Life Hurts without Tigger

iloveprincess

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I lost my 17-year-old soul cat, Tigger, yesterday. I've never loved anything as much as Tigger and he had this amazing ability to bring me instant joy with little effort. Tigger fought a long decade plus battle with CKD and overcame many, many other health struggles but he always rallied. We believe cancer is what ultimately took him. He tried to fight, but it just overtook him. I gave up most of my life to take care of my sweet boy and what a privilege that was. He trusted me implicitly and never fought the meds, treatments, fluids, injections, etc. Tigger sacrificed equally as much and continued to fight to be with me, and he healed and changed me into a better version of myself. I have lost my identity/purpose and my life feels so empty now. I don't know what to do with myself or my profound grief. He was my only source of comfort and joy because I also lost much due to my own health condition. Time is moving so slowly and every second without him is excruciating. I love you Tigger and I hope the happy life we created together and joyous memories carry me through. You were the best thing that ever happened to me, Tigger. I am counting down the days until we meet again, my sweet, glorious boy.
 

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Furballsmom

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les26

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I am so sorry that you lost your little friend, you did all that you could for him with what you had, it is always tough when they leave us because we feel 100% responsible for them and when we can't help them we feel that we have failed them, but we haven't, when it is time for them to go they must go although we don't want them to.

I know how much it hurts, I understand your pain right now, know it all too well. It will ease but it takes a long time.

When your heart is ready perhaps taking care of another one in need would help heal your heart, but only you will know that.

"Their last breath on Earth is their first breath in Heaven" :rbheart:

I am sorry for your loss, I hope that your heart heals a bit more each day, Lord Bless you......:alright: :grouphug2: :rbheart:
 

will2002

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There are times when I read a thread in this forum, and I can not for the life of me think of any words that I feel are the right words. This is such a time.

I am sorry you lost your soul cat, Tigger. The fact that he stayed with you for seventeen years tells me you did one fine job of caring for him. That is a very long time for a cat to put up with us humans... I have never had one stay with me for nearly that long.

From reading your post that started this thread, It is easy to tell you have so much love to give. I am sure Tigger enjoyed that love for all of his life... In time, when your grief eases a bit, It might be good for you to visit a shelter just to see if any kitten or cat there might want to adopt you. That Is one way I deal with the passing of a kitty in my care.

Tigger belongs to the Angles now. He is resting easy walking, running, and playing with them . You can be sure he is waiting for you to join him, and them, when your time is it hand. God bless you.
 

Maria Bayote

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17 years is a short time for us cat parents, but all those 17 years you shared with your soul cat Tigger meant everything to him. Your bond will last to eternity, and even beyond.

Please find comfort in the thought that he is now free from any physical suffering he endured. He fought so hard to stay with you for a bit longer, but you can tell him it is ok now, and that he can rest and roam free in an eternal field of grass and blooms. He has earned his wings. You have an angel now watching over you. He will always be around. Always.

Please hang in there. Be strong. I pray that one day you will have to remember Tigger with more of a smile, than of tears. It will take a while. Grief does not really fade away, it just gets mellow in time.

Sending you all my warmest hugs and prayers.
 

Tik cat's mum

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I'm sorry for your loss. I can tell by your post you loved Tigger and he definitely loved you. Please try to remember the good times you had because I'm sure he'd want that. And it's hard to believe but the pain will ease it just takes time so many of us have been were you are that's how we know. :alright:
 

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I am sorry tigger is no longer with you :( And i understand the way you are feeling about loosing a best friend who has been with you in every step of the way, your ups and downs, he was there when you were happy and sad , even when the world is crumbling around you just tigger being there made the day easier to get through it all. Without tigger life seems to slow down, things that were difficult has become more harder because tigger isnt there and knowing he isnt around to lean on, to talk too, to pat and hug makes it even worse. It feels like a huge hole is there in your heart, when you look around the house there is something missing. I feel for you. Cause i am feeling the same after almost one year after losing both of my cats this year.

I know you love tigger and tigger will always love you,he will always be in your heart, and he will be beside you when you are feeling down, that is what i believe with my leo and mc. Tigger is beside you , and you just have to believe this , he is just in a different form. its hard to believe this on a day like today when your world has been turned upside down.

