Snugs Is Gone- And I Am Struggling To Cope, What now? Options

[Sad parent]

My darling boy is gone. His cremation was today. I decided to observe the cremation. I was nervous, but I am glad I did this. It was a last chance to touch his soft fur. I am still struggling to move on. Everything I look at reminds me of him and then I feel so sad and empty. I am crying less now than I did a week ago, which is when my boy died. I have been reaching out for support, which is not easy for me. I even attended a pet loss grief support group.
How do I ever get another cat, when I will always compare that cat to my perfect Snugs, I can't imagine how I can be a good parent to another cat. I also don't want to go though this again.
My boy Snugs was beautiful, intelligent, and had a great personality.
Since he used to sleep with me, I am still having trouble sleeping. I know I took good care of Him, but there are times when I am filled with guilt, wishing I gave him more attention. I took him to his vet for regular exams, but I didn't know how important it was to have his blood pressure checked as he grew older. His regular vet never brought it up until it was too late. With vision problems and kidney problems, he bravely continued on a couple of more years, I wish I could go back in time and check his blood pressure before he had problems.

[DannysMom]

Dear sad parent, I hope today is treating you kindly. I was just reading through your posts about Snug and I was wondering if he was by chance a Siamese cat? You mentioned that he had blue eyes. Would you mind perhaps posting a photo of your precious Snugs? He surely was blessed with good genes that he lived to the age of 24, and I'm sure your love for him also played a part in his longevity. You were blessed with his companionship and love for 24 years, that surely is a long time, and sometimes we think those happy times should never end. But unfortunately their little bodies wear out just as our bodies wear out, and on this earth unfortunately death is a part of living. You will miss your Snug for quite some time, but grief is also a journey where we learn how to live without our precious friends. There are seasons in life. There is a time to be born, and a time to die. There is a time to mourn and a time to be happy again.

Sad parent, one day you will be happy again. I know this is hard to believe right now, but your Snugs would not want you to be sad for the rest of your life. You were saying that you don't want to go through this again, and I know what you mean. Losing a precious companion feels like someone has ripped your heart out. We can close ourselves off and not love again to protect ourselves from hurt, but we'd also miss out on love and that would be a sad and lonely life. The kindest and most loving thing you could do is to one day adopt a new kitty. No, it won't be Snugs, but our hearts are big enough to love again, and we have many friends, not just one. There are so many beautiful, loving cats out there that need a home, and I think you need not worry about being a good parent as you gave Snugs so much love. Yes, you probably will compare a new cat to Snugs, but that is normal, we have all done that. But eventually a new bond will form and you will love again. Snugs would want you to. I've lost both my longtime companion cats within 4 months of each other, but the 2 cats I have now are just as precious and sweet and loving. They're different, yes, but that's the beauty of it. It's discovering their personality and what they like. If you can open yourself up to giving love to another cat you'll find that love more than reciprocated in return. As I said before, our hearts are big enough to love again, and we go through life loving many people and many animals, and that in itself is a wonderful thing.