What a terrible day. This particular feral, Weasel, was already quite old when he showed up at my door a few years ago. There used to be a real stray cat problem in my neighborhood, so I became involved with the Trap-Neuter-Return program in my area and got all the cats and kittens fixed...that was over 30 kitties...and they were all living in my backyard for quite awhile. Most of them eventually moved to different territories, but a few decided to stay. I took in the youngest kittens since they would acclimate to indoor living easier and get along with my other adopted cats. I would have taken in all the adult strays as well, but ferals are complicated creatures. When feral kittens reach about 3 months, they will likely always have that skittish, wary-of-humans mentality. I did take in one feral that was 4 months old and after being an indoor house cat for the past four years she's still frightened of everything and everyone...but she's getting better. Since I couldn't adopt all the adult ferals, and to keep the neighbors from complaining about the few strays still living in my backyard, I decided to house them in a large kennel. That way they would be safe and when I moved I wouldn't have to worry about trapping them. I ended up with 4 ferals in the enclosure: Weasel, Mommy Cat, Calico and Smokey. I found out when I took Weasel to the vet to be fixed 5 years ago that he was already pretty old at that point, and he was one of those typical crusty, mean looking orange tabby cats that would prefer to stay away from people. He was not friendly at all when he first showed up in my yard searching for food, but Weasel turned out to be one of the sweetest cats ever. Not all ferals start out as strays. My guess is that he probably lived with a family at some point in his life and he was either lost or abandoned. My intention has always been to move to bigger house with an enclosed patio so the 4 ferals wouldn't have to live in the kennel for so long. It's been 2 years, and they seem to have gotten used to it (but I'm still planning on moving). Sadly, Weasel's age finally caught up with him. I noticed he was having some issues lately, and I was trying to prepare myself for his passing, but it's never easy when an animal friend dies. It was obvious that today was going to be his last, so I did what I could to make him comfortable. He could no longer walk without assistance, so I sat with him in the sun for a few hours, then as the day turned to evening and the temperature began to drop, I brought him inside the house and made a soft bed for him. I stayed with Weasel until the end. I really miss him. I didn't think I would cry this much, but he was such a sweetheart of a cat. He was always the first one at the kennel gate at mealtime, and the most vocal. He was part of my life every day for the past 5 years and now he's gone.

Hi, Pamela, please permit me to offer you my sincerest sympathies in the physical loss of your beloved companion Weasel. Losing a companion is never easy regardless of the circumstances or how long we are blessed with the privilege of their company. Weasel is blessed to have found his way to your home so that he would have your loving provision and protection, and the comfort of your loving arms as he transitioned home to the angels.

It doesn't matter what the circumstances are when we lose a precious soul who has shared our heart, home, and life, Pamela. Your beloved Weasel was an integral part of your life during his earthly journey, and so it is perfectly natural that your heart grieves for his physical absence now. You did everything in your human and humane power to give him a happy and healthy earthly journey, Pamela, and you are now blessed to be his sole, and soul, heir to his eternal love.

Additionally, it doesn't matter if our grief experience is our first or our thousandth - - each grief journey is uniquely painful because each relationship we have with our individual companions is uniquely different. Please know we are here for you for as long and as often as you need us.

Thank you so much for honoring us in sharing your beloved Weasel with us, Pamela. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam

Thanks for your kind words, moon_beam. Your always know exactly what to say to all of us who come to this forum looking for comfort in our time of grief. My husband, who is also quite heartbroken over Weasel's passing, helped me bury him yesterday. My beloved parrot passed away 2 years ago as of this past October. It's something I've never truly been able to accept. He was with me for 27 years, and it felt like I had lost a limb when Boogie died. I thought I could better handle the death of a very elderly cat that was only in my life for 5 years, but I've been crying over him since I first realized he wouldn't be around much longer. Even when we know an animal friend has only a short time left in this world or has come to the end of its life, why is it so hard to accept or prepare ourselves for it?

Hi, Pamela, thank you so much for sharing with us how you're doing. You ask a universal question "Even when we know an animal friend has only a short time left in this world or has come to the end of its life, why is it so hard to accept or prepare ourselves for it?" The basic answer to this question is - - our companions give to us their unconditional love and undivided attention. When they come into our hearts and home our lives are changed for the better. When they precede us to the angels our lives are changed again - - we are faced with the enormous task of re-inventing our lives without the blessing of their sweet precious physical presence - - and this is very painful both physically and emotionally. Grieving is both a physical as well as emotional adjustment journey which can only be traveled one day at a time, sometimes one moment at a time. And even though it has been 2 years since your beloved Boogie joined the angels, the physical loss of your beloved Weasel is also resurrecting the sorrow you have for Boogie - - so in essence you are now grieving for both your beloved Weasel and Boogie.

I'm glad your husband is offering you comfort, and please know we are here for you as well for as long and as often as you need us.

I hope today is treating you kindly and that you will have a peaceful evening blessed with your beloved Boogie's and Weasel's sweet Living Spirits to comfort you. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers, and please let us know how you're doing.

Peace and blessings,
moon_beam