What a shame!

This is why i will not let my cat out.

OP, I'm so sad of your loss of Charlie. I've witnessed several times cats being killed on the roads and I've also seen a few near misses. After seeing that I now make sure I keep my cats confined to the garden although not everyone has one.

i used to live alone with my cat and had to pull it out of the mouth of a greyhound one day, took him in and he died on the couch, i'm not ashamed to admit i cried.

Thank you for this, I was finding it really hard to understand why the death of my cat had me sobbing more than I have since I was a child,
I was devastated by the death of my mother, over 25 years ago, and I lost 2 very close friends to cancer last year, While very upsetting and bringing tears to my eyes, None of those tragic events had me sobbing in the way the loss of my friend and buddy Charlie has,

I keep remembering the last time I was with him, He climbed onto my lap and did his usual thing, one paw either side of my neck and his head rubbing around my chin and face with lots of puring, then he sat with his paws on my face for a minute (a 'quirk' he had from being a kitten)

Then he was at window asking to be let out, I let him out into the back yard like a thousand times before,
less than 20 minutes later someone was knocking at our door "it's Charlie, I think he's hurt"

WE have buried him in our yard, and intend to plant a bush on his grave,
THANK you so much for all of your kind words everyone, and all of you who have lost a pet have my sympathy and understanding,

i'm very sorry to hear your bad news. The same thing happened to my ex-partners cat so I know a little about how you are feeling. I would feel similar if anything ever happened to our kitten. I hope your cat is now in a better place and is at peace in 'cat heaven' if there is such a place.

So sorry to hear of your loss

The fact that you cried just shows how much you loved Charlie, and he will have known this and had a very happy life with you. You made the right decision for him and put his comfort and wellbeing first, and that does you great credit. Our pets are part of our family and it's just so sad when we have to let them go.

One of our late cats is buried under a hydrangea in our garden, and when it's a riot of colour I always think about him and it brings a smile to my face (and occasionally a little tear in my eye!) It's lovely that Charlie will always be with you in this way.

Thinking of you today.
Take care,
DC
xx

OHG, I'm so sorry to hear the news was the worst.
Thinking of you,
x

When I buried my beautiful tortie Tiny (she adopted us) I put stones round in a circle in the garden, she wasn't my cat just adopted us....what a darling she was.....many years ago now....but I bought one of those Stone Buddhas...and he lays on her grave...with fresh coriander growing round.....I always talk to her when I cut down the herb.....

I totally understand having had the same losses and them having the same impact. RIP Charlie.

I was wondering how you were getting on...we lost cat(s) about the same time....I still miss mine terribly, but we have many happy memories of them, and I am managing not to cry everyday...

so sorry. RIP Charlie

I'm so sorry to hear about your sad loss I certainly know how upset you must be feeling I've had two cats hit by a car - Murphy, was very lucky and despite suffering a badly dameged back leg he's now made a full recovery. Sadly Nobby was not so lucky he was knocked down and killed just a couple of days before my birthday. At the time I think my mum slightly blamed her self because she had let both cats out earlier than normal and even now I still think if only Nobby, had been just a minute later crossing the road he'd still be alive.

I'm sorry to everyone loosing animals Poor things <3 xx

people who don't or have never had a pet simply have no understanding what it's like to lose a pet it's like losing a member of the family. Nobby, being killed hit me really hard because it came so soon after my dad's death.

I'm sorry but my first interpretation of what you've just said is indicating that I have no pets? Or that I have no idea what it is like? I'm sorry if I've misunderstood

It is horrible, I lost my first guinea pig just before my wedding after syringe feeding him for 24 hours and holding him in my arms, it was a tough call but he was obviously in pain that would only end one way Love my bee! x

don't worry mate, I wasn't for one moment refering to you

oh okay I feel better now, I was super worried you felt I was being callous xx

I'm so sorry for your loss...RIP Charlie....xxxx

Thank you, and everyone else who has been so kind,

I have lost pets before, I am in my 50s and have had many pets over the years,
Although I have been sad and upset at the loss of a pet before, I have never felt grief like that before for a 'non human' family member,
i think it's because my O/H got him for me for my birthday, before we lived together, She lived over 200 miles away and we would only see each other about one weekend a month,
I would spend weeks with Charlie as my only company, and as a result we established a very strong bond,

I will always remember the first time I saw him, he was the runt of the litter from a semi feral farm cat, covered in bits of straw and VERY angry, he looked more like a half drowned baby rat than a kitten, He used to make me roar with laughter when he went through his 'loopy' stage,
he would sometimes climb up my back back when I was at the computer, and sit on my head, I could walk around the house with him sat there,

When I moved in with the O/H and into a more rural area he loved it, and soon many of our neighbours knew him before they knew us,
When we got our puppy they soon became good friends, and the dog still looks for him on the window ledge or the shed roof,

We have buried him in the garden, and the O/H has planted a nice flowering bush over him, and I plan to make him a nice 'headstone' from a ceramic plaque (I am a ceramic artist by trade)

The 'good news' is that we have had a talk, and a kitten may well be joining us in a couple of months or so,
I have been a 'cat person' for most of my life, and can't imagine life without one,

Thanks again and my sympathies to all those who have lost a much loved pet,