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Pet loss is difficult for people—what about for other pets?

Phys · · 930 words · By Jacqueline Boyd
Anthropomorphism Grief and Loss Animal Sentience

The author discusses the concept of death and grief in non-human animals, combining personal anecdotes about their pet dog with scientific observations of various species. The piece argues against a strictly human-centric view of death, suggesting that animals possess varying levels of awareness and emotional responses to loss.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-pet-loss-difficult-people-pets.html

analyticsAnalysis

20%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Minor concerns. Some persuasive language detected, but largely factual.

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
warning
Appeal to Pity 70% confidence
Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

10 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 4
info Single Source 4
verified Verified By Reference 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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“Some species, such as the opossum, "play dead" as a survival mechanism, to make predators then leave them alone.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources, including Wikipedia and National Geographic, confirm that thanatosis (playing dead) is a survival mechanism used by animals like opossums to deter predators.
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web search NEUTRAL — Apparent death is a form of animal deception considered to be an anti-predator strategy, but it can also be used as a form of aggressive mimicry. When induced by humans, the state is sometimes colloqu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_death
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web search NEUTRAL — Technically known as thanatosis, playing dead is a way to trick predators that watch for movement in potential prey. And as the nickname “playing possum” suggests, it’s not unique to frogs. Fire-Belli…
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/151019-pl…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Animals playing dead is a real, scientifically described behavior known as thanatosis. This behavior can be essential for an animal’s survival when faced with a threat.Thanatosis is a survival behavio…
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/why-animals-pretend…
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“This behavior, known as thanatosis or tonic immobility, is also seen in some birds, snakes and insects.”
CORROBORATED
The behavior is confirmed to occur in birds, snakes, and insects by National Geographic, The Times of India, and Wikipedia.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 'Tonic immobility' is preferred in the literature because it has neutral connotations compared to 'thanatosis' which has a strong association with death.[1][2].
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_death
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Snakes, invertebrates, birds, and more have evolved several reasons for feigning death.Scientifically known as thanatosis, or tonic immobility, playing dead occurs across the animal kingdom, from bird…
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/many-anim…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — This fascinating survival tactic, known as thanatosis or tonic immobility, is far more common across the animal kingdom than many realise. From snakes and insects to birds and mammals, numerous specie…
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/9-animal…
+ 1 more evidence source
info
“Domestic cats have shown behavior associated with grief, such as a decrease in eating, sleeping or playing, after the loss of a close companion dog or cat.”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only 'The Conversation' provides the specific claim about domestic cats' grief behaviors. The other web results are dictionary definitions of the word 'domestic' and do not provide evidence for the claim.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of DOMESTIC is living near or about human habitations. How to use domestic in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domestic
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — DOMESTIC definition: 1. relating to a person's own country: 2. belonging or relating to the home, house, or family: 3…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/domestic
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — DOMESTIC definition: of or relating to the home, the household, household affairs, or the family. See examples of domestic used in a sentence.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/domestic
+ 1 more evidence source
info
“Female dolphins often show attentive behavior to their dead calves, sometimes carrying them for days.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific claim about female dolphins carrying dead calves for days is only found in 'The Conversation'. Other search results are general definitions of 'female'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Characteristics of organisms with a female sex vary between different species, having different female reproductive systems, with some species showing characteristics secondary to the reproductive sys…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — When looking at seed plants, the plants that only produce seed are called female, those that only produce pollen are called male. The majority of seed plants produce both, and are called hermaphrodite…
https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In the 14th century, female appeared in English with such spellings as femel, femelle, and female. The word comes from the Latin femella, meaning "young woman, girl," which in turn is based on femina,…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/female
+ 1 more evidence source
verified