In the moment that you picture him in your minds eye and little glimpse of him around the house , the smell of him, sounds you hear and the happy feeling you will feel when you will think of him is him being around you. You are not alone he is with you.

Take each day as it comes and take each moment as it comes and take time to let your grief to come out of you, do what ever you feel you need to do to remember him and to mourn him. It isn't easy and for some it takes a longer time than others and there is no right time frame for when to stop grieving.

Again with a heavy heart i am sorry tigger has passed :(
 

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There is no way in the world to find the exactly right words to comfort your broken heart, except to say I cry along with you because I can empathize with your grief. The bond of love that you two forged link by link over those seventeen years is as unique as a snowflake, it is yours and Tiggers alone. No one in the world will ever experience what you two did because it is between you two. That is why it is so hard for other people to comprehend your grief. Until it happens to them.
Take as long as you need to form a new life's order without his physical entity in it. Go on through life living as you would want for him if you were the first to go. Seek the joy and happiness that life brings, he would want that for the one he loves, and so would you.
Seventeen years is a long time to love someone, to help him when he was down, to share the joy when he pulled through. He was always there for you, and you for him. You were his angel, his savior, his rock. He fought a long and valiant battle, but with every living thing there comes a time when the fight is over. Your sweet boy earned his rest.
Know that love is spiritual, so eternal. He will be forever as close as your thoughts and prayers. He joined you in your life's journey for a while and though now he follows another path, he will always be joined to yours. He is a part of your very soul. And nothing is strong enough to break that, "Death cannot take that which never dies". to have never met him at all and known his sweet love would have been unthinkable. So although it hurts so very much right now, in time your memories of happier times, of what you shared, will overpower those sad ones of his death. Because his end should never overshadow his beautiful life.
He leaves you his legacy of love, help it to grow by allowing more love to be added along side it, to help it bloom, to help him to live on through you now. His love will always surround you, he will always be close by. In time your broken heart will heal, but it takes a lot of time, one day at a time............RIP beautiful Tigger. You will never be forgotten, you will forever have a secure place in a loving heart. May the good Lord bless and keep you, until you meet again!
 

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I'm very sorry about Tigger. I lost my 'soul-cat' when she was almost 18 and the hurt was almost unbearable at first. It's very difficult to accept. It's doubly hard when you've spent so much time caretaking them through illnesses. Your whole routine changes, and time does drag. Be gentle with yourself--adjustment and acceptance takes time. :hugs:

My deepest condolences for your loss. RIP, little Tigger. :rbheart:
 

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Rest you gentle, Tigger, dream you deep. Your pawprints are on someone's heart forever.

I am so, so sorry. I know that pain so very well. I can tell you this. If you allow it to, very slowly the joy of Tigger's love for you will overtake the pain of losing him. The memories will be of happy times, and they will bring comfort, not pain. And I hope that you will allow this to happen. It is one of the best memorials you can give him, to live (one day, not now) a better life because he was in it. But first, we grieve. Not for the one who has Gone Ahead, but for ourselves, left behind. And that has its own time and its own pattern. Don't allow anyone to tell you when you should "get over it." Take your time, then burst forth again in life, carrying Tigger's love, now translated and purified into Love, with you every step of the way.
 
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iloveprincess

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I am so touched and comforted by every single one of your comments and relieved to feel understood. Thank you! It's easy to feel shame for being so attached to an animal and have it rock your world to the extent it has mine, so I appreciate you all normalizing my experience. I know you all understand having been there yourselves, and want to offer my sympathies to all of you as well. It is such a wonderful thing to be able to connect with others who have not only been there, but have the life experience to share that there is a way forward and it does get better.

