Dear fellow cat owners , our very best cat which was Mishi is due to a "cancer like disease "now dead .

Question

since my daghter had very strong feeling toward this pet . please tell me all the advise you have personally or introduce any special sites that might help.
I draw your attention to this matter that where I live even the life of human beings is not of a great value so normal people do not understand the depth of grief.\ P.S: The cat was a beatiful three years old with lots of offspring who thery are running around

Answer 1

If the disease was feline leukemia, that's contagious and you should have your other cats vaccinated so they don't catch it from the same place Mishi did. Grief for animals is normal, same as grief for people is normal.

If you search the web, you will find a lot of resources (message boards, hotline grief counselors, etc) that can help you. Here's one to start with:

http://www.aspca.org/site/DocServer/Pet_Loss_Support.pdf?docID=1681

Answer 2

When Being Strong Hurts More Than Grieving Can
The death of a pet is never an easy time. Whether it is an older animal, who may have been a part of the family longer than most of the furniture and some of the children, or a pet who has been with you for only a few years, the loss can be truly traumatic. And if the end comes through a conscious decision for euthanasia, other emotions become entangled with the basic sense of loss. Once it's over, you may prefer to think that the experience is behind you. Unfortunately, it is not.

There will be a hole in your household and in your life for a while, and for the first part of that "while" the hole may seem huge. There ARE ways to fill the gap. However, the loss itself is not something you can simply ignore, assuming that your world will adjust itself. Instead, you must deal with that something, just as you would deal with the loss of any other good friend. Yes, it is a different kind of relationship, but to behave otherwise is to try and change your attitude in mid-stride. You cannot expect yourself to think of your pet as a friend and then to dismiss those feelings as disposable because THIS friend happened to be an animal. It is NOT silly to miss your pet, and it is NOT overly sentimental to grieve.

Another difference lies in the always complicated idea of "what happens next". Many people, especially older folks, express a very real concern that they won't see their animals in the next life (whatever that may be) because they have been told that animals have no souls. Maybe you, like me, are a little unsure about what exactly " the next life" holds for any of us. However, if having a soul means being able to feel love and trust and gratitude, then aren't some animals better equipped than a lot of humans?

But still, he was pet and not a person, and that makes it more complicated to sort out exactly what you are supposed to do and feel. Although we recognize the individual personalities in pets, that doesn't mean that they are just little people. The relationship you have with your pet is different from any human relationship you may have. We have the responsibility to care for animals and to learn from them. As we domesticated pets, they became dependent upon us for their needs. Part of caring for them, especially in a technologically advanced society, often means deciding when an animal can no longer live a happy life or even a content one.

When an animal is made a pet by a responsible, caring person, he is being given exactly what he needs and wants: his "creature comforts", companionship, and the opportunity to return the favor through loyalty and affection. Dogs, especially, are naturally eager to please the "leader of the pack", and the owner takes on that role. So the dog is never happier than when he knows that he is pleasing that person. When he is too old or too sick to respond in the way HE thinks he should, he can't understand why and feels the anxiety of failure.

Because their natural life-spans are shorter than ours, we usually outlive our pets. However, the life you shared cannot simply be abandoned. Don't deny yourself the thoughts, memories, and feelings that your pet's life deserves. You may decide to fill the hole with another pet. However, you can never replace the special bond you held with the one who is gone.

Answer 3

This is one of those hard life lessons. I'm so sorry your child has to go through this (and you, too.) It is never easy.

I admire you for your affection for your pet even when it isn't seen in the people around you. What matters is that you and your child cared for the cat and that you gave the cat a good life while she was with you.

I have had cats all of my life, and at the age of 50 that means I've grieved over a number of them. It's never easy, but it helps me to just go ahead and get a new pet. I know that the new one won't replace the old one, but it gives me someone else to build a different relationship with. It helps me spend less time grieving. Of course I still miss pets I lost years ago, but it helps me to move on with a new pet "in honor of" the old one.

Cats are magnificent creatures. I have one sitting on my desk right now and he's a very good friend.

Answer 4

www.rainbowsbridge.com
www.rainbowsbridge.com/Thepoem

Look up Pet loss in your search engine and it should pop up a thousand things.

I have lost many pets, but the worst was my very first dog, Chico. I was devastated, not only by my loss, but by the callous way people would be so blase` about it. "it's just a dog. Get another one" I knew that just wasn't all there was though. I had just lost my best friend, my confidante, my most loved companion who never judged me or treated me harshly.

Many humane society's have pet loss support groups available for all ages. If yours doesn't find a support group online and there are tons of books out there to read, for kids and adults.

Most books suggest some type of "memorial" for the pet such as planting a tree or making a donation or something to remember the pet for a long time to come.

Talk to your daughter and find out how she's feeling and what she feels would be appropriate. Dont' forget about the rest of the family though, including yourself.

Good luck. My condolences on your loss.

Answer 5

the grief of losing a cat is totally overwhelming, and I am so sorry for your daughter. The gift from your Mishi is her offspring! if they are all with you running around (you don't say how many) choose just one, and ask a cat protection society to take the rest. Having just one will help and make your daughter smile again. Good Luck. P.S. please do try to neuter any cat that you keep.

Answer 6

I would say get a new kitten, the new kitty will really help you out of your grief and at first your daughter might not be happy with it or accept it but later on she will start loving it just like her old cat.

Answer 7

Make a special garden in the cats name with her and put a memorial plaque in it. This way when she is sad and is missing her, she can go there to "visit". I had my son build a circle garden around my dogwood tree in my front yard and when one of our small animals die, they get buried there. As a child my grandmother had a dogwood tree in her yard where I buried my small pets and it reminds me of all those I had lost growing up as well. The dogwood tree is said to have the face of Jesus in the blossoms, which is why I chose the tree. If you buried the cat in your yard, this is the place you make the garden and the cat will have a beautiful final resting place. On the birthday and anniversary of the death she can plant another special flower for the cat.
I, myself just lost my favorite hamster last week on Tuesday (we had to put him down due to illness), only to come home the next day to another one gone (no warning), then the third day my son put his one hamster down due to cancer and on the 4th day the runt we rescued on last Monday died. So as you can see, we didn't have a good last week either. I'm sorry for her and your loss.

Answer 8

I understand your grief completely for I have lost several beloved pets over the years too. Type in "Rainbowbridge" in google. The site is dedicated to those greiving for a beloved pet. It is basically a poem with visuals... but what a poem! I love it and I watch and listen to it everytime I remember my beloved Pezza and Signal and Zoe and Danny Dear.

Answer 9

Grieving is very hard. There needs to be closure. Let you're child participate in the ceremony. You know give a little speech. Something from her heart. Let her pick her own words. Tell her the cat is listening and understands her. This will help you're child more than anything you tell her. My condolences I have a cat whose mother abandoned him when he was a week old. I raised him from there. I am very attached
to him. His name is tweak. Very lovable but loves to have his hair rubbed backwards (weird I know) He won't touch human food either. And he loves to play fetch. Actually he likes to bite me even more. (but lovable anyway)

Answer 10

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. My cats are my babies so I understand. The most I can say is remember you gave your kitty a good 3 yrs. It's not how long we live but how well and if you gave your kitty a good home that matters more.