Does anyone understand?

Completely! A loved pet is part of your family! Anyone with any love or empathy would feel the same. I am so sorry for your losses!

i am so sorry(

Yes I felt my Lilly was my soul mate too, first time I've admitted that.

My friends were so kind & thoughtful, none had pets, but they sent me bougets of flowers & bereavement cards.

for all on here who have loved & lost xxx

Ironmaiden my little Lilly had kidney probs & on a special diet, she got very thin too

Same with me SalsaQueen but not a stroke, sorry for your loss x

notentirelyallhere I must do the same. Lilly is in the crem. box, which is very pretty, sitting on my bedside bookcase with all my family pics. But I want to put her in a lovely Westie ceramic pot I wasn't given a few Xmas ago [it had biscuits in it. I'm afraid to do it though! But the pot looks just like Lilly, so every time I look at it, sitting on my harth, I think of Lilly, so think that's where she should be.

My little GD that loved Lilly was over for an Easter egg hunt on Easter Friday, whilst my little Lilly was in hospital. We had a lovely lunch in the garden, an Easter egg & spoon race. They then left to see the film Mary Poppins.

My vet than phoned to say nothing more they could do for my Lilly, so I collected her and bought her home for cuddles. My D&GC came back, but of course I couldn't let them in as it was Lilly's last moments. My little GD face when I said she couldn't come in, I'll never forget

But now, every time she comes round she says is Lilly in heaven,..what up there in the skies... can she not come down again even when she speaks to me on the phone she says the same. They phoned me yesterday on their way back from holiday and the first thing my little GD said was..[the above] she's 3.5yrs

Sorry for your losses Tedber I'm glad you posted though, haven't read the reply posts yet, but def. will, I think they will help me.

I lost my furbaby Lilly [Westie] on the 20th April just gone, the pain of losing her floored me. When my M&D passed away she was there for me, when I lost my beloved D&GC & then S [through estrangement], she kept me from ending my life, she really did. So sweet & loving, I had her for 15.5yrs and now she's gone. It's horrible coming home to an empty house, it's horrible not to have her curled up next to me on the bed and to hear her comforting breathing. No little tail wagging, seen through the glass front door, as I come home. No one to say good morning or goodnight to, I'm truly lost without her

The moment she passed, Sat 4.33pm 16 days ago, I made that involuntary cry one makes only when you lose a loved one, it sort of comes up from your gut.

Thank you soooo much everyone for your comments and words of comfort. All heartbreaking but am glad I am not just 'strange' Take care everyone x

Oh no, I'm so sorry. I know exactly how you feel. I had to take our beloved 15 year old cat Thistle to the vet a few weeks ago and I came home with an empty pet carrier. It was all very sudden - he'd come in through the cat flap, meowing in a scary manner, unable to hold his head up or walk straight. He'd been fine in the morning. I phoned the vet & took him straight in but the vet scanned him & said he had a huge growth in his kidney which had probably spread to his brain. Sadly, putting him to sleep was the only real option. I was absolutely devastated, it was all so sudden and 6 weeks later, I still can't bear being without him. I miss him so very much, the house seems so empty and I keep imagining he's still here. We've always had at least one cat about the place so I'm no stranger to losing them but it never gets any easier. They are family members & it's perfectly natural to grieve as though they are people.

We had a beautiful black labrador called rosie come to us as a rescue dog when she was 3 yrs old,that first night she arrived she snuggled up to OHs arm and never really let him out of her sight until we lost her 14yrs later it was the worst time in our family as she was so loved by everyone even though we had other dogs at the time.
We still miss her now after all this time they always leave a specialplace in your heart when they have to leave us.

Loss pokes at past loss.

One of the hardest things I have had to deal with was making the decision that my very lovely and beloved Springer spaniel had suffered enough and needed to go to the vets. That was almost 20 years ago and it still brings tears to my eyes. I have a beautiful Westie now and dread when that day arrives. She is ten and is slowing down now. I can't think about it. In the intervening 20 years I've lost Dad, Mum and older sister and still losing my beloved Nip was what upsets me most.

