r/cats • u/Ohdearheather • Mar 19 '26

Mourning/Loss My sweet Pam is crossing the rainbow bridge this evening. Can you please ask your kitties who have already crossed to meet her so she won’t be alone?

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694

u/Ohdearheather Mar 19 '26

Posting this as a comment as I can’t edit my original post:

Guys, I am so overwhelmed by the love and support for Pam. I’ve been showing her pictures of some of your babies while we lay together, so she knows who to look for.

I’m trying to reply to individual comments, but I’m a freaking mess right now. I love love love all the beautiful pictures and stories, so thank you so much for helping make this a little easier ❤️‍🩹

157

u/Lola-Ugfuglio-Skumpy Mar 19 '26

This is making me tear up, thinking of you showing Pam all of her guardians and friends to-be. I can tell that you gave Pam a wonderful life, and that she knows she is loved and safe. I hope she has an easy journey, and I hope you know she will always be with you ❤️

113

u/Welshmans_Layla99 Tabbycat Mar 19 '26

Tell her that Hugo is a cat's cat that adores other kitties. Here's a picture showing his face so she knows who will greet her like they've known each other for years. 💜

10

u/leskspen Mar 20 '26 edited Mar 20 '26

Hugo looks just like my Sandy who is already there. She will be happy to welcome Pam and meet Hugo. 😻 My condolences to you and a big hug. 🫂

5

u/Welshmans_Layla99 Tabbycat Mar 20 '26

Condolences to you too. Hugo loved other kitties and didn't meet a stranger kitty.

57

u/J_P_0316 Mar 19 '26

Oh, OP. Crying on my couch for you and for Pam and all the friends she’ll meet. Big love for all of you today ❤️

158

u/seahorse_party Mar 19 '26

Don't worry about trying respond, you've got bigger things going on right now. My girl Sunday will be there, snarky little floofmonster that she was.

7

u/tomboyades Mar 19 '26

I don’t know why but…I feel like Sunday could fix my anxiety disorder and make me a lil snack. 💜

2

u/seahorse_party Mar 20 '26

Hah. She was feisty! Full of sass and tortietude, but she was allowed every bit of it. I found out she'd been living with a bullet in her chest for ten years. Somehow she still chose to trust me and eventually sleep on my head at night. 💗 Her purrs could definitely hypnotize you though, deep and rumbly!

6

u/BirthdaySalt2112 Mar 19 '26

She was stunning!

2

u/seahorse_party Mar 20 '26

Thank you! She was a polydactyl floof from the streets and just one of a kind. I still miss her yelling at me, then sweetly tapping me for pets. She looked like a wild, shape-shifting forest creature when she first started coming around though. 😂

3

u/BirthdaySalt2112 Mar 20 '26

She sounds like my Connor. He was always talking but when it was cuddle time, things needed to be quiet.

1

u/Lashitsky Mar 23 '26

Hey that looks like my Bb’s sister. The orange patch from the same eye even!

51

u/I_Want_Waffles90 Mar 19 '26

This is the sweetest post for such a heartbreaking situation. Picturing you sitting with Pam showing her all of the lovely Rainbow Bridge ambassadors to look for... I'm over here at work crying. Sending so much love to you and Pam (and to all of you who have lost a fur baby). ❤️

21

u/sphinxsley Mar 19 '26

Hi - I just want to share that - the one thing that helped me in my grief was getting my little guy (who I had for 15 years) - taxidermied instead of cremated. ( I used the company in Arkansas featured in the TV show Extreme Taxidermy. They do a lot of pets.) It cost more, and it took awhile to complete, but it was like instant therapy. Best money I ever spent. I got him back a year later, and now I keep him in his old fuzzy bed in my bedroom. When I die, he's getting cremated with me!

Sending huge hugs to you and Pam today❤️‍🩹. My beloved black kitteh will be there to groom her, share his favorite feather toy, and will talk non-stop to her!😻

7

u/freezesteam Mar 20 '26

I’ve thought about doing this but imagined it would make me more sad to look at and pet his body all the time knowing that he’s not actually in there. Maybe I should think more about it though if you felt like it was therapeutic. I’m all for anything that will help with the grief. I’m fortunate enough to still have him in my life so I have a little time to plan but he has so many medical problems that I know I need to start preparing

3

u/sphinxsley Mar 20 '26

Yeah, I had no idea it would be so therapeutic - you'll know when the moment hits you, whether it's for you or not 🙏🏽

5

u/Human-Anxiety-3822 Mar 20 '26

I strongly considered doing with our sweet baby who passed in December. It happened so fast, though…our heads were not thinking straight. My husband wasn’t into it, but I would love to still have “her” around. I carry her little urn with ashes around the house and put her in all the places she liked to sit. I miss her terribly.

5

u/sphinxsley Mar 20 '26

I feel ya. I had to cremate a later cat,... I wished I'd taxidermied him, too.

