Craig 1965
Warren Veteran
Leo spent alot of yesterday evening sitting near Lillian - we purposely allowed him that moment so that he can try to process in his own way, Lillian saying goodbye. We made a fuss of him last night and we have continued to do so today in between our own frequent grieving.
Leo has coped reasonably well with the situation, given that this is all very new to him. We have had him 10 months so he has adjusted extremely well to a new family and also to being bonded for the first time in his life. But it is also evidently clear that he is missing Lillian in his own way and he is finding it as hard as we are. And it is reflective in his behaviour.
This morning when he came into the living room, watching him you would think it was his first time in the living room yet he has been in here hundreds of times. He presented as wary, almost spooked and he sat for some time thumping his hind legs. He wouldn't allow me to comfort and reassure him although a few dried cranberries did help briefly. But his thumping was something of a puzzle. He was inside, the curtains to the back garden door were closed so he could not see anything outside. His body language was intruiging and it will all depend on your individual beliefs as to what you make of this.
Having thumped for quite some time, he then gently and nervously, ears forward and one paw at a time, walk cautiously under the table, stopping every two or three steps and pushing his nose out again. He followed a very specific path and at times it looked like he was following something but something that was not there. I have my own view on it, and not one that everyone shares but you are welcome to form your own opinions of this. There was no mistaking Leo's behaviour - he is not normally like that.
Leo is presently under the living room table, quite relaxed now and is much more settled than he was this morning. He is pooping normally and he also had a brief run up the garden and back down again - which again to me indicates he was looking for Lillian. We will continue to monitor Leo's pattern of behaviour and more importantly his feeding. We so often forget that in dealing and processing the pain of grief ourselves, we can easily overlook the behaviour and the emotional trauma that our bonded pets also have to deal with, which is why we are making sure we continue to place Leos needs ahead of ours at the moment.
Leo has coped reasonably well with the situation, given that this is all very new to him. We have had him 10 months so he has adjusted extremely well to a new family and also to being bonded for the first time in his life. But it is also evidently clear that he is missing Lillian in his own way and he is finding it as hard as we are. And it is reflective in his behaviour.
This morning when he came into the living room, watching him you would think it was his first time in the living room yet he has been in here hundreds of times. He presented as wary, almost spooked and he sat for some time thumping his hind legs. He wouldn't allow me to comfort and reassure him although a few dried cranberries did help briefly. But his thumping was something of a puzzle. He was inside, the curtains to the back garden door were closed so he could not see anything outside. His body language was intruiging and it will all depend on your individual beliefs as to what you make of this.
Having thumped for quite some time, he then gently and nervously, ears forward and one paw at a time, walk cautiously under the table, stopping every two or three steps and pushing his nose out again. He followed a very specific path and at times it looked like he was following something but something that was not there. I have my own view on it, and not one that everyone shares but you are welcome to form your own opinions of this. There was no mistaking Leo's behaviour - he is not normally like that.
Leo is presently under the living room table, quite relaxed now and is much more settled than he was this morning. He is pooping normally and he also had a brief run up the garden and back down again - which again to me indicates he was looking for Lillian. We will continue to monitor Leo's pattern of behaviour and more importantly his feeding. We so often forget that in dealing and processing the pain of grief ourselves, we can easily overlook the behaviour and the emotional trauma that our bonded pets also have to deal with, which is why we are making sure we continue to place Leos needs ahead of ours at the moment.