Hi ladies - we recently lost a fairly young cat, less than 4 years old, probably a victim to a predator in the woods. We searched the neighborhood for her and knocked on several doors. We live out in the country, and our cats are indoor cats, but manage to escape on occasion. Anyway, my daughter (age 6) was very close to Sally (she slept in her room at night), and she misses her terribly. My husband and I are trying to think of ways to memorialize Sally which would hopefuly help give some closure and help my daughter remember the happy times. I don't want to do anything like a tombstone . . . kind of creeps me out after reading "Pet Cemetery". Thank you for your suggestions. p.s. we already have two other cats. One is Sally's brother, which sleeps in my son's room, and then a 9-year old cat that is kind of skittish.
she'll be okay...circle of life and all that. growing up in the country (as i did as well) it's just part of life. it's sad, but it's a necessary life lesson.
i would have a family prayer for her and call it good. maybe have your daughter draw a picture of kitty and put it on her wall so she will be able to remember her.
Plant a bed of flowers under a tree and get a stone your daughter can decorate with Sally's name on it. Have it rest on the bed of flowers and let your daughter do the work, so that she may process the emotions and have the closure you seek. Perhaps get her a new kitten a few weeks after this little ceremony.
What about a garden stone or something like that?
http://www.perfectmemorials.com/heart-gold-heart-memorial...
Or plant a butterfly garden--name it after her!
Sorry about your kitty. :(
Don't give up on Sally. The boys and I came home one night in late January to find a cat crying on our doorstep. It was 40 below outside, so we brought him in. We took the cat to a vet to have it's microchip read, then contacted the owners. It turned out Fluffy had been missing since early October from his home about 10 miles across the city from our home.
It's likely your cat is still out there. This happened to us and she showed up about a week later, we also lived in the country. Maybe plant a little flower for her.
We lived across the street from the river and had access to a multitude of wonderful large, flat rocks. We decorated them with the pet's name and kept the rocks in our garden.
Just an idea.
Your kitty may show back up....you never know.
Best wishes.
You could make a little flower garden - that's what we have. Just a little circle about three feet across and it's in memory of our kitty cat. My daughter, to my surprise, did it all by herself. And even tho she's 14, she's not a garden person but she really put in the effort on this one!!
Sorry to hear about your loss:(
I do wish I had an answer for you, all I have is we are dealing with a similar issue. We lost our family cat in the spring (she was 14 and it was her time, but I had her longer then my hubby) and my 6 year old still is upset. It did get better after a time, but then we took in a friend's cats to foster, and now that they are gone she is sad again. It will come and go in waves at this age. My DD was attached to the cat too, the cat who wasnt cuddly would lay with her every day the year before she started school.. I honestly feel your pain.
I do too hope that your cat comes back like others said.
When my parents beloved dogs died they planted trees in the yard for them. It's always hard to lose a pet but having a memorial of some sort at least can start you on the way to healing. If you have pics of the cat you could see if your daughter would like to work on a scrap book too. Personally, I'm hoping our cat lives forever! Sorry for your loss.
Some families and friends we know have a picture of the beloved animal and make an 'altar' of sorts. They might place some flowers, a candle, a letter to the animal (usually to say goodbye-- to remember those good times), a little dish of kitty food, etc. in that space. You could help your daughter and family make a list of "our Sally favorites" and include anything and everything they loved about Sally or loved doing with Sally.
I don't know if this will work in accordance with your family's faith. However, with so much ambiguity surrounding the cat's disappearance, having tangible place to mourn might help, and this is not a tombstone, it's a temporary place to remember and let go. You can scale back the altar when it has served its purpose, and keep the picture. Let your daughter have the candle lit when she thinks of Sally.
