why did my cat have to die?

Question
Hello. My name is Danielle and I have, well let me reword that bit, I did have a 3 year old cat called Toby and I loved him. Just over three weeks ago he was run over and died by some, these are what my dad said to describe whoever ran him over by the way, nut case. I'm sure the nut case didn't do it on purpose that it was an accident but he didn't deserve it. There was not a scratch on him and the vet said an internal injury was probably the reason he died. I now have his ashes back in a casket which I am normally alot happier when I get the ashes back but no. When I first got him I made a promise to him that on the day he died I would be holding him and I wasn't. We had three cats. Not all at once though. Zara was knocked down and had to be er whats that long word when you put a pet to sleep? Cat number two got cat flu and died of that and then Toby got run over and probably died instantly. All three of our cats have died at the age of three years old. I love animals. I have owned lots of hamsters, a jerriatric rabbit, a horse who I no longer own after he kicked me and started attacking anybody who went near him, two dogs and lots of fish including some tropical fish and I now own two goldfish. I have also owned a budgie but I had to have her put down due to a tumour. I have loads of animal friends. I never put a healthy pet down. The horse was sold and now I have heard he no longer attacks people but instead loves people. I'm currently fostering a dog called Chocolate who has had an embedded wire for a collar. Why do people do that to animals? If they could talk they would ask that all cruelty to animals stops. He is a chocolate labrador hence the name Chocolate. He even had fleas that nobody had bothered to do anything about. He had mange too. I could see all his bones when I first got him too but now he put all that weight back on.
Danielle.

Answer
Danielle,

I'm so sorry for your recent loss, and your other losses as well.  It is never easy to lose an animal, especially when they are so young.  However, we do what we can to make their time with us as special as possible.  I have to believe that when they leave us, they know we cared for them so much, and that we will see them at the Rainbow Bridge one day.  I lost my darling angel of 18 yrs last June, and I'm stunned that the 1 yr anniversary of her death is coming up.  She was my world; my life, and I had to have her euthanized.  She had CRF (chronic renal failure), among other things, and the last 3 wks of her life, she was in the hospital more than she was home with me, her mama.  I couldn't watch her suffer, because her quality of life was simply not there any more, and I made that horrible decision to let her go.  I question every day whether it was the right thing to do.  I miss her with all of my heart and soul, and time doesn't make a difference, because our animals love us so unconditionally and ask nothing from us except to have shelter, food and water, and love.  And give in return they do---tenfold. So, when they have to go, it's never easy.  I will always love and cherish my "dolly" and I think of her every day, and I still cry every day.  My "twinkletoes" (yes, I had a gazillion nicknames for her---182 to be exact!) was the love of my life, and there is not one day that will go by for the rest of my life that I won't think of her, miss her, remember our memories, remember her beautiful big blue eyes (she was a blue cream point Himalayan) and her silly ways and antics, but most of all, I will never forget the special times she and I shared, and how close we were.  You, too, must remember the closeness you had with your animals, and how much joy you brought to them, as well as what they brought to you.  I have to believe that they are at the Rainbow Bridge, looking down on us, and waiting for the day when they can be reunited with us again.  I know when it's my time, I will look for my baby and when I find her, I'm going to hold her and kiss her and love her and never let her go ever again.  We will never be separated, and that is something I can look forward to.  

If you aren't already aware of this site, there is a pet loss ceremony every Monday, around the world, where all the pets we've lost are honored and remembered.  The website is www.petloss.com.  It's at 10pm eastern time, and it's crazy how many people log in for the ceremony!  You light 3 candles--1 for your animal, 1 for abused animals, 1 for suffering, sick animals.  It is a beautiful, tear jerker ceremony, but I do it every Monday, without fail.  As soon as I found out about this ceremony, I've been a part of it every Monday (since Sept).  It is very hard emotionally, but it makes me feel better that I'm honoring the love of my life, and remembering her, and I hope she knows it.  There is also a candle lighting page available when you go to the petloss.com website.  You can light a candle with something personal you want to say (or not), and the candle burns for 48 hrs.  Either of these sites (or both) may help you to mourn and remember your animals, or maybe neither of them will.  It is extremely important to remember that it is okay to mourn your animals, as it is a loss.  It is okay to cry.  It is okay to remember, and think about them, and miss them.  We all mourn different ways, and it takes us different amounts of time to mourn.  Some people can mourn for a few days and be done, others may take several wks, or even months; some years; some may never get over the loss of their pet.  Whatever way you mourn--it's okay, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  My cat was the world to me, and I mourn her more than I've mourned any human in my life.  And that's okay.   So, please, don't let anyone ever tell you that you should "just get over it," or "they're just animals," or "are you still thinking about that cat?"  They don't understand the love and joy an animal can bring, or the love and joy your animal brought you.  Just do what's normal and right for you, and you will remember the awesome memories that your animals brought to you and you will always end up with a smile on your face.  I still cry when I think of my baby, but I also have plenty of smiles and laughter with those tears, and  so will you.

Savannah