My youngest came downstairs on Saturday morning to find one of our gorgeous cats had passed away during the night. He was only 5 and did not have any serious medical issues that we knew of. He had lost some of his fur due to over grooming but the vet put it down to stress, as our eldest had left to go to uni last September, and he never liked change of any kind.
I am blaming myself thinking that I should have followed it up but the fur had begun to grow back slowly. and he was totally fine in every other way - eating, drinking, playing, wanting attention etc - there was nothing to indicate that anything else way wrong.
I also could not put on his Advocate spot treatment last month. He was a clever boy and knew when I was going to get it and he would hide in places in the house we couldn't get to.
My husband thinks he must have died in his sleep, because he looked very peaceful when we found him and was in his usual sleeping position.
I can't believe the level of grief though that I am feeling. I just keep crying. I also feel so terribly guilty - what if I could have prevented this from happening?
We are lucky that we still have his brother. I am taking him to the vets tomorrow to have a full check up.
I will be collecting his ashes on Wednesday and we will keep him with us always in a little casket.
He was extremely special and loving.
I just wondered how others coped when this sort of thing happens.
Thank you.