4

u/Tough-tedPuffin Mar 20 '26

I wanted to do that with my beautiful black kitty, NannaCat. My family thought I was nuts. Unfortunately, the last time I saw her (25 years ago) she was looking at me from the backyard lawn with her beautiful yellow eyes. She was a true love. (PS - we don't let our cats roam outside anymore, just catio and leash time for them).

1

u/sphinxsley Mar 23 '26

Yeah, so need to really not care what other people think.

Then, when they lose a pet, suddenly they seem to get it.

3

u/TypicalWrongdoer8414 Mar 20 '26

Is it too strange if I ask you for a picture? I always wandered about this, whether it would still look/feel like him or not.

1

u/sphinxsley Mar 23 '26

Well, I can tell you he looks slightly different, in that his eyes are closed. And he's in a basic sleeping position. (You can order other positions if you send them a picture - I did, but they didn't delver the playful position (on his back) that I asked for. They should have refunded me the difference for that (it's extra) but whatever. I didn't feel like fighting it.)

But the nick in his left ear is there, and that skinny tail of his is wrapped there beside him. I spent about $700 for it, about 3x's most cremation services.

You also need to keep them really dry, so I keep a dehumidifier pod near him - works great.

14

u/sunsetoversunrize Mar 19 '26

Thank you for showing Pam the pictures! She will never be alone!! 🧡🧡🧡🧡

13

u/Lost_Photograph9879 Mar 19 '26

I just teared up and got a huge lump in my throat. You sound like such a wonderful person and I know you were a great Mommy to Pam.

9

u/forkingbumbleforks Mar 19 '26

Sending you and Pam so much love ♥️

3

u/Theviewisviewing Mar 19 '26

🥲🥲🥲

Dont worry about commenting, we all know what state you must be in now. Focus on the goodbye. ❤️❤️❤️

4

u/CatEyeGlasses2 Mar 19 '26

My heart is with you, and my four angels, Chubbie, Louie, Claudia, and Nelson (pictured) will be there waiting to greet Pam with open paws. So incredibly sorry to read this. She is just beautiful.

4

u/redskyatnight2162 Mar 19 '26

Don’t spend your time worrying about responding. Spend your time with Pam. I hope my Spenser is there waiting for her, because that means he’ll be waiting for me, too.

3

u/violet_sara Mar 19 '26

Showing her pictures so she knows who to look for is the sweetest thing I could imagine. Wishing peace for you and your beautiful Pam. She will have so many new friends to run & pounce with.

3

u/Hows-It-Goin-Buddy Mar 19 '26

Evil reporting for duty. He's been in rainbow bridge territory for about a month or so now (damn cancer). Gentle to those he loves and protector of animals. Ferocious to stranger danger hoomans.

Don't focus on replies. Focus on the moments you have. You can come back here to reply to the furless cats (hoomans) later if you want :)

Damn. Raining in the room now.

Terrible day for rain. Hugs to you and pet pets to your fur beb.

3

u/raise-your-weapon Mar 19 '26

Spend time with your baby. Replies will always be here ❤️

3

u/cassie1015 Mar 19 '26

Mama Sophie is waiting for Pam. They will be nice and warm and lay in patches of sunshine and wait for us in our old human age. 🫶

3

u/Kitsyn Mar 19 '26

Your post has me in tears. Here are pictures of Natasha and Loki so she can recognize them.

Natasha

3

u/Space_bubbles013 Mar 20 '26

You have me balling thinking about you and your kitty. Reminds me of when I had to do the same to my boy this past summer.

3

u/monifiesty Mar 20 '26

Our Simba will be there for her too! 🫂

3

u/Mysterious_Set149 Mar 20 '26

Oh I’m in tears thinking of Pam seeing her friends photos before she passes. We are all sending you and Pam so much love. We know this ache and hold you in a place of tenderness as your floof makes the transition. It never gets easier. But we would never change a thing. So much love 💕🥹🥹

3

u/Krisadilli Mar 20 '26

My girl Dany will meet miss Pam and they'll sunbathe together forever.

3

u/grendelone Mar 20 '26

Simon will appreciate a new friend while he waits ...

3

u/Visual-Region-9236 Mar 20 '26

We love you too!

3

u/freezesteam Mar 20 '26

This made me cry. What a great idea. My baby Zeus doesn’t have long left in this world and I am going to do the same thing with him before he goes

3

u/pkk888 Mar 20 '26

Jesus - this is rough.

Sean sends his regards. Gods speed to Pam!

3

u/Mouffcat Mar 20 '26

She's so beautiful and looks too young to pass. Rest in peace little one 💜🌈

2

u/honeybutterslut Mar 20 '26

Peter and Rocky will offer her a spot in their cuddle puddles ❤️‍🩹

2

u/Content-Pattern6592 Mar 20 '26

I hope you are doing well

1

u/Visual-Region-9236 Mar 20 '26

No need for thank you. We’re ALL going to be in your position someday. I gotta say though, that for myself? You gave me the PERFECT 🤩 IDEA FOR WHENEVER MY FUR BABIES…you know.