My kitty passed on
Have you ever lost a pet when it felt way too soon?
Last week I lost my 8 month old kitty and it was way too soon. His name was Shakey Shake, short for Shakespeare and he was such an amazing cat.
I have had many cats over the years but none that were quite like him.
He was ALWAYS getting in trouble. He liked to climb on the counters and the dinner table. He thought that every piece of furniture was a scratching post. He climbed trees like I had never seen before. He would get stuck on the roof of the house and my husband would have to climb the ladder to retrieve him.
Our other cat, Lucy thought he was a pain in the butt.
But he didn’t care one bit. He did whatever he wanted without fear. When I would tell him “no” he would just look at me like, but I can’t help it!
He was sweet and loving and playful and he was a huge part of our family.
I don’t think I have ever felt this much emotion around losing a pet. Maybe I never felt as close to one as I did with him or maybe it was truly because he was so young. Needless to say, this week has been tough.
I really miss him. I ask him if he wants to come back even though I know it is not possible. I think about getting another kitty but wonder if I will just be looking for him.
I know death is a part of life and at some point we will all go but it is a difficult concept to accept.
I think my boys are taking it better than me.
My oldest says he would rather not talk about memories of him because it makes him sad.
My youngest feels sad and has no problem expressing it.
What I love about the experience of losing Shakespeare is that my children are getting a first hand look at what death is and what it feels like to lose someone. I have loved our communication and the rawness of what has come up through this experience.
Last week I spoke about our open line of communication and I am going to be speaking more about it as part of a parenting class called, “Empowered Parenting: Practical Tools for Parents and School-Aged Children.” It’s a brand new online class and features my interview, “Learn How the Teachings of Yoga Enriches Your Parent-Child Bond“.
If you’re a parent, caregiver or teacher and want to deepen connections with your children and gain fresh perspectives, I think you are really going to enjoy this online class.
I’m honored to be interviewed as part of this series, and I am honored to be part of a group of other impressive speakers. It’s an 8-week series and it starts on April 17th.
To learn more and sign up go to: http://www.empoweredparenting.online
I invite you to join us. Even if you aren’t a parent, communication is something we all struggle with at times and I know you will take away some meaningful insights.
Do you have similar experiences with the passing of a pet or other loved one? How did you cope with the experience? Let us know on our blog how you coped with these types of experiences. It may make it easier for others.