Lora Lee 
Saying goodbye to a beloved cat is extremely difficult. We become so dependent on these beautiful souls to provide us with so much. Unconditional love, laughter, comfort, as well as stress, anxiety or tears. It is for extreme selfish reasons that we feel sad when they pass. They have moved on to a better place. One where they are free to do all the things they love to do. We are the ones left, on this mortal plane, feeling the emptiness their absence brings. When a cherished cat passes, having the chance to say goodbye is very important in order to move on from the grief. Not having that chance can lead us to looking for closure and full of “what ifs”.
A Needed Chance
Over the past year, we have had to say goodbye to three of our beloved cats. First, Panda, our outside cat who came with the house. One day, he was fine. Catching birds in mid-flight. The next, he was searching out a place to hide and pass. There was no warning at all that he was sick. Although, he was 14 years old, which is a good old age for an outside cat. Next came Prudence. We knew she was sick and was in the palliative phase with her. We had quite a few months to love and spoil her and accept the idea that her time was coming. Having that opportunity did make her passing a little bit easier, it was still hard to say goodbye.
Finally, Franklin, my little old man. He was also 14 and had been declining for a few months. He had always been a sickly kitty and finally, his little body couldn’t take it anymore. Having to say goodbye to Franklin was very hard. He was one of the first kittens that Ryan and I got together as a couple. We had 14 wonderful years together. We miss him deeply every day, but at least we had the chance to say goodbye.
No Chance
Recently, some good friends of mine lost one of their beloved cats completely out of the blue. No warning at all. One minute he was eating and playing. The next, he was gone. They are completely devastated. I can’t even imagine how they feel or the million questions that are going through their minds right now. Did they miss something? Could they have done something? Was he giving them signs that went unnoticed? So many questions without any answers.
However, as bad as the unanswered questions are, the lost opportunity to say goodbye is the worst. Not being able to tell our baby goodbye and that we love them stays with us. Once again, it is selfish on our part, but we need that chance to say goodbye to have closure. To be able to move on from our grief. My heart goes out to my friends and their loss. I pray that they are able to find comfort in their memories of their baby. And I hope that they have a chance to reconnect with him in the future.
Moving On From Grief
As difficult as I am sure it is for my grief-stricken friends right now, I am confident that they will be able to move past this. They have some many resources and support at their disposal. One of them being The Animal Communication Collective. Having a session with an animal communicator will give them the opportunity to communicate with their baby. It will give them the chance to say goodbye. They, probably, will be able to get some answers to the questions they have. It will give them the opportunity to find closure. The closure that we all need to move on from a place of sadness and grief.
“The memories and paw print of a beloved cat remains in our heart and soul forever.” – Unknown
