Do Cats and Dogs Weep?
I am curious, do cats “Cry” tears? My Patches, who went to the Rainbow Bridge, this past Sunday, had gotten extremely thin, and her eyes were somewhat “sunken”-in, and she would constantly be having tears in her eyes.
I don’t know if this is because she was feeling pain, and “crying” or it was a result fo the tear ducts overloading, because her eyes had gotten so small, as a result of the weight she had lost. Just curious.
Carol
Morongo Valley, CA
I am very sorry for your loss.
There is no doubt that cats and dogs experience a wide range of emotions. They can suffer from fear, anxiety, and pain. Many situations that would make a human cry undoubtedly stir similar emotions in pets.
However, I have yet to see a pet respond to these sorts of situations by producing excessive tears. Pets may act agitated, vocalize, pant, or hide when they are distressed or in pain. But they do not appear to weep.
I therefore doubt that Patches’ excessive tear production towards the end of her life was caused by pain.
I have noticed during my career that elderly, ill animals (especially cats) are prone to excessive eye discharge. I don’t know what causes it, but I suspect it may be due to decreased grooming activity combined with chronic dehydration (which causes the tears to thicken and not drain normally).
I suspect that Patches’ medical problems, rather than pain, caused the irregularities you describe.
You have questions. 
Oh, how sad. I cannot imagine the day when my first pet will die, and I have 3 cats and 3 dogs. I never saw any of my pets cry, but I they look sad in their own ways. My Saint Bernard Lola, for example, sounds like a gorilla when she cries.So cute. We adopted her from a rescue in Tennessee, when she was still a very sick puppy. Here’s her story: http://www.thedailytail.com/?p=754
Do Cats and Dogs Weep?
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Could be dust/particles in the surrounding air for them to naturally discharge.Albeit tearing I have never encountered in any of my animals.I believe they weep internally :-(
I beg to differ about the theory that dogs or cats do NOT weep. My sister has a female Pug, and she definitely turns on the tears. She is a bit of a drama queen and when she doesn’t get her way or is sad for some reason, she does actually cry. Big tears and can shut them off just like a child when you call her bluff and say perhaps……….Peaches, do you want a treat? And then she is all happy again. In fact, I have 2 Blue Heeler’s and 2 cats. My male dog is very emotional and sensitive. I am not in very good health and he is very loyal to me. He sticks by my side when I feel the worst. He has been known to shed tears, also. I am a true animal lover, have grown up with having pet’s and have ALWAYS had at least a couple pet’s with me at all times. They have very deep emotion’s and I don’t think that weeping should be ruled out. I have seen it for myself. Especially, with Peaches the Pug. I would have maybe doubted it myself but, she proved the “THEORY” wrong. A little more observation should be taken before this is passed on to any other pet lover. My pet’s are my children, and they are very emiotional and communicate very well with humans. I believe that Carol’s poor kitty was crying, not only because of pain but, of the sorrow she felt for being sick and knowing she was dying and leaving her beloved master. Please take another look at your text book theory……….I believe it is incorrect. I raise horses too and I have seen my older, most cherished one, a week before he died, really hug me and had tear’s in his eyes, as I believe he knew it would be the last time he would see me before going to the lush green pasture’s of Heaven. Animal behavior is a more complex thing than most vet’s and people realize.