I remember a similar situation in an old save -- I was at the ice cream shop (was a download from a friend before we got Dine Out, using the retail from GTW and the ice cream maker from Cool Kitchen Stuff), and two or three employees died of old age while my Sim was eating.
Then this week my Sims' cat ran away, and everyone in the household had a persistent Sad moodlet (other than the teen daughter who was Very Sad but you know how teens blow things out of proportion) till the cat returned during today's game play.