Cat Grieviences.

Question:
On New year eve we had to have our pet cat Timmy put to sleep. He was nearly 13. We found him in his favorite corner in pain and he was shaking. We took him to the vet who told us that he was in heart failure after having a massive heart attack He also said that he had fluid on the Lungs. The vet said there was nothing that he could do and that Timmy would not have lasted longer than two days. he said that the kindest thing was to do was to have him put to sleep, to save him any more suffering.

We are now getting over the loss of Timmy everyone that is except my sister who can't seem to get over the cat's death. She is convinced that he was poisoned. The rest of the family know that this Is not true, the vet who treated our at has very kindly spoken to my sister on three separate occasions to tell her that our cat died of natural causes.

Answer:
Your sister's doubts about the cause of Timmy's death prevent her from fully accepting it and readjusting to life without him. Sometimes it can be a passing remark or gesture that a grieving person reacts strongly to and which they hang onto unable to move forward.

Perhaps your sister heard or saw something that has resulted in her thinking he was poisoned, perhaps the suddenness of his illness and death has been difficult for her to accept or perhaps she was very distressed to see Timmy squealing and is unable to shake this image from her mind. You do not mention your sister's age if she is a child. preoccupations about how pets die is not uncommon but need to be addressed in order for the person to progress. It can be very difficult for family and friends to support a person. who is, in a sense, stuck when they themselves feel that they have moved forward; equally, your sister may been quite lonely with her thoughts and fears.

Your family and your vet have tried to be helpful and supportive by reassuring her that Timmy died from natural causes. This is positive but it may be helpful to have another family discussion about it, giving your sister the opportunity to share fully her thoughts on Timmy's death, staying patient and understanding in your approach. This may shed some light and lead to a way for the family as a whole to move forward If the outcome of these discussions is not helpful, it may be that more specialized support. such as counseling, is required.

_{source YourCat Mag}