Is my cat lonely??

Question
I have a 4 year old tabby/calico cross. I got her when she was 2 months old. She was raised around my mom's dogs. We had to put one of the dogs down a couple of years ago and after that it was just the Leo(dog) and Nala(cat). Leo was very lonely after the passing and I was in the stages of moving, so I brought Nala to my mom's and she stayed with them till my new home was ready. After the move, She talks all the time and will eat so fast she will bring it all back up, in fear that I am going to leave while she is eating. I'm very concerned that she just misses Leo and wants to go back..... is she lonely?

Answer
Chrissie,

Cats grieve the loss of a companion just the way that people do. Its quite possible that Nala is missing Leo. It will take some time and patience dealing with Nala while she grieves if you arent able to keep Leo at your place due to work or school schedules. You may find that a properly introduced kitten would help Nala to cope with the loss of her canine companion. If you do decide to add another cat to your household I would highly recommend that you read up on my previous answers regarding new cat/kitten introductions. In the event that you are unable to offer a home to another pet at this time you may find that giving Nala a homeopathic remedy called Bachs Rescue Remedy which is a blend of flower essences designed to calm and reassure might help Nala get back to normal more quickly. You can find Rescue Remedy in health food stores, naturopathic pharmacies, some mainstream pharmacies in the nutritional supplement section and I believe that you may also be able to purchase this remedy online. Rescue Remedy is safe for human beings and pets - it is often used worldwide by some veterinarians and pet parents to help traumatized, anxious, fearful, and abused pets recover emotionally. Ive also had some success in using Rescue Remedy with cats experiencing loss whether its a person or another pet that they care about.