In Memoriam: How to cope after losing a pet?

Search for articles on "The Rainbow Bridge." It has helped me. My favorite cat ever, Katydid, passed away from jaw cancer. I have another cat that I love very much but Katydid will always be the most special in my life. So sorry for your loss. ❤️

I lost a cat to cancer a few years back. All I can say is get another pet. You'll might miss the first one even more but you won't be alone.
The thing that worries me is if my own condition declines more and I can't care for him. I try not to dwell on that.

@zacharycat My dad said no more pets.

In my life of over eight decades, I am not sure if I ever wept even a tenth of what I did in the last ten days since I had to put my cat to sleep because of his no-way-out problems of old age (21 years) with no viable solution, even tho I was feeding him in his last weeks what he liked most: sardines, tuna, and lastly chicken. But he kept losing weight -- half of its weight, with visible signs of a crooked protruding shoulder. I had cried because I thought maybe I took his life More to make My life more livable than his -- an impossibly complex question to find out as to how much I was being 'selfish' and how much I truly was interested in reducing his suffering.

It seems he 'visited' me in the middle of my night sleep yesterday and said to me: Seeing You in pain makes me miserable, knowing we had a long loving and enjoyable life together. He told me to remember how I had participated in 'pulling the plug on a dear nephew of mine because his life had reduced to a hospital bed hooked to machines.

He asked me to promise him to never be sad -- and remember him with all the sweet memories we had until his last breath. My cat had shown me how to embrace life. He also said he'll drop by now and then. And yes he did, as I said to him: 'Soo Good to see you see you, Bobby' I greeted him with. He smiled ... already seeing US starting to live in a new relationship!

My cat, my therapist friend, my teacher who showed me how to love.

@sisyphus
Hi,
I'm saddened that you had to put your darling kitty to sleep. You did the right thing. He sounds like he wasn't comfortable or healthy. I know how hard that is. I had to put my kitty, Snoopy to sleep 20 years ago and at one point in my life I had to put my St. Bernard, Max to sleep too. Both of them were dying and not comfortable so it was the right thing to do but so hard and I miss them still. However, our pets are up in Heaven and we will see them again.
That was so nice that you saw Bobby again and communicated with him! Their love for us never stops. That must have been very special for you! Remember it always and I'm sure you will. I've seen most of my pets after they died. It really helps! God gave them to us as gifts and they were! You are right! Bobby showed you how to love! That's wonderful! I'll say a prayer for you that you get through this sad time and thanks to Bobby, you will!
I wish you the best.
PML

@pml
I'm grateful to have found fellowship here at a time when people who may have endured a similar experience are also the ones who offer most needed consolation and hope. And eventually -- as I've heard -- it sublimates into further enriching our lives with something that may only come through such loss. That has to be true; after all loss of what we love is so perpetual feature of life, so it ought to have some value, a redeeming value. I am certainly open to such possibilities, new openings, new cracks where a new streaks of lights might come from.
Much appreciated having me in your prayers.