Honoring our passed animals

Sometimes losing our animals may be more or less as devastating as losing a very close person. Depending on the length of life together, and the memories shared, it can be debilitating. 

However, take comfort in the fact that animals also do have spirits. When their physical form passes, let our consolation be the fact that they become “everywhere around us”. They become our invisible guardians.

When I lost my soul cat, I had to mourn the loss of my own personality too. I was so different when I had her and when she was gone, I felt lost, like a part of me also died. I thought that in order for me to continue loving her, I had to continue to do things for her, to offer her things like I used to. And worst, I thought I had to cry everyday just so that I won’t forget her. 

While we mourn and grieve differently, one thing is for sure. Grief is really just love that has no recipient. We grieve because we can no longer demonstrate our love as we did before. 

Even so, an empowering mindset is to love them as best we can. Here are some things that you can do to keep remembering them and keep showering them with our love:

• Buy them a beautiful urn to remember them by; and/or a jewelry you can wear to feel closer to them everyday.
  
  I invested in this beautiful ceramic urns which was customized from my cats' appearance. This was from a seller from Spain. I couldn't recommend her enough if you have extra money to spare for such a wonderful ceramic urn.

• Get their paw imprinted. Cremation companies usually offer this service and it's one small thing not to be ignored. This is the next tangible thing that they can leave you with.
  
  I enjoy looking and touching their paw imprints when I miss them.
• Commissioning an art work that can depict who they were for you. Each of my cats leave me with a personality so strong it’s undeniably them. 

• A huggable pillow of them in your favorite photo of them. Nothing beats being able to "hug" them when we miss them, right?

• Buy a box that can store their small knick-knacks. I used to keep my soul cat’s favorite mouse. 

Once upon a time, my nephew was playing with her using one of her mice and the mice flew outside the window. She watched as her mouse flew from the window before she let out a deep sigh. 😮‍💨 

• If your pet loves to dress up, you may want to donate their clothes, or stuff them in a pillow to remind you of them when you hug this.

• Donate their favorite food/supplies to shelter homes.
  
  My rescue senior cat had CKD and he would drink up to almost 500ml of water everyday and he loves his flower fountain. Instead of seeing this fountain unused, I donated this along with his bag/carrier to a shelter home. 

• Put their photos where they usually hang around.
  
  In each room of the home, I have at least one photo of my cats in my favorite photos of them. I love “talking” to their photos from time to time. I don’t want “out of sight, out of mind” to apply to my cats. 

• Hire an artisan to create a mini replica of your pet. There are many talented artists who can create a mini 3D portrait of your pet. 

• Create a slum book of your pet as a memory keepsake.
  
  I like this kind of keepsake because writing down the entries would take you through past good memories and away from the last painful moments. Here's what I have for my soul cat and this new one for Markus.

We remember their birthdays and their passing anniversary and share this gift of memories with people we know who love them as well.

How about you? Is there a unique way you celebrate their memory?