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Dealing with Your Cat's Death

If you lose your cat through old age, a tragic accident, or sickness, your family will grieve. You can make the cat's death easier to bear by using the following tips.

Since you viewed your pet as a family member, you will grieve the loss of your cat as much or more than you would that of a human who was close to you. These grief feelings are completely normal. Give yourself time to work through your feelings and do not bottle them up inside.

You will need to discuss the pet's death with your children if you have them. The kids will also need to express their sadness and to talk about happier memories of the pet. Allow your kids to see you cry and grieve your cat's death so that they know these expressions of feelings are acceptable.

Keep your daily routines as normal as possible. Your family will find comfort in the mundane activities of daily life, and they will see that their world has not completely ended.

At some point when you feel ready, you will need to put away your cat's possessions unless you have other cats in your home. If your pet had a toy, food bowl, or other special keepsake, you may want to display it in your curio cabinet or other area for treasured possessions. If you had the cat cremated, you could put the ashes in a decorative urn to commemorate your feline.

Especially if you have young children, you may want to hold a memorial service for the pet. The participants could offer a few words about the pet and then offer a prayer. If you chose cremation, you might have a ceremony if you choose to spread the ashes outside.

If you have other pets in your home, remember that they will be grieving, too. Be sure to give them extra love and playtime to help them adjust to the loss of their playmate.

You may think about getting another cat to replace your former pet. Allowing a period of time to pass after your cat's death is best so that all family members have time to work through the accompanying sadness. Every cat has a different, special personality, and you want to be able to love a new cat wholeheartedly instead of expecting a replacement for your former cat. A different coat color, breed, or sex of cat may be a good way to help the family remember that a new pet is truly a different cat than the one that died.

Remember not to dwell on thoughts of if only. For example, if only I had taken the cat to the vet sooner, if only I had fed more expensive food, or if only I had not let the cat outside. You loved your cat and had good intentions toward him or her.

After a period of grieving, you may start to think about getting another cat. You are ready to get a new feline when you can remember your former pet with fondness, but feel ready to share your love with a new cat.

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Dealing with Your Cat's Death

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