It's all a bit quiet now she's gone.....

[Aliensstolemychildren]

There's no one meowing for their breakfast...
She's not clawing at my feet...
She not moaning that I've just run my chair over her tail for the 50th time today!
She's not trying to steal a peice of ham that I have put aside for my lunch...
She's not curled up with the dog in front of the fire...
but mostly she's not here

:-( i didnt want to leave your post unanswered.

i lost my little 12 year old tortie 2 years ago and the silence is deafening :-( when they are no longer here they leave a big hole. take care and be nice to yourself x

I know how you feel. How did she go? My cat died 4 weeks after her diagnosis of lymphoma (cancer of the lymph system - her main tumour was in her spleen). I had to agree to have her euthanised.

This may not suit you, but I realised that a lot of the signs of my cat's absence could disappear if I got another cat - and that's what I did, after 1.5 weeks of my cat being gone. I was so upset and felt like there was a massive hole in my heart, a need to love an animal that was not being met. Everything reminded me of the absence of my cat and I was wallowing in my grief.

A new cat is not a replacement for my old darling cat, who I had for 14 years, but it is a welcome distraction and I am forced to focus on positive things rather than dwell on my cat's death. You gave your cat a beautiful life. Taking in a rescue cat/ kitten could be seen as a continuation of giving love to a cat who is in need of a good, loving home. Now my main problem is trying to introduce my new cat to my other 14-year-old cat.

She died of a thyroid condition that couldn't be treated - it was all a bit sudden (but it was coming for ages). She was 14 and although she was by far the smallest member of the house she was the noisiest (more than both my DS) and made her presence known - I had her before my DH and DC's.

We are off on holiday soon so I wont be getting another one soon - but I need to think carefully as we need a bold cat to take on our foxhound!

We are all off to the country park to let off sky lanterns to say goodbye this weekend, the children have all written messages on them.......as has my DH but he wont show anyone his!

I think we all feel a bit silly missing her so much - need a big now!

You know what, I find it reassuring that your cat was only 14 years old too - I was/ am very upset that my cat never got the chance to live to 17/18 years the way many cats can, and die of old age - but 14 years is still a full life (as is 12 years, like VenusStarr's cat) and the average lifespan for cats is 12-15 years.

My cat only died on 11 November. Their absence hurts a lot. You're not being silly. This was a beloved family member who shared a huge chunk of your life with you. She deserves such a lovely farewell. Grieving rituals are extremely important in coming to terms with all of this.

Ahh so sad to hear all your sad stories. I know how you feel. We had to have our 10 year old cat put to sleep last week (cancer). It's proper grief isn't it (not that everyone gets it!) He was such a huge part of our lives and I can't believe he's gone. He had a brother who is still here and a comfort but he reminds me all the time of who's missing
The tears have stopped so hoping the empty feeling will go soon too.
All the best to you x

I'm very sorry to hear about your cat, bubbles1112. I'm sorry you're feeling so empty. It is so hard, isn't it. I hope you continue to gradually feel better. It is good that some/ many people understand how badly this can affect you. Being able to talk to supportive and understanding people helps a great deal.

Its does leave a huge physical gap. I was totally discomboblated after we lost our previous dog until we'd decided we would definitely get another.

Sky lanterns lovely idea.