“In 2018, a female orca was observed carrying her dead calf for 17 days”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and multiple news reports specifically identify the orca Tahlequah (J35) as carrying her dead calf for 17 days in 2018.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Her second calf, Tali, died shortly after birth, and J35 carried her body for 17 days in an apparent show of grief that attracted international attention.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahlequah_(orca)
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Tahlequah, the Southern Resident orca who carried her dead calf for 1,000 miles over 17 days in 2018, is mourning the loss of another newborn, raising concerns about her health.
https://www.aol.com/news/mother-orca-tahlequah-once-carried-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In 2018, researchers observed J35 pushing her dead calf along for 17 days, propping it up for more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers). The calf had died shortly after it was born, and the mother and …
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/national-international/orca…
+ 1 more evidence source
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“A range of other species including elephants, non-human primates and birds have all been observed displaying grief or "funeral-like" behavior.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including ShunSpirit and other web results, confirm that elephants, primates, and birds exhibit mourning or grief-like behaviors.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Whales, too, have been observed displaying similar behaviors. These actions are difficult to interpret as anything other than mourning or grieving.Primates, in particular non-human great apes, are can…
https://www.bundle.app/en/technology/11-animal-behaviors-tha…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Primates, elephants, dogs, rats, and birds are just a few examples of animals that exhibit emotions such as happiness, sadness, fear, and even empathy.For instance, elephants have been observed mourni…
https://shunspirit.com/article/which-animal-has-emotions-lik…
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web search NEUTRAL — Aggressive behavior (signaling anger) is also recognized as a defense mechanism to being bothered, having their space invaded, and trying to grab or corner them. The mere presence of humans might trig…
https://www.academia.edu/42769034/Mental_State_Attribution_t…
+ 1 more evidence source
info
“Bumblebees have been seen to avoid rose flowers containing either the scent or the body of a dead bumblebee”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific behavior of bumblebees avoiding rose flowers with dead bee scents is only mentioned in 'The Conversation'. Other results are general bumblebee facts.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 7, 2026 · Bumblebee is the common name for any member of the insect genus Bombus. They occur over much of the world but are most common in temperate climates. Bumblebees are robust and hairy, ofte…
https://www.britannica.com/animal/bumblebee
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Some bumblebees steal nectar, making a hole near the base of a flower to access the nectar while avoiding pollen transfer. Bumblebees are important agricultural pollinators, so their decline in Europe…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblebee
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Aug 11, 2025 · It occurs in northeastern North America, where it infiltrates the nests of bumblebees like Bombus perplexus and Bombus rufocinctus. Forest Bumblebee (Bombus sylvicola) A high-altitude s…
https://americangardener.net/types-of-bumblebee-bombus-spp/
+ 1 more evidence source
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“different species, including reptiles, fish and invertebrates,, have the capacity for conscious awareness of the world around them”
CORROBORATED
The claim is supported by 'The Conversation' and a related web search result discussing pet loss, as well as an Aeon essay discussing the study of consciousness in crabs (invertebrates).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Calls to study consciousness from within some sciences were met with scepticism and derision. For example, the ethologist Donald Griffin wrote four books advocating for the study of animal consciousne…
https://aeon.co/essays/are-we-ready-to-study-consciousness-i…
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web search NEUTRAL — Although these observations do not prove that a human-like understanding of death is universal across the animal kingdom, it is clear that different species, including reptiles, fish and invertebrates…
https://theconversation.com/pet-loss-is-difficult-for-people…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In psychology and philosophy, awareness is the perception or knowledge of something. The concept is often synonymous with consciousness; however, one can be aware of something without being explicitly…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awareness
+ 1 more evidence source
help
“red ants demonstrate necrophoresis, where the bodies of dead group members are removed from the colony”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm or deny that red ants specifically demonstrate necrophoresis.
info
“in species considered to have more complex cognitive skills such as chimpanzees and other primates, death can be linked with behavior patterns more akin to human grief, loss and sadness. For example, mothers carrying their dead offspring, sometimes for prolonged periods, or animals apparently cleaning the body of a deceased group member.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific detailed description of primate grief patterns (carrying offspring/cleaning bodies) is only provided in the cross-reference from 'The Conversation'.
compare_arrows
cross reference SUPPORTS — in species considered to have more complex cognitive skills such as chimpanzees and other primates, death can be linked with behaviour patterns more akin to human grief, loss and sadness. For example,…
https://theconversation.com/pet-loss-is-difficult-for-people…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.