this post was submitted on 19 May 2025
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I've noticed when pets die that they appear dim and grey afterwards. Not just their skin and eyes, but also their hair. It's an immediate change. I've always thought of it as the light going out of them.
Animals are very rarely completely still. Even the motion of breathing or their heartbeat is enough to create very slight motions. This causes their fur to subtly move and shimmer. Our brain evolved to spot things like that (spotting prey, or predators). It's piped into the conscious mind without context however. We just get a visual "something is missing/it's fake" message.
My cat died in my arms. I woke up. I thought he wasn't real.
That sounds like a terrible surprise. I'm sorry.