Susan I have been hoping to hear from you again. I hope you haven't stop visiting these boards. Maybe you just don't feel up to writing just now and that's OK. We would all like to hear from you again when you do. Feel free to share stories of Pearl or comment on anything you see here. This is a loving group of people and many of us have gone through what you have. You're in our thoughts.
Thank you all so very much for your wonderful words of sympathy and advice! I've been responding to you individually and am so overwhelmed with the outpouring of love here that I will definitely be a faithful reader! I printed out all the replies and will make a little scrapbook with pictures of Pearl and the "Rainbow Bridge" story. I'm still looking for her in her favorite haunts and hoping I won't forget what it felt like to hold her and smell her fur, which for some mysterious reason always smelled like cotton candy! I want to get another shaded silver Persian just like her but think it might be unfair to a new kitty to have to live up to an old kitty's habits and personality, so I'm thinking I should wait a while to give that new kitty a chance to be able to have its own personality. I love all the websites you all have either devised for yourself or have recommended to me! And this site itself is so full of wonderful information and your beautiful signature photos! I'm in "human kitty heaven." Once again, thank you all lovely people so much! You all will be the main thing I am thankful for this Thanksgiving! You've helped me so very much!! With much love, Susan
Susan your words touched me and I'm so glad you came back to let us know how you are doing. It will be nice to see you on here from time to time and we look forward to getting to know any new furkid that may find its way into your home and heart!
When my husband and I finally started thinking about adopting a new dog (after two years) we were conflicted about the color. Our last standard poodle was black and definitely was the *apple of my hubby's eye.* For that reason he wanted another black female. I didn't like that idea for the same reason you mentioned. I didn't want the new pup to have to live up to any expectations and I felt that being the same color as Whitney might create sadness as well as unintentional comparisons. Hubby actually wanted to see a litter of blacks and I visited a breeder with cream standards before he got a chance to! ;) I called him at work from the breeder's (he didn't even know I was there! :) ) and told him where I was and asked him for permission to get a cream colored puppy. He gave me the OK and the rest is history.
I think when the time is right you will know it. Also your new furkid will probably give you some signals that he/she wants to be yours. We have heard lots of stories like that on Pet Talk. I would have personally liked to adopt sooner than we did but my husband kept saying he couldn't handle the grief and sorrow when they die. It is horrible, no doubt about it, but the love that we can give and receive over those short years to me is well worth it.
I wish you the best in your search someday for a new little one to love. In the meantime stay around. We enjoy hearing from you! Hope each day is a little easier for you.
Hi Susan,
I always catch up to posts late, but I just wanted to say welcome and I'm very sorry for your loss.
I guess it has all been said, and beautifully, might I add, by everyone else here: Don't feel guilty. We all understand.
Hi Susan,
I am sorry to hear about your kitty passing away. Many of us have had to endure the pain and grief of having lost a pet. Over the years, I have had cats and dogs die for various reason and each time getting over it is a bit easier, but far from easy. I have shed many a tear, for days on end. Each pet has held a wonderful place in my heart and can never be replaced. BUT it seems that each time I find a new pet or pets, the new pet has such a special personality, not like the other pet, but different and guess what, I love them just as much for different reasons. I have come to know that there are hundreds of wonderful pets out there in need of our love and our care & companionship. Might I suggestion that when you feel ready, you might consider looking for a wonderful new kitty who will need you and your warm home and who will give you unconditional love that everyone needs. Little kittens, puppies and babies have such a simple and wonderful way of healing big hurts and discomforts. Again, my heart goes out to you. I spent oh so many hours sobbing over my special friends. I have new special friends and know that someday I will have to say goodbye to them too. It is all part of life. Good luck, be strong, go ahead and cry a lot and hey, remember, there is a kitty out there who needs you! ;)
Sas is absolutely right. When I lost my Charlie back in July, I thought I would wait a while before getting another kitty, but I soon realized that the only way to help me start healing would be to find another kitty to love. So I adopted these two wonderful boys.
I still cry for Charlie and I still miss him so much, but I'm sure he would be glad that I gave a home to two more babies who needed it so much.
It may take time for you; everybody is different, but when you feel that you can, remember what Sas said, there is another sweetheart out there just waiting to love and be loved! :)
Be well,
Thelma
The depth of loss often bespeaks the depth of the love that went before it.
It is a blessing to have loved something so much. Cherish the memories, sadness is part of everyone's life tapestry.
Susan, I think your idea of compiling a scrapbook is an excellent one. A few years ago I suffered what was the worst thing I have ever been through, and I've been through a lot - the deaths of all three of my cats at once. I truly believe the only thing that got me through it was gathering all their pictures and putting them in an envelope, along with jottings of everything I could ever think of about them - how I cam to have them, why they got their names, their nicknames, the songs I used to sing to them, the funniest things they did, their favorite treats, their favorite toys. I still have it, and every once in a while I come across it and look at everything again. I know look at it with a smile on my face instead of tears in my eyes.