Suggestion Options

[whitebird]

Pinky, sweet precious Pinky is gone and I don't think he's coming back. It's been 3 weeks now and I know he's never coming back. I didn't give up on him...I just know somehow. Still my heart soars when I imagine he is back, thinner though, his injured neck and back healing..sitting there on the walkway with the other cats looking up at me with that sweet little face and crinkly ears...

I came here to Lightning Strike for support. I was glad to see there was a place specifically for people who have lost or missing animals. I read each and every post looking for comfort and for sharing the emotions unique to this type of loss. Through the course of reading everyone's posts I see they are being referred to the Death and Dying board. There I have searched for threads on missing pets and they are just lost among all the others. Ironic huh? I think I only found one.

This doesn't seem fair. I am kindly suggesting that the missing and lost board be encouraged and active. We need each other desperately. We can't grieve the same way everyone else does...there is no body, we don't even know if our loved ones are alive or dead, suffering somewhere or living another life with someone else. I have lost many beloved animals but this kind of pain is different. You feel lost in a kind of hell of desperate questions with no answers.

Could we please get this back up and running so that people like us have a place to go to get some measure of support from others who have been or are going through the same experience?

[Muffins]

Hi Whitebird:

I am so very sorry to hear that your precious guy Pinky has been missing . Was Pinky an indoor kitty, or did he go outside? Do you live in a busy city or in the country? I sincerely feel your pain. I was a teen when our sweet Sandy went missing.....but, it's a torment that one never forgets!

Maybe I'm confused and that you are just copying them from here to over there so that they're in 2 places?

The only threads that have been moved from this forum Lost or Missing Pet Support over to the Death and Dying Pet Support forum will have a little red arrow in the envelope to the left of the Thread t*itle. Also, the word "Moved" will be right before the Thread t*itle name.

One the first page of the Lost or Missing Pet Support forum (where we are now), I can see only three threads that have been moved to another forum.

I came here to Lightning Strike for support. I was glad to see there was a place specifically for people who have lost or missing animals. I read each and every post looking for comfort and for sharing the emotions unique to this type of loss. Through the course of reading everyone's posts I see they are being referred to the Death and Dying board. There I have searched for threads on missing pets and they are just lost among all the others.

With the members permission, on occasion, we will move a thread to the "Death and Dying" board. The reason for that is because they haven't received any responses and it has been more than a few days.
The Death and Dying forum is more active, and the liklihood of someone responding is a lot greater.
Because that forum is more active, there is greater visibility.

We can't grieve the same way everyone else does...there is no body, we don't even know if our loved ones are alive or dead, suffering somewhere or living another life with someone else. I have lost many beloved animals but this kind of pain is different. You feel lost in a kind of hell of desperate questions with no answers.

I agree with how you feel. Losing a beloved furbaby and all of the varying emotions that accompany that type of loss IS very different than a pet who has passed away.

I can remember back 32 years ago (I was 14), when my precious furcat Sandy (my name for him was Irving ), didn't come home one night. I counted on my mom to watch out for him during the day when I was at school, and as soon as I came home, I walked around my neighborhood & called his name hundreds of times, posted signs. We also put an ad in the local newspaper. My friend and I would knock on doors and see if anyone had seen him or heard of a new kitty in the area.

I prayed to God, St. Francis & St. Anthony that we would find him and/or that he was safe and in the care of someone who was feeding and giving him water.

Losing a pet, a beloved best friend is devastating. I remember having a constant sickening feeling in my stomach -- Day after day, night after night, not knowing his whereabouts..... I desperately wanted/needed him back -- my heart was shattered without him !

That, to me, is the difference between a pet who is lost from home and a pet who was died. With the latter, at least you know where your furbaby is.
When one is lost....you just don't know where they are, or if they're okay. What if they're hurt and can't get home? Were they hit by a car and on the side of a road??

It's the NOT KNOWING that can make one insane. I just could not rest.

I am kindly suggesting that the missing and lost board be encouraged and active.

I've been a very grateful member here at Lightning-Strike after we had our sweet girl, Ernestine put to sleep in February 7, 2004. I didn't know that Lightning-Strike (or, any type of group) existed until the early hours of February 8th, after my husband went to sleep for the night. I needed to 'talk' with others who understood what I was going through, so I did a computer search for "Pet Loss Support.

I think the only way the "Lost or Missing Pet Support" forum could become more active is by word of mouth and/or if someone is looking for support and did a computer search.

I have put up a sign in our veterinarian's office letting people know about LS. Whenever I hear ("overhear" ) someone talking about an issue that I feel LS can be beneficial, I write out the Lightning-Strike link for them.

With regard to our furkitty Sandy (Irving ) so many years ago, it was just about 2 & 1/2 weeks when our waiting came to an end. I was very blessed that our story had a very happy ending. (Thank You God!!)
Not even 1/8th mile away (a couple of blocks), as I was sitting on the steps in front of my girlfriend's house, sitting on the porch windowsill of the house to my left was my sweet boy !
I confronted the people who took him and they wouldn't give him to me - saying that they really wanted him - they'd "buy him" from me .

Being a kid, I was scared, so I ran home and got my mother. Thankfully everything worked out well and we took him home, where he was supposed to be !

I know that our Lost and Missing Pet Support board is not that active. I just did a Google search for "Lost and Missing Pet Support" and here is the result:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=lost+...ing+pet+support

There is a support group on Yahoo:

http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=pet+loss+support

And, I thought I'd check on Care2 for pet loss support groups, (which I've found to be a very supportive community for various interests), and found this:

http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/CircleofLife

Whitebird, I will surely keep you (and your precious guy, Pinky) in my thoughts and prayers. .....I know you stated that:

"It's been 3 weeks now and I know he's never coming back. I didn't give up on him...I just know somehow.

Miracles can happen -- I will pray that a miracle happens and that Pinky finds his way home, or that you find your way to him...... I'd love for you to feel that same type of elation that I felt so many years ago!

Please do let us know how you are doing, okay? We do care very, very much.

Peace & Love to you and yours,

Denise

(p.s. - Please excuse me if there are any errors or if I've been redundant....I've a sinus infection & asthma problems right now & the meds I'm on have made me extremely exhausted. Thank you).