Guilt, Grief Options

[Mike]

I am a 50 year old man and my 20 year old cat (Eeyore) is on her last legs with kidney disease.
She lives at my mothers the past 5 years because my wife is allergic to her. I try and see her every day, but I am afraid of her dying. I am afraid my emotions will be so horrendous and my thoughts! Donna is very understanding , we have been together for five years, even suggesting to bring her to live here. Funny, I feel closer to this cat than my wife. I cant explain it, shes been with me through alot.
Thanks pet support for letting me share this. I really appreciate this.
Love to all, Mike

[hegelsmom]

First your Eeyore has been a very lucky girl to have been so loved, and be blessed
with such a long life. Many people on this site have lost pets at an advanced age,
there are others that lost them much younger and unexpectedly. It's never easy
to let them go. I wasn't ready to lose my cat at 11 years old, and I wouldn't have
been ready at 20. My childhood cat died at 19. I had him from age 11 to 30.
It was very, very painful. And like you, he lived with my mother. I had left home,
and he had stayed there. And like you, I felt the guilt, had I gone home often
enough? I was over a hundred miles away, so it wasn't everyday.

I know it is hard, but you have truly been blessed, and Eeyore has been blessed
with a wonderful life of love.
Come back to LS, it really does help to "be" with other people who share your
love of animals.
Take care.