When we lost our cat of 17 years, what a day, as I buried her as we did all ours in the back garden where they will always be with us, the rain fell, and that just somehow made it worse, it was like she was dropping tears down as well. She truly was my best friend and I'll never forget that dear loving yet sassy little cat. She's gone where she won't have to chase foxes anymore (yes she chased foxes not the other way round bless her). It's true though, it never gets any easier, and even now some 9 years down the road, I still think I see her out the corner of my eye, or else forget and look round before I move my chair (she used to like sitting under my chair for some reason).

Thank you all for the kind words. I feel bad for not responding but I have been reading the posts and they have all really helped me. Thank you all sincerely from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read and to give your kind words.I am doing my first flight "without" her tonight. I put without in quotes because it still feels like she is here. Together we are doing KEWR-EGCC right now in real time. What a way to kill a rainy night...Thank you all again, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.I am scouring petfinder.com pretty frequently right now, we will see what happens.Thank you,-PaulLiquid CooledAMD 4000 San Diego2 Gigs Kingston Corsair XMS CL2Dual 7800 GTX 24 inch widescreen dual 19 inch LCDRaid-0

Sorry to hear about your loss also. I know how it feels. I picked up a stray cat when he was a kitten. The day he died, I cried.I have one in my parent's house in Long Island that I picked up when she was a mere 3 months old. Now she's over 15 years old and I'm definitely going to be sad when she dies.

Hey Paul--Sorry I didn't write any earlier. This post made me so freaking sad that I hardly could find the words... I read it aloud, and my wife having overheard me made me stop, cause she couldn't fight back the tears. I find it really strange that although I have no trouble finding words to counsel someone's grief over a loss of a human, it is always impossible to help someone make peace with a loss of a pet. All I can say is that I strongly believe that when I go, and enter afterlife, all the ones that made me feel happy would be there to greet me, including my little "family members". Maybe this outlook can help you along for now.Best of luck, and if you need anything, you have my e-mail.Cheers,SKPS: I am starting flight training soon. From sim to dream...>Thank you all for the kind words. I feel bad for not>responding but I have been reading the posts and they have all>really helped me. Thank you all sincerely from the bottom of>my heart for taking the time to read and to give your kind>words.>I am doing my first flight "without" her tonight. I put>without in quotes because it still feels like she is here. >Together we are doing KEWR-EGCC right now in real time. What>a way to kill a rainy night...>Thank you all again, I can't tell you how much I appreciate>it.>I am scouring petfinder.com pretty frequently right now, we>will see what happens.>Thank you,>-Paul>>Liquid Cooled>AMD 4000 San Diego>2 Gigs Kingston Corsair XMS CL2>Dual 7800 GTX >24 inch widescreen dual 19 inch LCD>Raid-0>

Man, talk about bringing back a post from the past ( I remember starting this thread over 6 years ago for my first pup)  but sadly my other co-pilot of 17 years went to play with her big sister in the sky yesterday and had to be put down due to cancer...  17 years for a dog is a lifetime of good memories for me!   

RIP Taz, hope you are playing with your big sis!  If I know that little dog she is doing 1 of 4 things.

1.  Sitting in her big sis's food bowl preventing her from eating

2.  Trying to steal the giant bone her big sis has had since she got to puppy heaven

3.  Jumping up and down with joy and nipping at her big sister's face

4.  Humping a taz doll  (I swear it was her favorite thing to do)

 

Either way her big sis, my original co-pilot is up there going "really, it was so peaceful for the last few years"  but deep down she is probably running in circles she is so happy to see her little sis!

 

I smile as I type this remembering the two of them together and the day I brought her home...  She was 2 pounds, sat in the palm of my hand, crawled up on my shoulder curled up and went to sleep.

 

I'm reminded of something that Lord John Oaksey said on the occasion of him having lost a dog. He said "The trouble with being a human is, that you outlive so many good horses and good dogs" Struck me as very true. So rather than mourn the loss, be grateful you shared your life with a 'good dog' or indeed, a 'good horse'

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Oaksey

Thank you very much Ron!  That is why I am choosing to smile over the two of them together now opposed to frown over my loss...