semi-feral cat in mourning

Question
Hello;  This might be an unusual question.  I had to have one of my beloved cats(Amos) euthanized last week (he was dying with cancer).  As bad as it is for me and my husband, his buddy (Sammy, a very nervous and distrustful former stray), is in mourning.  The two cats used to do everything together.  Amos gave Sammy the courage to go outside,to play with us, etc. It's been four days since Amos has been gone, and Sammy just sleeps all the time.  Sometimes, he'll get up, look around the house, then go back to sleep.  He's also eating very little.  I'm trying to teach Sammy to play with dangly things, little balls, etc., but he's just so afraid.  Do you have any suggestions as to what I could do to make Sammy feel better?

Answer
Hi Sue,

I'm sorry for the loss of Amos. I know it's tough to lose a friend. Sammy definitely is mourning for his buddy. The only thing that I can suggest is to get him another buddy. Cats are social animals and they need other animals around. I would get a kitten about 10 weeks old. That should help a lot. A kitten will be easier to bring in and socialize with Sammy. Other than that, just do as you are doing. Spend more time with him. Feed him something special. Stage one baby food,(chicken or turkey), will tempt him. He will get over this. He just needs time. Good luck and let me know what you do and how he is.

Ciao, Karen