Unconditional love

My brother, John, unexpectedly lost Sabu, one of his furbabies, on Monday.
I lost my furbaby, Joey, about a year and a half ago and I am still so sad about it and completely heartbroken. (I wrote about it on the day he died.)
Joey used to maintain a blog (mostly with fun photos) with the help of his mama and Curt. Curt helped him pen his last post once he was gone. Curt did a great job of working with Joey on that post as a lot of the memories were before Curt had joined our little family.  And I, of course, posted something to his blog as well after he was gone.
The heartbreak and sadness of losing a furbaby is so painful. And I think the reason for that is the amazing and unconditional love that a furry family member can bring and show.
Unconditional love by a furbaby is magical and beautiful and there is nothing else like it.
I am so sad for John right now. The one thing I am grateful for is that he has two other furbabies, Foley and Grrry. They can help each other get through this tough time. And I know they will because of their sweet unconditional love.
According to Helpguide,org article titled Coping with Pet loss, pets are beloved members of the family and, when they die, you feel a significant, even traumatic loss. This is a great article with all sorts of guidance and tips.
And it is OK to feel that loss for as long as you need to. There are some who will never understand that loss. And I feel sad for them, because that means they never experienced that love. Because it is so much more than I can describe with my adjectives of magical, beautiful and unconditional.
When Joey was still a part of our life/family it seemed that if Curt and I were in the bedroom either getting ready for work in the morning or at the end of our day and talking Joey felt the need to be there in the room with us. It was cute. So we dubbed it family time. (Curt and Joey also shared shoe time.)
Curt and I decided on a Saturday afternoon that we needed to put Joey down the next morning. Curt asked that I wake him up an hour before we had to leave so we could have some family time. The three of us curled up on the futon in the spareroom and just cuddled together for our last family time. Even though it was such a sad moment it is a great memory that I look back at regularly and fondly. It was loving, sweet and beautiful. It was our way of saying goodbye to one of our family members.
I knew even before Joey got sick that I likely wouldn’t want another cat. Joey was one of a kind and converted many who weren’t fond of cats, including myself. His personality was similar to a dog’s. He was a cuddle bug and lover and most of the time wanted to be around people. (He was still a cat and could get pissy at times.)
The Coping with Pets article linked above says, in most cases, it’s best to mourn the old pet first, and wait until you’re emotionally ready to open your heart and your home to a new animal.
We have had a variety of people tell us that they think we should get another pet.
I am still mourning Joey. I don’t think I will ever be ready for another cat. I don’t necessarily miss having a cat around. I really miss Joey and his great personality.
Eventually Curt and I want to get a dog. But our current work and home situation aren’t suitable right now for a dog.
Without starting a controversial discussion I believe in death with dignity for animals and humans. Putting an animal to sleep is tough but also a beautiful thing you can do for the animal you love so dearly.
A Dog’s Purpose is a beautiful story that is a must read. John, I encourage you to read this when you are ready.
Sabu, you are now reunited with Cypress (John’s first pet solely his own) and my Joey. Take care of each other over at the Rainbow Bridge.