They know. Whether they show it depends on the cat.

I am so sorry for your loss. :-(

yes they know . I am sorry for your loss...

Many animals recognize a loss or missing peer.

They do not know why.

They will recover and return to normal.

Your cats know that their sister is missing, but unless you bring the body home so that they can acknowledge the death, they don't know where their sister went. That's why I always bring the body home and lay it on a dog bed overnight where the other animals can acknowledge the body and recognize the passing of their companion. I have found that almost all animals accept death with little or no angst as long as they can acknowledge the body after death. Sometimes, however, when a companion just "disappears", the survivors can become very distraught and anxious trying to find their missing companion.

These reactions can vary or intensify with specific animals who are especially dependent on each other or very closely bonded.

Laurie

Yes, they know. In fact those were the exact words my husband used as my little tortie female inspected the dead body of her male companion. She ran over to him,jumped up and put her face down next to his, and then looked around to me with the most heartbreaking expression, then jumped down and ran about five feet, and just sat there with her back to the whole scene. When we buried the male she sniffed at the grave, and then lay in all his familiar haunts for several days. Places she never went before. I have seen her stop by his grave several times since and sniff. She has returned to normalcy now and I may get her another companion.......but there is no doubt in my mind she understood he was gone the minute she went to his little dead body.

I had to put my little girl cat, Maggie, to sleep this past Wednesday. Her brother, Owen, was with us, next to me while I held Maggie durig the entire procedure at home. I was holding her and patting him throughout. I needed another hand for the kleenex! Owen sniffed her after she died, and he laid down with her for several minutes afterwards. Without a doubt he knows she's gone. I held him when the vet was removing Maggie from the house and had him sniff her once more as he watched her leave the house. He slept pretty much for 24 hours. Today he began playing a little. He sniffs places where Maggie used to lay down, and he does seem a little lost, but for the moment he is doing ok. My concern was how he would react. I knew I couldn't leave the house and return without her. I don't know how much he absorbed, but I wanted to give him the opportunity. I am very sorry for your loss.