A Uttar Pradesh woman died by suicide after she was unable to bear the loss of her pet cat, according to a report by NDTV. The woman, a resident of UP's Amroha district, lost her pet cat on Thursday but refused to bury the animal in hopes that it would somehow come back to life. After she kept the feline's body near her for over two days and nothing happened, she decided to end her own life
According to NDTV, 32-year-old Pooja who lived in Amroha's Hasanpur was divorced and living with her mother in her parental home. Eight years ago, Pooja had married a man in Delhi but the couple separated after living together for two years.
Cat helped loneliness
Shattered by her broken marriage, Pooja sought the company of a pet and adopted a cat. However, the animal died on Thursday, leaving the 32-year-old pet owner devastated. When her mother suggested that they bury the cat, Pooja refused to do so, claiming that the animal could "return to life", the report said.
Hoping for a miracle, Pooja clung to the cat's body for two days, waiting for the cat to show any signs of life but soon it became clear that the animal was not coming back to life. Over the two days, her family including her mother tried to gently persuade her to bury the animal.
Waiting on a miracle
On Saturday, over two days after the animal died, Pooja locked herself in a room on the third floor of her house. At night, her mother decided to knock on the door to check up on her grieving daughter. At 8pm, when she entered the room, she was horrified to find Pooja's body hanging from the ceiling fan with her beloved cat lying lifeless nearby.
{{/usCountry}}On Saturday, over two days after the animal died, Pooja locked herself in a room on the third floor of her house. At night, her mother decided to knock on the door to check up on her grieving daughter. At 8pm, when she entered the room, she was horrified to find Pooja's body hanging from the ceiling fan with her beloved cat lying lifeless nearby.
{{/usCountry}}Her screams alerted the neighbours, who quickly rushed to their home to see what had occurred and informed the police. After a police team arrived at the scene, forensic evidence was collected. The police said further investigation into the matter is underway.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).
(Also read: Woman loses job and bonus after pet cat accidentally sends resignation letter)