By Maria Azzurra Volpe
A viral TikTok video shows a cat’s emotional way of mourning her late canine companion, and internet users can’t cope with the heartbreaking footage.The post, shared on Saturday by @emmafayedorsey, shows the orange cat, Shelley, snuggling her late brother’s collar, rubbing her face against it, and smelling it as if it reminds her of her late best friend, Gus.”To anyone who thinks animals can’t feel loss. It’s been six months since my dog passed and my cat still cuddles his collar every night before bed,” reads layover text in the clip.The caption says: “I sobbed so hard making this..I know she misses him as much as I do.”The poster, 26-year-old Emma Dorsey, from California, told Newsweek that Shelley, is a rescue and she is the sweetest soul.”She absolutely adored my golden retriever, Gus, who passed away in January. He was my childhood dog/soul dog, and he truly was the most amazing dog I’ve ever known. Shelley and Gus had such a special bond,” she said.”She used to play with his tail and would curl up in his tummy when they napped. Even now, six months after he passed, she shows how much she misses him.”As seen in the video, every night before I go to sleep, I hang up Gus’s collar to turn down the bed. It’s like Shelley knows now when I am going to hand his collar up, so she quickly hops up and cuddles with it before that happens.”Dorsey thinks that perhaps the collar still smells like Gus, and Shelley only wants to say goodnight to her bestie’s spirit.”It’s a quiet moment we share, and it really shows how animals feel loss too. The loss of Gus has been incredibly hard on me, but it’s been hard on her too. Their connection was something really beautiful,” she said.While there is not scientific proof that cats mourn, when a person or animal in the home passes away, cats often show feelings of sadness and loneliness. They may experience a loss of appetite, change in sleep patterns, crying or searching, a need for extra attention, and a generally sad demeanor, among other signs.The video quickly went viral on TikTok and it has so far received over 21.4 million views and 6.2 million likes on the platform.One user, Kristel Intuitive Seer, commented: “There is nothing more heart shattering than animals grieving animals.”Bozojoss said: “Hey so this emotionally devastated me and I will be sending the therapy bill.”Lordsavemysoul added: “I will never be physically, mentally, or emotionally stable enough to handle the loss of one pet while watching my other pet grieve all the same.”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.