My boy left me this past Friday...

[Purr-fect]

That garden was obviously made with alot of love. May you find peace and contentment there. Very nice work.

 

[amandag]

amandag I am so very sorry for your loss. Gary was so very lucky to have had a good home with you. As I've said to many people on this site, so many cats are homeless, and either suffer on the streets (the average life span is five years), or die unwanted and alone at the shelter. So those who are owned, or vice versa, by members of this site are fortunate indeed. The tragedy about Gary's all-too-brief life is that he never would have been ill had his mother been vaccinated against FeLV.

You went above and beyond what most people would do -- consulting universities, spending a lot of money on vet care -- but as you know, when the immune system is compromised, it leaves the cat open to every germ out there.

Gary is free of his body, never to be ill again. He thanks you for the 3-1/2 years he had with you. And remember this: Gary didn't die -- his body did. What animated his body -- his spirit -- is very much alive in another dimension. He probably is sitting in his stroller as I write this. He will visit you often, because physical death cannot break the bonds of love between you and him. He also feels your emotions.

When you are ready, Gary will send you another needy cat. In the meantime, don't focus on his last days, but on the rest of the days with him. Yes, grieve for his loss, but think of the good times, too. That's what Gary would want you to do.

Thanks for your kind words. About a week before Gary got sick a female cat his age showed up at the house and wouldn't leave. We were not feeding her but she still wouldn't leave. After Gary died she would sit at the window and meow all night long. We finally took her to the vet and got her shots and now she is a member of the family.

 

[Antonio65]

She came to the right house, she knew that it is of the best places on earth.
Probably Gary showed her the way to the happiness and you did a great thing, a great tribute to Gary!
Ginger cats can do magic!

 

[Purr-fect]

"We finally took her to the vet and got her shots and now she is a member of the family. "

-very nice........good work!

 

[veronica00]

Wow Gary's story and memorial are amazing amandag .. Some things you said in your initial post rang so familiar with me. I lost my Petey yesterday and I am still researching why he had to die from cardiac failure when he went in for anemia. That sense of guilt drives this to feel like I made the right decisions when I feel that more or less could have been done to save him.

Gary was one lucky kitty to be a part of your family.

 

[zed xyzed]

Bless you for giving the new kitty a loving home. what is her name?

 

[ericsmom1000]

Thanks for your kind words. About a week before Gary got sick a female cat his age showed up at the house and wouldn't leave. We were not feeding her but she still wouldn't leave. After Gary died she would sit at the window and meow all night long. We finally took her to the vet and got her shots and now she is a member of the family.
View attachment 195001

Gary wasted no time in bringing another cat into your life. He knew he was leaving, so he brought you one prior to his departure. She may also have been meowing because she saw his spirit. When my dog died, my cat sat in the window and meowed every night for three months. I said a prayer to release my dog to heaven, and my cat stopped meowing after that. They were best friends, and I believe she hung around to be with him. After I released her, she watched her buddy from heaven.

 

[amandag]

Bless you for giving the new kitty a loving home. what is her name?

We went through several names and ended with Kathryn!

 

[amandag]

Wow Gary's story and memorial are amazing amandag .. Some things you said in your initial post rang so familiar with me. I lost my Petey yesterday and I am still researching why he had to die from cardiac failure when he went in for anemia. That sense of guilt drives this to feel like I made the right decisions when I feel that more or less could have been done to save him.

Gary was one lucky kitty to be a part of your family.

Sorry to hear about Petey, it is so hard and I still wonder "what if's" all the time...Cats are so good at hiding pain, it's natural for them. So by the time you notice one thing wrong it is often pretty far along. We knew with FeLV that we would have to face it one day... I'm just thankful he was only sick for less than 2 weeks of his entire life. He brought so much meaning to our lives. We've started a non profit and we're helping local shelters by building free websites for them and also helping them with marketing and volunteering. Myself and my husband are both in the IT field so we're just helping them by doing what we know! We want his life to continue through what we can do to help other animals. He was so special to us..... Sending hugs your way, nothing has made the pain go away for us but helping other animals makes the days easier.