my cat died today?!?!?

Hi - There are a lot of us who can relate to your pain due to the loss of our very special friends. I, too, lost my "baby" a very long time ago, and I still miss him, even though I was able to get another "baby" when the time was right. It is very natural to grieve, so you need to give yourself time. Here's something very special to hopefully help you in your time of grief:

http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html

I just watched it and am sitting here with tears in my eyes. I choose to believe that it's true.

God Bless. Just remember that you were a special mom to your "baby" and I know that he appreciated all that you did for him during his time with you here on earth. That love will stay with you forever.

Cat Died

My Cat Died Today

I know what you're going through. Our family cat died 6 months ago aged 18 1/2. It would have been her 19th birthday 2 days ago. She had kidney problems not long before she died and things weren't looking great so I knew the end was near but it was still hard to deal with. It was easier for me though as she was living at my mum's and I live miles away from her so I wasn't there at the time which helped. I think had I been at the vet's with her when she was put down and been in the house afterwards seeing all her things like her toys and blankets it would have been harder. I got her ashes a few weeks ago when I visited my mum and they are now on my bookcase. I take comfort in the fact that she was pampered and well loved for almost 19 years and that she was a very happy cat. The end was fairly peaceful (preferable to a lot of cats' deaths such as being hit by a car for example - which was always a huge fear for me) and she is no longer in any pain or discomfort. I still miss her but I'm thankful she was our pet and that we were able to give her such a nice life. Maybe you can take comfort knowing you gave your cat a nice life and cared for him right until the end.

I am so sorry to hear about your cat, but you did the right thing. You knew it was time to let him go, and you were right to put him out of his misery before it got unbearable. Don't feel guilty, feel GLAD that he's no longer in pain. He will always be with you, no matter what you think, because his body is merely gone, and anyway the spirit part, the part that makes him who he is, is still with you and will always be there for you. You just can't see him. Death is not the end, it's only the beginning of a new adventure! If you still have problems letting go, talk to a friend or talk to the spirit of your cat. Just pretend you can see him and just talk about your day, good times you've had together, keep him up to date until you join him when it's your time to go. But don't do suicide, if you're that far over the edge. Take small steps back. Your special friend is irreplacable, but finding another cat in need and taking care of it may take help take your mind off your old cat.

Feel better, friend. Mend your heart.

I'm so sorry that you lost your cat. I lost one of my cats a year and a half ago. It doesn't seem like it has been that long...but it has. My cats name was Pumpkin. II got her when I was going through a divorce. She was my first cat. I always viewed her as a gift from God. I spent lots of money to try and find out what was wrong with her...more than I could afford. Six months later they had a recall on her food...the food that she was eatting at the time of her illness. It is tough to lose one that you love. Even though I have lots of other pets, I still miss her. I find that as time goes on I don't think of her everyday like I used to...so time helps. I have pictures of her and remember the good times we had. You may find it morbid...but once I got the remains of Pumpkin I felt better. I don't know why...but I did. If your cat was your only cat...you might consider getting another pet. This helps fill your time. Of course...it will never replace your lost love one, but having something to nurture can take up time and energy and let you focus on happier things. Some individuals can't contemplate a new family member so soon...so it is personal choice. I had other pets to cry into and nurture so it was easier. I have such empathy for you. I hope that some of this helps...Jen

I'm sorry for your loss. One of the things that makes it harder when we lose a pet, is that there is not a lot of understanding and support in society for grieving for pets. If you were crying in public, and someone asked you why, they might be all too likely to respond, "Geez, it's been months, why don't you get a new cat and get over it." But if it were a human family member who had died, even a stranger would say, "That's so hard, of course you are not over it yet. Cry all you want, just let it out." So we tend to hide our pain in public, and even around friends and family.

Here is a website that I found very helpful: http://www.petloss.com/ - they have the Rainbow Bridge story, and other inspirational readings there. They also have support forums and chat. In chat they do the "Monday Night Candle Ceremony" which is a beautiful memorial service, that might do you a world of good to participate in. Even if you can't make it to the chat room when they are holding it, the text of it is online so that you can read through it and light the candles by yourself if you choose to. They also have a list of books and articles that might help you, as well.

The best advice I can give you is to grieve for as long as you need it's better to let your feelings out than it is to bottle them up. This idea might sound stupid but I hope it helps, try writing a letter to your cat and tell them how important they were to you and how much fun you had together. If that doesn't work you could try some other form of expressing your grief. Give it time. I'd wait several months to get a new cat until you are sure that you can handle loving another cat without feeling disloyal or anything. It will probably hurt for a very long time; I lost my cat five years ago and it still hurts.

I know EXACTLY how you feel and I am SO SORRY!!! I had a cat a few years back who contracted FIP (feline intestinal paratenitus) and for DAYS she wouldnt eat. Then we came home from work one day and she was laying in a pool of "water" b/c she was salivating so much. On our way to the vet she had 3 grand maul seizures and we had to put her to sleep. It was one of the most DEVESTATING things I ever had to go through (until my grandma died of cancer... obviously WORSE!).

All I can say is that time will help but you will NEVER forget the love you received (and gave) to your kitty! Just know that you gave her a good life, she was loved and YOU were WITH her in her final moments! :( She is also no longer in pain.

I know all of that is probably repetitive and NOTHING that I say will make you feel any better.. but my heart and my prayers go out to you! Its SO hard and breaks the heart more then people who DONT have pets would EVER know!!

Take care and maybe take something like a tylenol pm tonight so that you can sleep. Otherwise you will just stay up all night crying w/ your heart aching!! :(

Keep your head up and try to keep your spirits high. Again, remember that you gave her a GOOD life and she knew she was loved. Thats all you really can do!

~Kat

hopefully by having a goodbye service you will find some kind of closure. A pet is a best friend, and can not bereplaced. Know that you gave the cat a great life, you shared and grew together. To be cheesy I will quote "It is better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all"

I have a 14 or 15yr old cat and a 10 year old dog. I think about how hard it is going to be to lose a pet that as been in my life that long,but then I remember that I have given them a wonderful life and they have given me great comfort and never judged me. Loved me no matter what the rest of the world has felt for me. Sometimes when I was depressed we even shared ice cream.

I'm very sorry to hear that but you did the right thing and at least your cat isn't in pain anymore. I lost a cat a couple years ago and I know how it is, I was out of it for a week. You greive for a cat like you do the loss of a family member because that is what they are. It sucks! Go to the book store and look for a book called Greiving the Loss of Your Pet (or something like that) anyways i read a book about it and it helped me a lot. I almost got an idential looking cat to try to replace the one I lost but thank God someone stopped me. It takes time to get over it. For now just try to go out and continue life as normal because if you shut yourself in your house you will become more and more depressed.