It does and it doesn't.   I've had cats who died many years ago and
I still bugs me all these years later.   For me when a beloved pet
touches your life you never really get over the loss of that pet.

I can always get another pet but the new pet never really "replaces"
my former pet.  The original cat will always have a special place in
my heart.

I agree - but I feel I'm getting harder too, but in a negative way,
insensitive, if you like.
And there might be the time when I even don't want pets anymore.
Or is it all my fault if I lose my heart to a pet??

Carola

As a tribute to the "Late Cat", I would adopt a rescued cat.  It will also
help to cuddle a new pet.   It actually makes no difference whether or not
you have had them a long time or a short time, or if they were killed or
died of old age.  It hurts just the same.
sorry for your loss.
Harriet

Truly my deepest sympathies to you.

It is one of the worst feelings in the world, my first cat, Smokey Joe was
an utterly faithful friend to me throughout my childhood; the same age as me
he went out one day and never came back when we were both 16. I never felt
anything but guilt; guilt I'd never loved him enough, guilt that that last
time he went out he had been trying to get my attention and I'd ignored him
for some bullshit forms I had to fill in for school or something, guilty
that he was so hesitant to leave the house that day, like he knew, like he
wanted to say goodbye... A few months back (I'm 28 now) thoughts of Smokey
came back to me, I have a beautiful tabby girl called Coffee now, and dote
on her terribly, and it got me thinking about Smokey, I just kept crying and
stuff and felt a total baby, I didn't even have anything to really remember
him by, then my Mum came round one day with a photo she'd found of him, he
sits smiling out at me from my PC every day now, and I feel so much better
for it, to be able to remember him fondly each day, to remember he was loved
and petted and played with as much as any cat desires, and to know he'd done
well to get to 16 and had been slowing down for years. We never knew what
happened to him, he loved the outdoors and I hope he found himself a nice
field far from people to lay down and go to sleep in (we're didn't live so
far from the country, so I hope so).

The truth is the pain never goes away, I feel upset and choked up now, but
it gets better, and I'd echo what so many other people have said; go to your
local shelter and give a loving home to a cat that may never have had one,
consider keeping it as a housecat (Coffee is, she is perfectly happy to go
for walks round the garden with a cat harness on and happily spends hours
out there with me while I mow the lawn and dig weeds and stuff, I hate to
reign in their roaming nature but the simple truth is that cars are
everywhere).

Keep your memories and keepsakes precious and remember the good times and
the fun, the chasing of string, the little quirks every cat has and holds
individual.

Another thing that got me thinking of Smokey was this website;
http://www.coolcybercats.com, this poor guy lost three of his beloved cat
companions in the space of a couple of weeks, and another is now seriously
ill, the site is often tragically sad, but it's beautiful too, it made me
feel better to know I wasn't the only one that felt so bad about these
things.

Best wishes,

Steve

I had a wonderful cat named Charlotte.  She passed at 16 y/o.  she took me
from young girl to adult and it was hard.  At the same time that charlotte
was with me, I had another cat named Sam.  When Charlotte died, we were both
Not ready to adopt another one.  We waited for 6 months and we adopted
Siri-Anna.  Then around 3 years later Sam passed at 19 y/o.  both cats are
buried on my little acre in the catskill mountains.  Siri is ok alone as i
travel for business.  she is around 9 y/o.  she is practically human and
communicates with me in ways that i never thought possible!
I have been very lucky in that I always had great cats.
Harriet

It also helps to keep your cats inside where cars cannot
kill them.