Know how you are feeling Todber, had my lovely cat Jerry put to sleep two weeks ago, he was almost 20 years old. To say iam heartbroken is not enough. I feel I've lost my last connection to my Dad who passed away 5 years ago as they adored each other. The house feels empty, he's not waiting on the driveway to greet me when I have been shopping, or waiting patiently to be fed. I know he was only a cat but he was part of the family and is greatly missed. Losing a loved pet isn't like losing a parent,or anyone you loved but the sadness is genuine and it hurts.

Thank you for starting for starting this thread Tedber. Our dear old dog died last week and his son 7 years ago. Our dear old cat is not well either and we have lost quite a few cats over the years. I am always devastated when they go.

I think our pets love us, but more importantly, they let us love them. We can poor love on them & they give it back.
Sometimes it is an easier relationship than with some humans. No constant negotiations.
I think the fostering route is a good idea now as we are a lot older.

Over the years I have cried for the loss of cats, dogs, tortoises, gerbils.......even a goldfish or two! I think that having to consent to them being “put to sleep” adds guilty feelings, and makes us feel even worse.

I've lost 4 pets so far, a dog and 3 cats and I could still cry about my faithful dog who died in 1989 and my first cat who died in 2012. My present cat (and hopefully we will see each other out) is very loving so the answer is to get another kitten to love as soon as you feel able to.

When a poor bedraggled ginger cat landed on my doorstep, I tried to ignore it, however it could hardly walk so the children fed it and it kept coming back. Not sure if it had had an owner, but if it had, I would have reported them for cruelty!
Over the next 18 years he was a very important part of the family and literally came to rule the roost! We all loved him (more than most of our relatives).
Eventually we had to take the very sad decision to have him put to sleep as he was obviously in pain and suffering. Me and my adult son held each other and sobbed as he slipped away.
He was one of our family and is very sadly missed. They have a way of winding themselves round your heart.

Miss my big softie Rottweiler Flashy....for months after she died, I swear I could hear the little bell she had on her collar .

Yes.... I understand. When many many years ago we had to have our beloved Dalmatian put to sleep the pain was unbearable...... I said I would never willingly put myself through that again so have never had another dog. I wish I could get over my fear cis I would really love another dog now we’ve both retired.

I too total understand, as will most pet owners. Your pets truly become part of your family, especially I think when the children have gone. There is more time for you to interact with them, and the love goes both ways I am sure.

We have a horrible situation now where one of our cats, just 4 years old, has inoperable cancer. He does not seem in pain so he is having monthly steroid injections, which help a lot. But we know his days are numbered, so we're spoiling him and loving him. We will do the right thing when the vet says.

Sadly our pets generally go before us, and it's heart breaking. But for me, the pain is worth it, for the love I get from them.

You've had several recent losses, and on top of that, Duke went so suddenly, naturally you would be devastated. Look after yourself, try and do somethings you enjoy. In a while, it will be less raw. Best wishes.

Over the years we have loved and lost several cats and two dogs but none hit me as much as losing my darling cat Harry 8 years ago - he was 15 and my soulmate. The vet came to the house to put him to sleep and I managed to hold it together as he peacefully passed away on my knee but when they had left with him wrapped in a blanket I was totally distraught and curled up and howled. I felt so guilty as I hadn't done that for my father who had died the year before.

I think part of it is because our pets rely on us to care for them and give so much love in return that they inevitably cause us such grief when they go. It's totally understandable you feel so devastated at the loss of your lovely boy. Be kind to yourself and don't feel guilty.

I lost my cat last summer and still miss her so much. The house feels so empty! We have started going away a lot recently so I decided it would be unfair to get a kitten - also it would probably outlive me and I would be worried about that. I decided the best thing to do was foster. I have jumped through hoops and am now registered with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home as a cat fosterer. Only just got it sorted so haven’t yet had one to look after but looking forward to it.
I feel for you.

I really do understand . And i’m Sure no matter what the pet it must be the same. I lost my German Shepherd (Freddie) recently ( I know it’s not a cat) He died suddenly at home in front of my eyes and I can’t believe the utter grief I experienced. I know I must sound like i’m being dramatic, but I cried so much I could barely catch my breath! I’m embarrassed to say I cried more for him than I did for my parents! It was an overwhelming sadness for my parents but probably more of an acceptance, whereas Freddie felt like ‘my boy’ - not in a human sense, but my ‘companion’. I miss him terribly just like my parents, so I suppose animals are family members too and you’re going to grieve in the same way.

Totally understand how deveststing this can be ??