The last 40 days were incredibly stressful and full of many ups and downs. Tigger would rally (he was the king of rallies) and it would appear that he was going to beat things then he would decline, and that happened at least 6 different times over the past 40 days. I've never met a more resilient cat or one who was so bonded to his human, and he fought so hard but he just couldn't do it any longer. He was sort of my miracle boy, his numbers would look bad and he faced so many health challenges but he would always overcome and rally. I almost had him euthanized many times but he'd end up rallying the next day every single time, except this time. Making the decision at the end was torture because I wasn't sure if this was really the end, but I'm at peace with knowing it certainly was the end and he got the peaceful, dignified passing he so deserved. He wasn't eating much and was silent in his final days, but our last evening together he rallied; ate and started happily chatting and purring at me like he usually does. I got to see a glimpse of my healthy beautiful boy and say goodbye one last time. I realize this experience and being Tigger's mom was such a privilege and profound experience to be able to witness this little creature go through all life stages and to teach me many life lessons, and I'm full of gratitude that he chose me! He was the ultimate healer and MY little angel and I'm happy to return him back to heaven where he belongs. What brought me peace last night was thinking about a parent's love and how most would trade places with their child to take away their suffering or even lay down to die for them, I was able to essentially do that for Tigger and am more than happy to shoulder the pain of living without him so that he’s at peace. My heart actually hurts without him, but I am already full of joy when I reflect on the many, many happy times. Tigger's gift was bringing me instant happiness just by thinking about him, and he has left me with that gift for life :).

Thank you everyone for your kindness.
 

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I really like your comment " and I'm full of gratitude that he chose me! He was the ultimate healer and MY little angel and I'm happy to return him back to heaven where he belongs " Reading that comment you made about tigger just lifted the heaviness in my heart.
Even though it has been a year since losing Leo and Mc i went to bed crying last night and feeling like crap at work. And then now i read what you said, and it is true we have returned these angels that god allowed us to have for a while and then we send our angels back to heaven.
 
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iloveprincess

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I'm so sorry you are still grieving the loss of your Leo and Mc, they clearly meant a lot to you. You helped me and made me smile to know that I may have brought you a tiny bit of relief last night. Take care of yourself and feel free to reach out.
 

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What a terrific looking cat you had.

You were extremely lucky that despite all his health problems he managed to live until a very respectable age. It is quite rare to see this kind of cat who is cooperating so well when it comes to treatments. We made the hard decision to let our eldest cat go four days ago because she would've required two pills a day plus monthly clinic visits. We could've extended her life by another year perhaps, but it would have been a year of hell, both for her and for us. So yes, you were very lucky and you sound like a swell guy for sticking with him all these years and never giving up on him.

I know exactly how you feel. You feel like a physical part of you is missing. Like there is a hole in your chest. Hang in there buddy, our thoughts are with you.
 
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iloveprincess

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OhYes, I am terribly sorry to hear about your very recent loss. What a heart wrenching decision you had to make, but it took enormous selflessness to prioritize your kitty's happiness over your own. A true example of love. I do acknowledge how lucky I was that Tigger was so easy and never resisted any of the treatments (I often talked to him and told him to let me know when he had enough with the treatments and I would've respected his wishes), in fact, I think he relished in the extra attention. My thoughts are with you and your family as well, take care of yourself and continue to remind yourself you also did all you could for your girl.

Sidewinder, is that Sage in your profile photo? If so, she is such a beautiful tabby! I am glad you got some of your mojo back with these youngsters although not the same as your Sage, I'm sure. Cheers to you and your wonderful sense of humor!
 

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Sidewinder, is that Sage in your profile photo? If so, she is such a beautiful tabby! I am glad you got some of your mojo back with these youngsters although not the same as your Sage, I'm sure. Cheers to you and your wonderful sense of humor!
That's Tiger as my avatar, and he's male like Sage... lemme dig up a few photos of the SageMeister, he was such a cool cat!!!

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Photos don't do justice to Sage, he was the smartest and most loyal cat I ever had the pleasure of knowing... there he is with Crackhead in the last photo. Poor ol' Sage, I miss him but life goes on, ya know? One day we'll be reunited, he sure was a tough cat... went camping with me as I was waiting for escrow to close on this home, here's the venue under the Stronghold:

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And one more shot of Sage with Crackhead, the two were quite close... 😥

Edit: I should say that's just one bit of the Stronghold, the real fortress is farther up to the north, but these crags & domes are still radical, you'll know exposure if you're on them, LOL. :eek2:
 
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iloveprincess

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These photos are amazing and to be cherished! Lots of great memories that will always live on. Both boys are incredibly handsome and I got a kick out of your cat's name, Crackhead, haha :). Thank you for sharing these!
 
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