Why am I crying over a darn cat?

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Pattylt said:
I worry about people that have a pet and don’t cry when they die!
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This sounds just like my father in law. After the last of the aforementioned cats died and was taken out to the farm for burial, this hard and emotionless man whispered to me while there were tears being shed by others, “I’d never cry over losing a pet”. I’ve known this man for 40+ years and know he spoke this expecting my agreement and a quiet snicker. I did not oblige him.
 
My most vivid memory was me at six years old. I had taken in a stray cat who had kittens. I remember playing with her and her kittens.

The neighbor’s boy, about a year younger than I, killed all of the kittens while the mother cat and I were away. He used a knife to kill them.

I saw them dead all bloody with mama cat looking at me. She meowed once. I remember crying and running away. The adults around me just laughed at me calling me stupid for crying over animals. Also they told me that boys will be boys and boys like to kill animals.

Mom cat left soon after. I don’t blame her. People suck.
 
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Sarcelle said:
The neighbor’s boy, about a year younger than I, killed all of the kittens while the mother cat and I were away. He used a knife to kill them.
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Oh gosh. Is he a serial killer now or something?
 
No

I actually got to be good friends with him later on. He turned out fine.

He later got engaged to a woman who was diagnosed with cancer and stuck with her through thick and thin.

That was the last I heard of him. His wife died shortly a few years after marriage. I don’t know what happened to him afterwards.

My parents knew his parents and there have been rumors of the the father being violently abusive.

From what hear from mutual friends is that he was able to overcome his abusive upbringing.
 
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Lea101 said:
That’s such a relief to hear
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I agree, because there are so many stories of people starting off abusing and killing animals and then escalating to abusing and sometimes even killing humans. I’m glad to hear that wasn’t the case here, although the abuse of animals should not be minimized.
 
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Pets see something in us the we sometimes have difficult seeing in ourselves; our ability to be loved.
 
phoage said:
This morning we took him to the vet and had him euthanized. We buried him under the lime tree in our back yard. I have not been able to stop crying.

George is one of Gods creatures. I know it is theologically unsound, but I said a Chaplet for George. I really hope there is a Rainbow Bridge.
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I’m so sorry for your loss.

George the cat was your good friend for many months. It is natural to grieve over the loss of a friend whom you saw daily and enjoyed having around.

It is sometimes difficult to grieve for a pet as a adult in today’s society because those who are not “animal people” or have not had the experience of a close relationship with an animal don’t “get it”. When I was in my early 20s and had just moved away from home with my beloved little pet of several years, it died and I was very upset (the animal was a tie to “back home” as well as being a beloved friend in its own right) and some of my office mates made fun of me and told jokes. Fortunately, social media groups for animal lovers (I’m in about a half dozen cat groups, and some groups for bunnies and pugs, and used to be on a guinea pig mailing list) as well as the ability to find sympathetic acquaintances on social media, have helped with this. Any announcement of an ill or deceased animal companion will bring much support there. I often make an effort to be supportive of those who have suffered loss of a pet because I still remember how much it hurt to have people I worked with and generally liked laugh at me for grieving.

Please rest assured that darling George isn’t in need of prayers, he never committed a sin in his life. God will use your prayers to help you in your grief. God loves all his creations and will take care of his creature George. We need to trust our loving Father God to take care of this. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. In this case the Lord gave you George to be your friend for a little while, as an expression of His love for you. (And thanks to you and your wife for taking him in and giving him an awesome “retirement home” thus sparing him from an unloved death.) The Lord has now said it is time for him to take back George, but he will be ever in your heart.

I deal with this every day, as I have had many, many beloved pets, and while there have been at this point too many for me to think about them all constantly, I do from time to time think of a few of the most special ones, including two cats who died in the last few years from cancers (One was my late mother’s cat who I took in after Mom’s death in 2015; the cat had to be euthanized a few months back) and another cat with diabetes who died 15 years ago.

(Continued next post due to length limits)
 
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(Continued from previous post)

As for Rainbow Bridge, after prayerfully struggling with this for several days 35 years ago (While i was grieving and on top of that, getting mocked by my coworkers over the devastating loss of my pet), I choose to believe in it because of my trust in the mercy and love of God. For me, it is a settled issue. I will not say anything further on that topic because I do not want to set off a theological argument in your grief thread, and unfortunately “Pets in Heaven” has triggered some pretty hot button threads on CAF in the past.

Once again, my sincere condolences on your loss of George.

Perhaps, once you have had time to grieve, you and your wife will consider taking in another cat in need of a home, maybe another one whose owner has to go into nursing care or has died. Lots of cats in need out there. It would be a great way to honor George’s memory by helping another kitty, if you feel you can.
 
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Sarcelle said:
My parents knew his parents and there have been rumors of the the father being violently abusive.

From what hear from mutual friends is that he was able to overcome his abusive upbringing.
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I’m glad. It’s very hard for me to read animal abuse stories. I force myself to do so anyway, and pray for the abusers, because it is hard for me. I have relatively little trouble praying for those who harm humans, in most cases. Animals are a different story.

I am sorry you had that terrible experience.
 
I was going to post this in the “Life is too short. Post a Cartoon” thread. It’s not a cartoon, but it’s just so darn cute:

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
They say you don’t choose cats, cats choose you.

It was true in my case.

But once they choose you, they follow up by being so sweet and loving.
 
phoage said:
I have not been able to stop crying.
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At least you can cry. I haven’t been able to for decades.

Those fur-balls come into our private universes and make themselves a part of our lives, and when they depart, they leave a hole that is much bigger than they are.

D
 
phoage said:
George is one of Gods creatures. I know it is theologically unsound, but I said a Chaplet for George. I really hope there is a Rainbow Bridge.
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There is nothing unsound about about praying for the soul of a cat. Catholic theology only addresses man’s relationship with God. It cannot answer definitively the fate of animal souls. but it is not contradictory to the faith of man to pray for them.

God bless George, and may he play to his heart’s content in God’s bosom.
 
Shasta-Rose said:
And if there are trees, won’t there be birds singing in them and hopping around on the grass under them?
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I’ve actually heard people deny that there will be birds in heaven, since they aren’t mentioned specifically in the bible. Their little minds close up tightly when a long list of things that are not mentioned in the bible is presented.
 
At about age 9, I lost my first pet to death…a hamster…and Jews, too, debate the possibility of pets in heaven. My mother didn’t believe they went there to which I exclaimed, if my hamster isn’t in heaven then I’m not going there. I no longer believe there’s a heaven. If there is and all my pets aren’t there…I’m still not going! :hugs:😇:hugs:
 
Pretty much what I said when my beloved guinea pig died.
After a couple days of being upset, I had a dream that my guinea pig had white angel wings and she could fly. In the dream I watched her fly across the living room.
After that I didn’t worry any more.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
After a couple days of being upset, I had a dream that my guinea pig had white angel wings and she could fly. In the dream I watched her fly across the living room.
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Awww, that’s so sweet! I’ve had numerous guinea pigs and loved them all. I’m now imagining them with little wings! 😇😃. I’ve heard several posters claim that God will provide in heaven that which each person needs to be happy. If your pets are needed, they will be there. I like that thought!
 
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