Purrfect Pet Memorial

Because cats live for less time than us, we are likely to experience at least one cat's death during our lifetime.

You have a strong emotional bond to your cat. Cats often provide us with genuine and consistent unconditional love, the sort of nonjudgmental companionship that we don't always get from the humans in our lives. People who don't own pets may find it hard to understand these emotions.

If you're like me, you see your cats as family members. We are more likely to outwardly show affection to cats and they certainly increase the amount of joy in our homes. Cats can assume great importance during difficult times, like illness, loss of a family member or family break-up.

It's hardly surprising then that we might respond to the death of a cat in the same way we would respond to the loss of a family member or friend. The grief process typically starts with a sense of numbness and disbelief, followed by painful feelings of guilt, sadness and depression. Feelings of guilt may be greater if you feel somehow responsible for your cat's death or that you didn't do enough to protect your cat from harm. We may become preoccupied with thoughts and memories of our cat and find it hard to concentrate on other things. Over time, we are likely to feel more acceptance of the loss and eventually feel open to having a new cat.

Everyone is different however, and some people simply feel the loss more acutely or for longer than others. The circumstances of a cat's death will also influence how it affects us. A sudden death may feel more intense than after a prolonged illness, or if we made a decision to euthanize. If we have experienced your cat's loss after a number of other losses, animal or human, this can compound our reactions. There is also some evidence to suggest that women may experience grief over pet loss more intensely than men, although both men and women bond equally with their pets.

If you are grieving for a cat, you should know that it is entirely normal to feel this loss as much as you would a family member or cherished friend. It is hard when others are insensitive to this and don't recognise the importance of our cats in our lives. If you can, try to find people to talk to about it who love animals and can understand your feelings. This website aims to provide a supportive community of cat lovers that may help. Tell us about your cat and how you feel about him or her in a pet memorial page. I guarantee we will know how you feel.

Grief involves wanting to maintain a connection with someone who is no longer with us. Although you can no longer have the physical connection, you can keep pieces of your beloved pet's life around to ease the loss. Place a framed photo on your wall or shelf, keep your pet's collar and bowl. In time, you will look at them less and feel less pain when you do. A pet memorial page on this site is a great (and free) way to share your feelings and celebrate the joy your cat brought you with other cat lovers. Go easy on yourself. Loving animals is a beautiful thing.