by Nomi Berger
 
When your cherished cat companion dies, the process of grieving the love you’ve lost is painfully similar to the process of grieving the loss of a beloved family member or friend.
 
According to the longstanding Kubler-Ross model, there are five stages of grief -- denial, anger, bargaining, depression and ultimately, acceptance.
 
Denial, like the other stages of grief, is different for everyone, and you may even skip it completely. While you’ll eventually come to terms with losing your cat, denying that loss at first is perfectly normal.
 
You may feel angry at your cat for dying. You may feel angry at yourself, at a disease or at the world in general. This too is normal. HOW you react to your anger is what’s important. It can range from screaming into your pillow, crying or writing down your emotions to going for long runs, working out at the gym or cleaning your home. Whatever the outlet, its purpose is to allow your mind and body time to process your anger.
 
The key is not staying angry too long. Although nothing can change what’s happened, remind yourself that you’re simply grieving and that being angry is a part of the grieving process. Perhaps the most painful fact to face, however, is that there truly is no time limit to grief.
 
Bargaining, being the third stage, is when you try to figure out what you could have done differently to prevent your cat’s death. Expressed through such phrases as “if only” and “what if”, it’s also a desperate attempt to try and avoid the grief through a kind of negotiation with a higher power -- if you change this, I’ll change that -- to bring back your cat.
 
Depression, as the fourth stage of grief, is characterized by such expressions of sadness as endlessly crying or crying in spurts, sleeping a great deal, not wanting to eat or participate in any of your usual activities, feeling especially lonely and utterly desolate. Honor these emotions, yet find solace in knowing that they’ll be easier to manage as time passes, that they’ll dissipate slowly but surely, and that you won’t feel this depressed forever.
 
It may take time, but acceptance, the fifth and final stage in the grieving process, is coming to terms with and adjusting to life without your beloved cat. Acceptance doesn’t mean forgetting, nor should it be seen as an act of betrayal. On the contrary, acceptance means celebrating the sweet and unique life your cat lived and acknowledging the fact that no other cat can replace the one you’ve lost. At this point, remembering can finally bring smiles instead of tears.
 
If you’re uncertain about how to process your own grief, consider the following:
• Read the magnificent poem “The Rainbow Bridge,” and let the waves of grief wash over you and cleanse you.
• Surround yourself with people who knew and loved your cat and share all of your feelings together.
• If you have other pets, spend more quality time with them. Pets, like people, also grieve the loss of their playmates.
• Put together a photo album, scrapbook or shadow box as a way of reminding you of the happy times you and your cat shared together.
• Redirect your attention and focus by doing those things you enjoy most.
• Go online to a forum or support group for people who are experiencing the loss of their own pets.
• See a grief counselor or therapist because talk therapy is a powerful tool and, in many cases, vital to your personal healing.
• Consider getting a new cat some day. Never meant as a replacement for the one who died, a new cat may help fill the current emptiness in your heart.

by Nomi Berger
 
Like people, cats usually sneeze because their nasal passages are irritated. In most cases, it’s caused by a pollen allergy, chemical fumes associated with various household solvents, inhaled tobacco smoke, perfumes or foreign objects such as pieces of fur or grass.
 
Excessive sneezing, however, may signal a more serious issue. If your kitty sneezes many times in a row or continues to sneeze over the course of several days, bring her to the vet. She may be suffering from a viral, bacterial or fungal infection in her upper respiratory tract.
 
Dental disease can cause sneezing particularly if it involves a root infection. Such infections can allow bacteria to settle in her nasal sinuses resulting in inflammation and sneezing.
 
Feline herpes virus (FHV) may be another cause. Highly contagious between cats, it’s transmitted primarily through saliva, urine or feces, and eye or nose secretions. While there’s no cure for FHV, there are treatments that allow cats to live normal lives.
 
Feline Calicivirus (FCV) is also highly contagious between cats, passed in the same manner as FHV -- through bodily fluids. If your cat isn’t already vaccinated, consider doing so. In mild cases, FCV can be treated at home with prescribed medications. In more serious cases your vet may recommend leaving your cat at the hospital for a few days, and if yours is a multi-cat household, when she returns home, keep her quarantined from the other cats.
 
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is slow acting and your cat may not show symptoms until years after she’s been infected. FIV is typically transmitted through bite wounds or from pregnant mothers to their kittens. Sadly, there’s no cure for FIV, but your vet can treat any secondary infection as it arises, and with treatment, cats can live fairly normal lives. But left untreated, FIV can lead to kidney failure or cancer.
 
Chlamydiosis or feline chlamydia doesn’t require direct contact for infection. Bacteria from a sneeze or a cough can travel across a room or be passed by people through touch if they have the bacteria on their hands. Chlamydiosis can be treated with antibiotics and symptoms are typically gone within six weeks.
 
Because there are many other infections that could be behind your cat’s ongoing sneezing, err on the side of caution and bring her to your vet as quickly as paws-ible.