This past weekend I lost my beloved Cat. He was only 2 1/2. The shock still has not worn off. I keeping thinking it was a bad dream and I will wake up soon to find him sleeping at my feet. He was an unexpected surprise in my life. We weren't even planning on getting cat when he suddenly appeared. He kept me company and now the house feels so empty.

He was sweet, funny, energetic and full of love. He was my shadow. My heart is broken at how soon he was taken from us. How one minute he was full of energy and the next he was gone.

I don't know if any animal could ever come close to filling my heart with such joy. I know it will get easier with time, but right now, all I feel is pain.

Hi, Nemo, please permit me to offer you my sincerest sympathies in the physical loss of your beloved Cat. Losing a beloved companion is never easy regardless of the circumstances or how long we are blessed with the privilege of their company. Losing a companion is a traumatic experience, and when we lose them suddenly this can intensify our grief.

Nemo, the grief you are feeling is very normal. Shock is a normal response when we have experienced a traumatic event. It is our brain's way of protecting us from becoming so overwhelmed by the circumstances. "Reality" is too harsh to deal with, and our response is to go into what I call "automatic pilot" mode - - bills get paid, laundry gets done, jobs get done, errands get done, etc., but it feels like we are emotionally detached. Nothing seems to make "sense" - - how can anything make "sense" when our hearts are grieving the physical absence of our beloved companion!!???!!

Nemo, this grief journey can only be traveled one day at a time, sometimes one moment at a time. The emotions that we go through can overwhelm us - - sometimes crushing us all at one time. This grief journey is frequently referred to as a horror roller coaster ride. One of the many things to remember is that you are not alone in your grief journey, Nemo. Each of us are here for you for as long and as often as you need us. You are among friends here who truly do understand what you are feeling.

Thank you for sharing your beloved Cat with us. Perhaps sometime you will feel up to sharing picture(s) of her, and what happened - - but only when / if you are ready. Please know you are in my thougths and prayers, Nemo, and look forward to knowing how you're doing whenever possible.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Moon Beam, thank you for your kind words. My little Nemo passed away suddenly on Saturday. We don't know exactly what happened. One minute he was running around and then he collapsed and died in my arms. He showed no signs of any illness. We can only suspect that he died of a heart ailment or an aneurism.

It is hard to understand why he was taken from us so soon. He brought such joy to our lives. He had such a sweet personality but still could be a little mischievious. He knew how to get your attention. He would talk back to me like he knew what I was saying and that he had an opion about it. He filled an empty void that was in the house when my daughter went off to college.

I find my self dreading coming home because I know he won't be there to great me in the window. I know I won't come home to find every door open because he hated when they were closed. I know in time I will be able to smile when I think about him. But for now, my heart is broken.

"I know in time I will be able to smile when I think about him. But for now, my heart is broken."

Hi, Nemo, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. I wish I could reach through the computer to where you are and put my arms around you, to offer you a shoulder to bury yourself into and be there to hold you, to listen. But I am here with you, Nemo, and I do so well understand how you are feeling. This grief adjustment journey takes time, and sometimes it can feel like an eternity all by itself.

I can so well understand how you feel about coming home: "I find my self dreading coming home because . . . ." The silence is deafening, isn't it? Our companion's precious energy - - physical and emotional - - fills our hearts, lives, and homes, and when they are no longer physically present the absence of their energy is profound. Adjusting to the "new normal" of not being needed to take care of them is overwhelming - - and crushing. The good news is that your Nemo's sweet Living Spirit continues to be with you in your heart and memories, and he is sharing your daily life now just as he always has and always will. He is forever thankful for all the loving care you gave him during his earthly journey. I hope in time, as your deep grief eases, your feelings of "dreading to come home" will transform into happy memories which will bring comfort and peace to your heart.

I am so smiling at your words "He knew how to get your attention. He would talk back to me like he knew what I was saying and that he had an opion about it." Indeed our companions DO understand every word we say to them, and they DO have an opinion - - which they express freely!!! Our lives are changed for the better when our companions share our hearts and daily lives, and our lives change again when they precede us to the angels. None of us know how long our earthly journey will be together, and this is one of the many reasons why the time we have with our companions is so precious to us. YOU, Nemo, are the one who is blessed with the treasured memories of your beloved Nemo. YOU, Nemo, are forever blessed with being his FOREVER MOM.

Nemo, thank you again so much for sharing with us how you're doing. When our beloved companions precede us to the angels without warning of any illness and no apparent injury our grief is intensified. I can only hope that the words I write to you will offer you some comfort, encouragement, and hope as you read them. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Nemo, and look forward to knowing how things are going for you whenever possible.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Thank you Moon_Beam for you word of support and understanding. They have helped me more than you know.

Today it will be two weeks since my Nemo passed on. I still cry at the drop of a hat. Today I started crying because he was following me around while I watered the plants. He used to wait for me to put the watering can down so he could tip it over. It's those little things that I remember and miss.

Hi, Nemo, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. I so do understand when you say "it's those little things that I remember and miss." The routines that we develop with our companions during their earthly journey become an integral part of our lives, and is one of the many reasons why the adjustments we must make when they precede us to the angels are so painful - - both emotionally and physically.

Unfortunately every day during our deep grief is a horrendous reminder that our companions are no longer physically with us. The deep grief that is in our hearts feels like it will never end - - that meaning has forever vanished from our lives. I promise you, Nemo, that in time, at your own time and in your own way, eventually you will begin to feel the deep grief ease. And when this happens, it will allow you to once feel the warmth of your beloved Nemo's eternal love for you, and this is what your beloved Nemo wants for you - - and with you. He is forever a part of you, Nemo - - he is forever a heartbeat close to you.

Nemo, thank you so very much for sharing with us how you're doing, and for sharing some of your treasured memories of your beloved Nemo. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, Nemo, and look forward to knowing how life is treating you.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Dear Nemo, Please be gentle with yourself, this is such a hard road you are on - it's all the little things that added up to your love for each other and which stitched together your lives, and now it feels ripped apart without them, each one a reminder of your loss...I promise you, eventually it will get easier, when the loudness of the pain subsides you will hear Nemo in the quiet stillness of your heart, he will always be with you, loving you still...I hope today brings you a moment of peace, Leejaye

Thank you Moon_Beam and Leejay. It has been three weeks since we lost our precious Nemo. Each day gets a little bit better. It is still hard being at home The silence id defining. Sometimes at night I swear I can hear him running around. I feel his presence everywhere.

"Sometimes at night I swear I can hear him running around. I feel his presence everywhere."

Hi, Nemo, thank you so very much for sharing with us how you're doing. I hope you are comforted by the presence of your beloved Nemo's sweet Living Spirit offering comfort to you letting you know he is still with you -- always and forever.

This grief adjustment journey is a process - - not a marathon. It takes time to traverse all the twists and turns and ups and downs and turnarounds - - one day at a time, sometimes one moment at a time. Please know we are always here for you.

I hope today is being kind to you, Nemo. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, and look forward to knowing how you're doing whenever possible.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam