You couldn't pretend you had lost nothing. A good cat had died -- you had to begin there, not let your blood freeze over. If your heart turned away at this, it could turn away at something greater, then more and more until your heart stayed averted, immobile, your imagination redistributed away from the world and back only toward the bad maps of yourself, the sour pools of your own pulse, your own tiny, mean, and pointless wants. Stop here! Begin here! Begin with Bert! Here's to Bert
Cats and humans have enjoyed close, loving relationships for thousands of years. The joys of having a cat can be hard to explain to people who’ve never lived with a cat. Some cats are cuddly and friendly, while others are mysterious and aloof. Their love is often harder-won than that of other pets, but all cat-lovers know that when you do win a cat’s affection, it’s one of the most special moments in a person’s life. Whether your cat lived indoors or outdoors, your cat was there for you every day, intelligent, independent, playful, funny, and vicious to any mice and bugs that made the mistake of wandering by. The loss of a beloved cat can destabilize the human they leave behind. Here at Pet Heaven, we hope you use our website to find some solace as you grieve your fur-baby.
One of the big struggles cat-lovers face when their beloved cat passes on is failure of their loved ones to understand what they’re going through. There could be several reasons for this– in general, most other people who didn’t physically live with our pets grieve them the same way we do, but there can be additional barriers to growing close with cats that are not our own. Cat allergies are approximately twice as common as dog allergies, for instance, and cats are generally less social and outgoing than the average dog. This creates a vastly different experience of our cats for our guests, as we know our cats to be our best friends, fur-babies, and soul mates who sleep in our beds and meow us awake every day. Part of why it hurts so much to lose a cat is because of the powerful and unique bond only the two of you could share.
Grief can manifest in many different ways; be sensitive and accepting to whatever your grieving process for your cat looks like right now. For more specific ideas on how to process your loss, Pet Heaven recommends looking at our Remembering and Coping with The Death of Your Pet page. We hope you are especially kind and gentle with yourself during this difficult time, and want to help you honor the love you and your beloved cat shared.