how tightly they wrap themselves arround our hearts.  i lost one of my dear dogs very similiarly.  but how much drearier life would be without them.  thank you. 

sad but good

God bless you for taking care of animals.  All of our pets have been second-hand pets, unwanted or owned by someone who could no longer care for them.  I love every one of them, the living and the dead.  They enrich our lives and we suffer their deaths.God bless  you,Pookah

what a sad and moving story, made more so by your note.  i admire your willingness to give the new kitty a loving home for the time he will be with you, in light of your past experiences and knowing it won't be long.  i gave my sweet, 14-year-old kitty a big hug and a kiss and a nice pet from you, and she blinked her beautiful green eyes at you in response.

I'm so sorry for the loss of your kitties. I am staff to 2 myself and having had pets all my life, I understand your feelings completely. Know that you bring them as much love and happiness as they bring you, even though they leave the Earth before we do.

I am very soory to hear about your loss. Our family lost a well loved cat also in June. I am owned by two myself and I constantly worry about them. We will pray for you and the Kitten.Hugs from me & my Kittehs

Oh Southern, I'm so sorry for your losses.  I too am an animal lover.  I have my own therapy dog which is a very close relationship.  I don't know what I'd if I lost him, although someday I will find out.  I think it's in Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul a little boy commented that pets don't live as long as people because they already know how to love.  I wish you the best.

I lost my 11-y-o kitty, Tibbs, to cancer this year. At my age, I have several beloved pets waiting for me at the Rainbow Bridge. Their love is still with us, and ours with them.

I am an absolute sobbing mess.  I love animals.  I shed almost as many tears for the death of Hedwig as I did for Snape.  Anyhow, I've always been a dog person, but I had one black cat named Lucky for fifteen years.  It was just old age that got him, but it was very painful for me.  That's the hardest thing about owning a pet.  They teach you so much about life... and, unfortunately, death.  Thank you, SW, for such a sweet story and for the reminder that sometimes we need our furry, four-legged friends as much as they need us.

Sad, so sad.As soon as I get home, I'll hug Frei, my wolfdog, and all of the kitties that will be present (they are all outdoor).Hope the next year is better in this regard.

I've lost both of the cats I grew up with in the last few years.  I know exactly how she/you feel.  One of them succumbed to cancer, and the other was just old (18).  It broke all of our hearts to loose them.  Thanks for the story.

Sun, This brought tears to my eyes. It is always so hard to lose a pet, no matter how old they are or for any reason at all. Their passing is always difficult and most keenly felt. My heart goes out to you and your family.~

Oh God, I'm still crying and I cried through the entire piece. I'm very sorry you lost your pets.

So sad.  I'm so sorry about your cats.  I had one, Artemis, who disappeared.  My other two are indoor for that reason.  But one can only enjoy them while they are here. 

This was so sad, but so well written. I loved it!

This is beautiful and very sad. *sniffles*
It made me go and quickly check on our cats.

You are right, losing a pet almost feels like losing a family member. I am sorry for your losses.

This is a very touching story.Such sad memories it stirs up.blessings,blackwolf shadow

I wept a bit reading this story.  I felt as guilty as Hermione when my 12-year-old cat Bailey developed cancer and died a couple years ago.  Cats are very special little creatures.  Thank you for a wonderful story.

Such a sweet story! I'm sure it will be a great comfort to those who have gone through something similar.

Yes, this is a sad fic, but it is also very real.  Reduced me to tears.  Hugs to you.

I'm so sorry about your pets. I lost my dog, MacArthur, a few years ago to age, arthritis, glaucoma, and liver failure. We eventually had to put him down because he was in so much pain. He was nearly 17. I still miss him. This was a sweet fic about a very hard experience to have to go through.

Poor Hermione.  Poor Crooks.  Poor Southern and Cissy.

The love of a pet is such a wonderfully uncomplicated thing, and you captured the sense of devotion they inspire beautifully.

How pecious a story.  You have a good heart to be able to love a care for a pet whom you know you will lose.  My thoughts are with you.

Oh, Southern, I am so sorry for your loss(es).  This is such a sad story, yet uplifting.  (It works so much better than poor Hedwig's murder in DH, to me.)  All of us who love animals can relate to this, and I understand your need to address the issues by putting them into words of fiction for friendly readers to view.

Your story brought tears to my eyes.  Although we have dogs at my house, my sister's cats have always been great friends of mine, and it grieves me so much to have to say good-bye to them.  You've captured that feeling exactly.

Good story, Southern.  Good job. 

Our Max, a Maine Coon, our "watch cat", who would bring us dead birds and small bunnies and leave them on our doorstep as "gifts of gratitude" left one day and never came home. He was an outdoor cat, my husband had him for five years before we met and we've been together for six. He only would come in only for the winter and he was a fierce and protective cat. My husband lovingly called him "Massimo" - Italians. I just like to think he went off to die alone in one of his favorite haunts we didn't know about.

I'm so sorry about your losses. It is terrible to lose a pet. To me, before my daugter came along, My animals were my children.

I'm glad you are writing about your losses. That is what I do. I write my stories to get out things that I can't talk about or admit yet, it is easier to have characters go through it and I take one step closer to healing.

Thanks,

Livvy