is there anything i can do to comfort or help my grieving cat?
i've had my cat for five years. my mother died in her sleep a little over eight months ago and my sweet boy definitely noticed the following day. every morning he had a routine with her where she'd wake up, brush her teeth, go upstairs to feed him and watch TV. he'd curl up right next to her, always on her left side. never the right, which was funny. sometimes she'd join him on the floor and love him up, pet him, and baby talk him. he missed all of that.
i worry that he's still not happy without her. he still waits at the top of my dad's bedroom like she'll appear. he now waits for my dad and greets him during his morning routine, but i suspect it's not the same to him. he waits in the same spot every morning. whenever my dad is at work and it's just me, he just sleeps on my mother's blanket that she used when she'd sleep on the sofa for most of the day.
when she muted the TV and winded down, he knew it was his bedtime too. when she awoke in the middle of the night to return to her bedroom, he'd wake as well and spend the rest of the night in my bedroom. without her it has definitely confused his schedule and routine. my dad goes straight to bed and i rarely hang out downstairs. he howls through the night and has never really slept in a place that wasn't on her blanket. the rare times he comes downstairs, he stares at my mother's empty bed spot like he remembers her.
i am definitely my cat's human but my mother was a very close second. he followed her everywhere, knew her routine, bonded with her so close. he gets lonely at night and i feel bad. is there any way as his owner that i can help him grieve? it's been eight months but i can tell he still misses her. we know not to mess with any of my mother's things because that is how he remembers her.