I had read that sometimes Elephants mourn deceased members of their tribe, standing for a long time besides the corpse. At home, I have observed my female cat mourn one of her kittens as well. It has been particularly heartbreaking.
Pirueta had learned to open drawers by hanging from the handle. She had a five-kitten litter on a closet drawer, the second from the top. Two weeks later, trying to move her offspring to the first drawer, that drawer remained open just above the second one, thus blocking access to the kittens. This happened while we were on a weekend trip. Coming back, we found four tiny creatures dead, which we removed, and another one moribund. That one we tried to help unsuccessfully by feeding the little thing with a syringe and special cat milk, but she lasted only one day more. Pirueta then moved the dead kitten elsewhere and we couldn't find her whereabouts.
One day later my ex-Queen brought her dead baby to my own bed! and started licking her, apparently trying to wake her up again. She only leaves the bed for eating or for searching the other four babies, then comes back, goes on licking, and even rests sidewise embracing the dead kitten! I am reluctant to remove it, but of course I will have to pretty soon, before she begins to decompose :(
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