Hi everyone. Thanks for joining the group. I thought it might be a good idea to get things started with some introductions. If you'd like to take a minute to say something about yourself and what brought you here, I'd be delighted.
For me, personally, I started this group for a couple of reasons. First of all, I've been writing a weekly cat advice column for almost five years now. In that time I've gotten letters from a number of people whose cat companions recently died or people whose cats are terminally ill, all of whom have been struggling with the emotions around this time. I wanted to create this community as a place where people could come and share their feelings, get some emotional support, and hopefully gain from the experience of others who have experienced the same grief.
It's never easy to lose a friend. And it's even harder when you have to make the choice to let your cat friend go because he or she is suffering and you know in your heart that they're not going to get better. The loss is especially poignant if you know there are treatment options available but you simply can't afford the $10,000 kidney transplant or the ongoing expense of chemotherapy -- and maybe your cat wouldn't enjoy any kind of quality of life after the treatment, anyhow.
I've lived with cats since I was a child and in the course of that time I've dealt with the loss of several good cat friends. Two of them were euthanized due to terminal illness, and with one of them I actually had to make that final decision. I lost a couple from being hit by cars, two died of old age, and my sweet feline soulmate, Sinéad O'Kitty, went outside one night and became prey for coyotes in the forest at the age of 10. I've grieved for all these beautiful animals, and I know the guilt and sorrow that comes with having made these choices.
If you want to tell the story of the death of a cat companion and how you coped, you're welcome to do that. At another time, I'll share a couple of my own stories. Please feel free to make your own introductory post or comment to others' posts.
Thank you, and welcome again to
beyondthebridge.