions: human grief at animal loss, and animal grief at the loss of companions. Both are real welfare concerns. Human grief from pet loss can be as severe as grief from human loss and can trigger clinical depression requiring support. The social minimization of this grief ('it was just a cat') exacerbates the welfare impact by denying people access to normal grief support mechanisms. For animals, bonded pairs or groups face genuine welfare challenges when a companion dies - the survivor may refuse food, become lethargic, or show anxiety behaviors requiring veterinary and management attention.