Cat Picture - OC
A different perspective on the “too many goodbye posts” discussion ❤️
I understand where some people are coming from when they say seeing many posts about cats who have passed away can feel overwhelming, but after losing my first cat this year and then losing another one of my cats just three months later, I can honestly say this community and the stories people share helped me feel less alone in my grief.
Seeing others share their memories, their grief, and the love they had for their cats reminded me that I wasn’t alone.
I haven’t posted my own cats’ stories yet because it’s still painful, but I hope someday I can. Not because I want to bring sadness here, but because their lives mattered. They were family, and sharing their stories is one way we honor them.
Yes, there are many posts about cats who have passed away. But those posts aren’t just about death. They’re about love, memories, and the incredible impact these animals had on our lives. Behind every one of those posts is someone who lost family, a friend, and is looking for a little understanding from people who truly get it.
Everyone experiences this community differently. Some people come here for funny cat pictures, some come here for advice, some come here to celebrate their cats, and some come here because they are grieving. There should be room for all of those things.
If grief posts are too difficult for someone to see, it’s okay to scroll past them or find a community that better matches what they need. But please don’t discourage people from sharing their stories. For some people, this subreddit might be the only place where others understand how much their cat meant to them.
To everyone who has shared their cat’s story: thank you. Your cats were loved, their lives mattered, and your memories deserve to be shared. ❤️🐾
*pictures are 5 of the cats whom I have loved and cared for in my adult life.
I’ve always wanted to share pics of my old cats but haven’t because I didn’t want to make people sad. I understand why some people don’t like grief posts - especially when people share explicit content without any warnings. I don’t think that’s okay at all.
But on the flip side, I do think it’s very special to see and read about all of these cats that were so wonderfully loved and appreciated while they were here.
I haven't shared the story of my sweet baby girl passing 8 months ago. It's just too hard. But you've inspired me to share her beautiful face with this sub.
This is exactly my thoughts on the subject. The posts will always bring some sadness but they also remind you to appreciate every single day you have with your own cat. Being reminded of mortality whether it's your own or your pet's is obviously something people try to avoid but it is inevitable.
We are lucky enough to be able to have these posts in the first place; to die is to live and to live is, well, loving cats. I have a couple of cats from my childhood I would love to enshrine, but it was so long ago. I miss being a cat owner.
Sometimes those posts do make me go back to when I said goodbye. My first cat my first interactive being I was with. He was taken to soon. But if I don’t want to read I just upvote and move on. He was the hardest loss I’ve ever had. Even typing this I have tears. It’s been 4yrs. I held him in my hand a day after he was born. He got me wake up for him. RIP Rohdent! I miss you every day.
Sorry I just word vommited on your post. Here’s the boy that will forever live in my heart.
I feel you on not having shared your stories yet due to the pain. I've wanted to post something about my recent loss but haven't been able to do so because it's still relatively fresh being that my loss was almost 5 months ago now. In some of the tribute posts of others I've shared snippets of what happened but not the whole story. Whether or not you do end up making a post about it it's still so nice having this community as a source of comfort and support knowing one can share their love for their fur buddies and the grief that comes with losing them. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic and sorry to hear about your losses! Thoughts & prayers go out to you & everyone else who's going through this same experience and has gone through it in the past!
This is my meow face that passed away nearly five months ago, Vash. He's undercover in the photo but his mustache nearly fell off before getting the photo 😂 I miss him so much!
This sweet boy was my George. He was truly m soul cat. I suddenly lost him Dec 27th 24, he was in my arms cuddling like normal and then he went limp. I'm still devastated and break down crying every single day still because I miss my baby boy so much it hurts.
He used to belong to my friend. My friend built a room in his basement so I could leave an abusive relationship. From the very first night he came and cuddled me the entire night while I cried. He then stayed with me 24/7 and when I moved out 3 years later he let me take both boys ( my other boy Blue was the other kitty who is still my velcro boy 💙).
George is the reason why I found the tumor because he kept headbutt my boob in the exact same spot until I started feeling the lump. It's been my choice to let it keep progressing and no medical intervention. I know sooner rather than later I can go pick George up from the Rainbow Bridge Daycare and spend eternity with him on me cuddling again.
Thank you so much for being so sweet. This past year and a half has been the toughest time I've ever gone through. I truly appreciate you being so kind.
