Losing a furbaby...

[CDAgirlMI 51]

Sorry to hear about your kitty.....

I work in the animal care field, and thats the one thing I really hate about working there. It is part of life, but we still hate to see it and go through it.

Keep your head up...looks like you've got a lot of friends on here who care

[kimmbo 0]

my condolences about your cat....we have a cat and dog...they are our pseudo children as well. We both know that when the day comes that it will be a very difficult time for the both of us.

My thoughts and prayers are with you....

I wanted to reply to all of you, its just taking me awhile... thanks TO2FL..with me not having kids both of mine are the closest to children that I will ever have.. I hope that you have many more years with your furbabies...

I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty. Losing a furbaby is always tough.

My childhood dog that passed away has his own pages in my life scrapbook, filled with pictures and memories. I still have pictures of him posted all over my room. I miss him dearly.

You have my sympathy during this hard time... please take care of yourself.

I have pictures of my Toby all over...had a few up before but after she passed I put up a few more so that shes in almost every room.. it helps to look around and see her sweet little face..

B)-->

QUOTE(Team J and B @ Feb 20 2008, 08:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Kimmbo,

Humans grieve. Animals need to grieve too. I do volunteer work with cats and you as well as I know they are sentient beings. Extremely. So let Tippy sleep in Toby's bed for as long as he wants. Keep his own bed around too. One day, he will only go to his own bed. As for Toby's things, keep them around, too. Tippy will appreciate her smell and extra toys. You only remove Toby's things when YOU are ready to. There is no Miss Manners guide that dictates how long you can grieve for. A month, a few years, it's all up to you. Take this lost at your own pace.

What a commendable thing you have done in giving this animal love, a home, an otherwise very different life she would have had as a stray.

I am sorry for your loss. Take as much time as you need to grieve.

She's prolly in kittyland eating whipped cream and chasing butterflies so she has no idea why you're so sad.

Ive decided to leave her things around until we start packing up for our move in a couple weeks..it still seems to be giving comfort to Tippy.... and yes I cant imagine what her life would have been like as a stray.. we live in an apartment and we always seem to have strays wandering around...weve personally gotten 3 of them turned into the HS over the 6 years weve been here..the last one we turned in had been wandering the parking lot for a year! took me so long for her to trust me and to let me get closer to her..she would come onto the porch for food but as soon as she saw me looking at her she would run away.. one day I opened the door to give her more food and she didnt run..she just looked at me..let me move closer..I reached down to pet her and she rolled over on her back and let me rub her belly!..LOL..we named her Patchy...when we finally got her turned in to the Humane Society vet, they scanned her and she had a chip! they called her owners and they couldnt believe that after a year she had been found..

I made a scrapbook page of her (I scrapbook everything)..if anyones interested this is

Patchys Story:

http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/108145/...8135/0/0/1.html

[kimmbo 0]

(((((((((((((((((((((Kimmbo)))))))))))))))))))))))))) oh honey, I'm so sorry...we went through this last year when Joel's beloved Zoe was put down. Our hearts are with you as you deal with Toby's passing.

I will say this...grieve as long as you need. Don't let anyone....ANYONE....tell you what the time limit on grief is...for humans or animals (who really are like family).

thanks Karen, and sorry to hear about Zoe...

I'm sorry hun...

thanks Liz

I know exactly how you are feeling right now. I lost my furbaby, Cookie, on Sept 12, 2007. I brought her with me to the US when I left Canada to move back home to the US. She was my first pet and I loved that cat with all my heart. I know what you mean about having a special bond with a cat. Unfortunately Cookie got very sick and I finally had to have her put to sleep. I thought my world came to an end that day. Even reading your post and typing this is making me sob because it is still hard even though it has been 5 months since she has gone.

I do have another cat, Muffin, in the house and for days Muffin searched the house for Cookie. I had Cookie's favorite blanket that she slept on creamated with her. I did remove Cookie's toys except one that Muffin would not let me have and I put one of Cookie's favorite toys into a keepsake box. I also took a bunch of pictures of Cookie and put them in one of those frames where you can have multi pictures in it and I have it by my bed. I have adopted another kitten now that we have named Bobo and that has really helped Muffin along since she has someone with her again.

