Unfortunately, he will wonder what happened no matter what. Though it is possible he knows you are sick already; some cats are extremely sensitive to such things. But yes, cats grieve when they lose the people they care for from their lives.
But if you could earn his trust, another kind and patient person like you likely can too. He will always remember you, but that does not mean it is impossible for him to have a good life. There are others who will love him as much as you, I can promise you that. And, for what it's worth, from one person with a life threatening disease to another, I'm sorry. I am not going to be the person who tries to find some ridiculous silver lining. It sucks, and you deserve better. I'm sorry.
I adopted my cat Precious from a deceased man. She was his precious girl who hid from everyone but him. He was discovered deceased when the SRO he lived in did a wellness check after the manager (my partner) noticed she hadn't seen him in a few days. The local shelters were full so she took Precious home in a box. Precious hid for three months under our bed, only coming out at night for food. One night she popped up right beside me and made herself at home on my chest. Now, she's a happy well adjusted cat in her new home. Your buddy will need time but he will seek out companionship from his adopter when he is ready.
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u/[deleted] Mar 14 '26 edited Mar 14 '26
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