My cat Zeke appears to have had a mini stroke

[Metaphorical]

13. Our Russian Blue, Bright Eyes, had a stroke

She was 15, but she also had an autoimmune disease and bowel cancer. She held on for a few months after that, but it was pretty evident that she was fading.

Our other cat, Pumpkin, became very solicitous of her older pet sibling after that, never straying very far, and sleeping next to her to keep her warm. When Bright Eyes became too weak, Pumpkin would keep directing us to Bright Eyes, at which point we knew that it was time to take her to the vet one last time.

Her death hit us, especially my wife, hard, but in many respects it hit Pumpkin hardest. She slept next to BE's bedding for the next week, and she would occasionally cry out in confusion and sadness. In time, we grieved and moved on, but every so often we still slip up or say things that remind us of our tiny smoky gray cat.

Take time to grieve, and be conscious of the other pets in your house. Animals do grieve, I no longer doubt that.