Hang in there and my thoughts are with you

so sorry to hear about Cookie...we really didnt get alot of information about the cremation from our vet..I wish I would have known she could have been cremated with something like her favorite blanket.. we just received her ashes a couple days ago and I was devastated to see how tiny her urn was, about the size of a soup can...I have never known anyone that was cremated other than my husbands mom last year, but neither of us have seen her urn..so I really didnt know what to expect..so I was shocked..it really caught me off guard..I have her by my bedside because the night time is still the hardest when everythings quiet...and I just lay there and think of her..again thank you and I hope that you have many more years with Muffin and Bobo!

[kimmbo 0]

Always hard to lay to rest a furry family member. I know I have shed many a tear. Take care

thanks Flames9!...and again thank you for the poem

This broke my heart

I'm so very very sorry for your loss hon. Animals are very important in our lives, they are family. May your little Toby rest in peace always.

I also lost my Toby in 2001. He was an orange Tabby cat, my big orange boy. I still have his sister Cleo...she's my doll.

Toby was killed by a car. He had enough adrenaline to make it around the back where he died under a bush. He was only 3 years old. Cleo was there, she was cleaning his head and she stayed with him until he passed. We buried him in the back yard. For weeks Cleo went from room to room, meowing for her brother. It took her a good 3 months to get over it, but eventually she was okay.

Again, I'm so sorry.....Toby will be with you forever.

thanks Laura, and so sorry to hear about your Toby! broke my heart reading about Cleo staying with him..what a good sister... In the first few days Tippy seemed like he was looking for her, now at just over a week later he seems like he knows she wont be back..the longest she had ever been away from him before was 4 days..hes not sleeping in her bed as much but still sniffs it as he walks by so I wont be removing it until we get ready for our move...

I hope that you have many more years with your Cleo!

Sorry to hear about your cat. We all get very attached to our animals and they are a big part of the family. I had to put my Shepherd (Mindu) that I had for 14 yrs. down 3 yrs ago it was a heartbreaking time.

sorry to hear about your Mindu!

ok uve got me crying. im sorry for ur loss. i just can imagine something happening to my babies.

thank you Donna, I hope that you dont have to go through this anytime soon and that you have your babies for many more years!

[kimmbo 0]

Awwwwww. This thread is making me cry. I am so sorry you lost your furbaby. I know how that feels. I'm not going to write about it because I'll really start crying.

Crikey, so sorry to hear that youve also gone through this loss...

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Kimmbo))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Oh, I am so sorry! I have been there too - I had to put my beloved 16 year old Kirsty to sleep after 6 weeks of illness caused by the stress of our move to Georgia. She is buried on the top of the hill behind the house with a small garden, a small cat statue and a lady with a water basin statue in the garden. It is Kirsty's Garden. I buried her in her favourite cat bed but her other toys and belongings I left out. Our other five knew what was happening and were sober and quiet for a while after she passed. They knew that she was very sick.

I remember when I had to put another cat of mine to sleep - Robbie had been hit by a car before I got him and apparently over the years a small fragment of bone migrated through his body eventually piercing his intestines. We operated but he was not able to overcome the injury. His companion Silver grieved greatly and I remember the two of us comforting each other. Very shortly after that, we rescued Kirsty at 5 weeks old - the rest of her litter had died. Silver took to her immediately and became her surrogate mother even to the point of letting her 'nurse' even though there was no milk - it was the nurturing contact she required. Kirsty literally brought happiness and companionshp back to his life.

Comfort and cuddle Tippy and the two of you will help each other heal your grief. My loving thoughts are with you at this time.

Kathryn, so sorry to hear about your Kirsty (and Robbie)!..I worried about Toby and what the 3 to 4 day drive would do to her, as she was also losing her eyesight and had followed a specific pathway to get her around the house..I worried about us staying in hotels and her not knowing where she was...etc.

it sounds like you have made Kirsty a beautiful resting spot...when I get back to the US Im going to make a garden in memory of Toby..since I wasnt able to lay her to rest in my moms backyard..a place she loved so much..

hugs to you girl... So sorry for your loss, I know your baby will be missed.. I hope your heart is comforted today!

my heart was very comforted when I was reading all of these posts...and it meant so much for everyone to share their stories of love and loss about their furbabies..it was/is truly appreciated