<p>Another book I wanted to mention was " the Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein.
It’s not about cats, and it is a novel, but the narrator is a dog, who dies from old age at the beginning and has come back to life in a new form.
My H thought it was comforting, in anticipation of when our dog goes.</p>
<p>Re photos: We have a little “shrine” for our dog with a wonderful, personality-filled photo of our dog that makes me smile. It really does help.</p>
<p>I am so sorry for you, anothermom. Just reading your post made me well up because I have been there a few times in the last few years. Crying about it is nothing to be ashamed of…just this morning when I took my dogs out, I was over by the little grave marker where we buried the cat who died in October and I felt sad.</p>
<p>When he died, I went into a store that sells a lot of birdfeeders and the like ( a store I am in frequently ) I bought a little stone that read " Our beloved pet " and also a bronze kitty with wings…then I broke down in tears in front of the cashier, who knows me…I felt like an idiot , but they understand because we animal lovers grieve when we lose one of our loved ones.</p>
<p>Pets give us unconditional love. (Well, cats give us love when it suits them). They don’t know or care if you had a bad day or your haircut looks awful or you screwed up at work. Of course we love them and of course we grieve their loss. </p>
<p>Don’t let it stop you from getting another pet though. Give yourself a few months, and then welcome another kitty into your home - get one from a reputable shelter and you’ll be doing both you and the new kitty a wonderful favor.</p>
<p>When my mother lost her chihuahua, she went into a big depression. We told her that we didn’t think that she would grieve that much for her kids if we were to die. She said, “Of course I wouldn’t! That dog never talked back and gave me nothing but love.” </p>
<p>Well, we had to agree with her on that one…that dog should have been our role model.</p>
<p>Don’t ever let anyone give you a hard time about grieving “just” a pet. 99.9 % of the time these are people who for some reason just can’t relate to animals, and it’s a shame when their kids grow up the same way. Pets are a loving, entertaining, companionable presence in our lives, and it’s a real loss when they’re gone. My dog died last spring, and it’s still sometimes strange to look down and not have him lying here as I type at the computer. </p>
<p>Each animal, like each person, is irreplaceable, but we have happy memories, and can still look forward to sharing the love with other pets that come into our lives. Take care!</p>