
Saying goodbye to our cats is one of the hardest things we have to do in life. People who aren’t cat lovers often say ‘but it’s just a cat, you can soon get another one’, I feel sorry for those people because they must have never known love from an animal as special as our cats. Yes the hurt when you lose a cat is awful but surely to have loved and lost is better than never loved at all? We as cat owners or guardians (who really ever owns a cat?) have the option to ask a vet to help end a cats life when they are suffering and nothing more can be done, this is never easy but I have never met a cat guardian who regretted the last act of kindness they did for their beloved cat, we feel terrible playing god over our cats lives but most people know it is for the best however emotional we feel. In my job as a cat sitter I have often had to take cats to the vets on their last journey as their guardians are away on holiday and it’s always very sad as they never get to say goodbye. The vets in Portsmouth are just amazing and have always been so supportive to me and the cat’s guardians in such sad emotional times. I know of at least one local vet that even has a special room for euthanasia, a clear sign that there is more understanding with the human/animal bond.
I always say to people, talk about your grief for your cat with lots of cat people as it really helps. Our cats are not just pets they are family members and need to be remembered. If you are keeping the cat’s ashes maybe put them in a potted plant in the garden, so you can remember them and it’s a comfort they are nearby. Put up photos of your cats around the house to celebrate their life and connection to you. Maybe buy a piece of jewellery to remember them by, I have a cross with a paw mark on, it gave me great comfort when I had to have my lovely Tammy put to sleep many years ago. When my other cat Gizmo died I wasn’t there but my husband was and I have a wooden cat with her ashes in on my office shelf as she loved being with me in the office, I needed to do something as it was upsetting when I couldn’t be there for her at the end.
This post is dedicated to Bolly, Poppy and Phil, three lovely feline friends that passed away this month xxx
Filed Under: Mog Blog