Why? Whywhywhywhy Now?

[jenr]

Could my poor kids be going through anything else? Their lives are in upheaval because Daddy has been gone for almost 3 weeks, they are counting the days until he gets back, the house is chaos because I am packing/donating/discarding things, and now, this morning, our 16.5 year old cat died. They think it is because she didn't want to move. I am completely okay with them searching for a reason, but now they are afraid to move in case they die. I am trying to explain death to a 24mo and calm the fears of my older two, which, I have to say, is not going smoothly.

Really, seriously, what is going to happen next? I am almost afraid to think about it.

[mama-aya]

Oh! I'm so sorry. Best wishes to you and your children....

[Everrgreen]

I'm so sorry about your cat and all the other stress you are going through. No advice just hugs!

[Cherry Alive]

I am so very sorry to read of the loss of your cat. It's terrible how these things seem to happen at the most stressful moments.

I lost my cat two weeks ago. I don't know if it's been my hormones making more me sensitive or the fact his personality reminded me so much of a special cat I had as a little girl (he was my favorite), but losing him has been harder than any other pet loss has in years.

After our loss, I read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Cat-Heaven-Cyn...7560861&sr=8-1

I'd think that it may work well for LOs, too, as it is simple and calming to read—yet colorful and whimsical at the same time.

It's okay to be honest with kids about death...even when they are so small and it hurts so much. When my sister and I were little, we always did best when my folks were upfront about that stuff—even though I know it was so very painful for them to talk about.

My mom and stepdad also held funerals/memorials for the pets. It gave us an outlet to express our feelings. We'd find a special spot in the yard to put down a marker (usually a pretty flat rock with our pet's name and the year painted on it) and decorate it with flowers and pictures we drew of the pet. Then my folks would give everyone a chance to talk about their fondest memories and read poems or sing songs (only if we wanted). It helped so much, and eased the loss some as we realized our pets were never totally gone as long as we had memories and stories of them.

[Citykid]

I'm so sorry JenR. You didn't need this.

[AKislandgirl]

I'm so sorry that your family is going through this.

[Just1More]

Wow...Sorry to hear that...

Having a new baby is going to seem super easy after the last few months you've had...

Hugs...

[jenr]

Originally Posted by Just1More

Having a new baby is going to seem super easy after the last few months you've had...

Hugs...

I know, how sad is it that I am actually looking forward to the relaxation of an 800 mile car trip with three complaining kids, two meowling cats, and two dogs, one of whom will undoubtedly be vomiting the whole way. Sounds like heaven compared to the stress of the last few months.

....well, once I get the rest of the house packed, cleaned, find someone to rent our house, finalize the move details, amuse the kids, make sure I don't pack a cat in a box by mistake (already did this once), worry about DH driving all the way through the 800 miles so he can get home by tonight, comfort poor Cordelia who has come down with a cold while at the same time convincing her that changing outfits 723 times per day will not make everything better, and answer "where did Smokey go"? every 2 mins.