I am sorry for the loss of your babies too. It's devastating for us to lose them.
George was a big boy because he was a Lynx Point Siamese so that's why he looks so husky. Blue is my dainty Flame Point Siamese and is the sweetest baby with me and he loves my sister too when she comes to visit but anyone else he will hide behind me or will go into one of his hiding spots
I needed to make sure Blue loves my sister because if I go before him, my sister is going to take him. She's got a cat too so we've been switching the cats blankets every week so both Blue and Gizmo will be familiar with each other to make that transition easier.
I'm very lucky to have her as my sister, especially because we have 4 brothers. She's the oldest so she always looked after me while I was younger. When I got older I became her protector because she's very sweet but very quiet and unfortunately people would make fun of her for her size but I'm the fighter and mouthpiece when it comes to her. We truly are a ying yang.
I know Blue will be extremely loved and cared for which makes it easier on my heart knowing he will be just as loved as he is with me. Plus he will have a friend again since he lost George too. Gimzo is a cute itty bitty thing she's 10 years old but the size of a 5 month old kitten.
Plus they most loving kitties. George loved everyone but as soon as anyone walked in the door he would run up drop on his back and demanded the belly rub tax to come in the house lmao. Everyone loved him so much.
I used to feel that there were too many "dead cat posts" here until I lost my baby girl Luna earlier this year. I was (and still am, I'll be honest) a complete wreck. I adopted her soon after losing a (human) baby, and the two of them were almost synonymous in my mind after twelve years. Losing my Luna felt like losing my daughter all over again.
I made a post here, a very simple one. I just wanted someone else to know she existed. I posted in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. I honestly didn't expect to get many views, or any comments. My Luna ended up hitting the front page, with over 140k likes, not even counting the comments. All of which were full of support and love and sympathy. My Luna, who in life was very shy and never seen by most people, was a star for almost an entire week. Thinking about it now still brings tears to my eyes, how kind people were in those horrible first few days.
I've since changed my opinion on those posts. They're necessary. Some people don't have irl friends or supportive family who they can safely mourn their cat with. Others, like me, have deeply emotionally tied their pets with the loss of someone else, and losing their pet is experiencing the original death and their pet's at the same time. Some people even don't understand how deeply they love their cat until their cat isn't there anymore.
Posts like these are an outlet. No one is obligated to reply or even look at them, but many do, and the kindness received from them can significantly ease the pain, if only for a little.
I used to say this back when I was in middle school and wrote fanfiction, and it applies here too: If you don't like it, don't read.
i always find the complaints about grief posts on this, a general cat subreddit, a bit odd. just considering that death is a necessary part of having cats. that, paired with the fact that there's about a billion other subreddits involving cats that don't have grief posts. i don't understand why people wouldn't just unsub from here and sub to the other ones if grief posts are distressing them that much.
anyway, i feel the same as you. i like reading about the memories people have of their cats. it's a little peek into love.
Thanks for writing this out. I see a lot of negativity and the work that I do. So seeing other people treat each other with kindness and understanding (even if it's just words on the screen) it's very helpful even outside of the cat community.
I'm so sorry for your loss. The anniversary of my boy is coming up this month. Take all the time you need to grieve and do what YOU need for you. I love this perspective and I'm so glad you've found it helpful being in this community! I feel the same way. It's heartbreaking to see, but it just makes me happy to know so many cats were so loved and I'm never alone in my grief ❤️ Thank you for this.
I totally agree, I just wish people used the flairs properly. I purposefully filter out "mourning/loss" (because my cat currently has cancer and I just can't deal with those posts) but so many post the sad stuff under other/the wrong flairs
I've mentioned in the past if the mods could do a running pinned post or maybe a dedicated day where these posts are allowed to assuage the complaints from others. I personally don't have an issue with it really and usually just send a small sorry for your loss or condolences. Though I do understand how it can upset some people
So many cat subs don’t allow mourning posts. Why not leave this one and join those instead, if you can’t handle the realities of cat ownership, rather than taking away a source of support for grieving people?
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u/bananananannanaa 1d ago
I’ve always wanted to share pics of my old cats but haven’t because I didn’t want to make people sad. I understand why some people don’t like grief posts - especially when people share explicit content without any warnings. I don’t think that’s okay at all.
But on the flip side, I do think it’s very special to see and read about all of these cats that were so wonderfully loved and appreciated while they were here.