Oof, poor kitty. And isn’t that just what this trip needed - more uncomfortable tension in the air. Is your brother the type of person to find comfort from talking about a recently-deceased pet? Or will it just make things more awkward?
My brother (and his wife) practically house a menagerie/farm. Not that they care about animals in some particular way, I honestly don’t know why they do anything they do. But I know that for them, life just rolls on.
At least they’re are trying. That’s more than can be said for a lot of people. Is it better to be with someone who’s got an understanding of their issues and wants to resolve them, or be with someone who doesn’t acknowledge their issues and/or who leans into maladaptive behaviors because of them?
I’ve dated people in both camps. I’ll take the psych major any day. By a long shot.