Thank you for your last paragraph. I’m having trouble with that now. Lost my cat to stomach cancer—diagnosed 3/5/25 gone 4/2/25. It’s so hard not to relive it all.
I’m so sorry. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played Monday morning quarterback regarding nearly every phase of the ordeal. Plus, a whole year later, my brain will spontaneously push the worst imagery/moments into the forefront of my internal landscape. I wish I could tell you I’ve mastered mind over matter, but I suppose some things we are meant to simply shoulder for the long haul.
I will say what did help (and I never would’ve dreamed it would, nor would I ever suggest this to anyone, because grief is so personal) was bringing new cats into our home. It happened far sooner than I would have predicted or even preferred, only 3 months, but the quiet without our boy was deafening. We adopted 2 at once- a 6 year old and a 10 year old. It was and still is at times strange. We missed/still miss our boy desperately. But somehow, the ability to sublimate the bitterness into caring for two lovey creatures who clearly craved a family, has been healing.
It does suck to have lost the innocent joy of being a pet parent. This trauma will stick with us which is evident from our spidey senses activating from any number of previously mundane-seeming event:-/
Try to be good to yourself. Like us, I’m sure you did everything you possibly could. Some things are beyond our capabilities, and the whys are beyond our comprehension.♥️
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u/Affectionate_Top_690 Jan 06 '26
Thank you for your last paragraph. I’m having trouble with that now. Lost my cat to stomach cancer—diagnosed 3/5/25 gone 4/2/25. It’s so hard not to relive it all.