Cat Chat Feline Forum

I lost my 21 year old cat in January and I cried torrents and felt that loss of connection with the past, too. I craved more time with my kitty, as well, and I think that it's natural to want to keep loved ones in our lives. I still miss her, but I let myself cry whenever the grief hit me and it's n...

Yes, the good memories of the years together do help. I've found a lot of comfort in printing out old photographs and putting them into an album and framing some and placing those around the house. Looking back on Starla's life has given me some light bulb moments as well. Towards the end, like a lo...

On January 25 my orange tabby, Starla, died. She was 21 years old and I'd had her since she was a kitten. I knew the time was coming due to her age, but that still didn't prepare me for the reality of living without her presence. I go back and forth between feeling devastated at her absence to feeli...

You had to make an excruciating decision. Knowing how much pride cats take in their dignity, it's hard for me to imagine a cat enjoying life with a condition like Bertie suffered. It's good to know his time with you was full of love and joy before his last illness. If he knew your emotions so well h...

It is so normal to blame yourself after a loss like this, but I think in your case the guilt is part of grieving rather than something you've actually done wrong. I've had messy rooms and my cats never ate anything that made them choke, and also that would not cause a seizure. Kittens like to rough ...

It sounds like you had a special connection with Bertie, and seven years old is a young age for a cat. It makes sense that you feel cheated. Unfortunately, I don't think that the manner or timing of the deaths of people or pets that we love have a direct relationship to the content of our characters...

I lost my sweet cat last week, too, on January 25. She was 21 years old and it is SO HARD. She was also an orange tabby, and kept most people at a distance except me, although she mellowed out her last few years. I've been periodically feeling like I'm going crazy because of the waves of intense emo...