[ugotme]

Excellent poem Mainlander.

Gets the point across doesn't it?

[FoPAA]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope your wonderful memories of Snickers can ease the hurt of losing him.

[LynnDeb]

Originally Posted by zcaveman

This is a help.

Rainbow Bridge
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

Thank you for sharing this, it brought tears to my eyes also having to put down 2 cats in my life so far...
Prayers and thoughts to OP...

[Bonnevie]

loved your reply mainlander. It's an individual decision but there are just so many animals in need. I found it best to not try to find one just like the one that passed...you can't replace the one you lost, but you can honor their memory by giving a good home to another when you are ready. so sorry for your loss.

[Schaumburger]

Mary Ann, I am so sorry to hear about Snickers. Snickers will live forever in your heart. I know you are getting ready to sell your home and hopefully will be in TV soon, but once you get to TV, you may be ready to give another fur baby a new home.

I was in your shoes in early April having to put my almost 16 year old cat, Magic, to sleep. I still miss him, but just over 3 weeks ago after returning from my visit to TV, I adopted another wonderful kitty, Molly. She puts a smile on my face with her little meows. And Molly has inherited Magic's very healthy appetite. In fact Molly is less picky about her wet food than Magic was.

So as others have said, Snickers is waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge. And when the time is right, consider adopting another fur baby. Until I started researching cats for adoption in early May, I had no idea of the number of pets out there needing a good home. Hugs to you.

[balanced4life]

Everyone grieves differently
Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. Some people find grief comes in stages, where they experience different feelings such as denial, anger, guilt, depression, and eventually acceptance and resolution. Others find that grief is more cyclical, coming in waves, or a series of highs and lows. The lows are likely to be deeper and longer at the beginning and then gradually become shorter and less intense as time goes by. Still, even years after a loss, a sight, a sound, or a special anniversary can spark memories that trigger a strong sense of grief.

The grieving process happens only gradually. It can’t be forced or hurried—and there is no “normal” timetable for grieving. Some people start to feel better in weeks or months. For others, the grieving process is measured in years. Whatever your grief experience, it’s important to be patient with yourself and allow the process to naturally unfold.
Feeling sad, frightened, or lonely is a normal reaction to the loss of a beloved pet. Exhibiting these feelings doesn’t mean you are weak, so you shouldn’t feel ashamed.
Trying to ignore your pain or keep it from surfacing will only make it worse in the long run. For real healing, it is necessary to face your grief and actively deal with it. By expressing your grief, you’ll likely need less time to heal than if you withhold or “bottle up” your feelings. Write about your feelings and talk with others about them.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by balanced4life

Everyone grieves differently
Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. Some people find grief comes in stages, where they experience different feelings such as denial, anger, guilt, depression, and eventually acceptance and resolution. Others find that grief is more cyclical, coming in waves, or a series of highs and lows. The lows are likely to be deeper and longer at the beginning and then gradually become shorter and less intense as time goes by. Still, even years after a loss, a sight, a sound, or a special anniversary can spark memories that trigger a strong sense of grief.

The grieving process happens only gradually. It can’t be forced or hurried—and there is no “normal” timetable for grieving. Some people start to feel better in weeks or months. For others, the grieving process is measured in years. Whatever your grief experience, it’s important to be patient with yourself and allow the process to naturally unfold.
Feeling sad, frightened, or lonely is a normal reaction to the loss of a beloved pet. Exhibiting these feelings doesn’t mean you are weak, so you shouldn’t feel ashamed.
Trying to ignore your pain or keep it from surfacing will only make it worse in the long run. For real healing, it is necessary to face your grief and actively deal with it. By expressing your grief, you’ll likely need less time to heal than if you withhold or “bottle up” your feelings. Write about your feelings and talk with others about them.

While what you say makes perfect sense, it's not the way it happened for me. Our first dog was 13 when he died. I could not stop grieving for this big furry friend. Finally after two months I decided that "facing my grief" would be a heckuva lot easier with another puppy running around. And it was. I finally stopped crying and could start remembering all the good times we shared with him.