Does it ever get easier?

I lost my dear Domino a little over three years ago and today I showed someone a picture of a group of my cats with the intention of showing her one of my still living cats and she asked who Domino was.   The grief hit me like lightening and I almost broke down and cried right there - I had to work hard to pull myself together for it would have been pretty inappropriate at the time.   I thought I was past this, I thought I had reached my peace with this loss but sometimes I wonder if I ever will.   I lost her "brother" Buddy the next year and that loss doesn't heal either.   I still have living cats that I love but I can't seem to accept these losses - the human losses I've suffered sit more easily than these.   I adopted my two I have now before Domino and Buddy died and I dread the day that I lose them too.   How do you go on loving and adopting more pets after knowing how hard this is?

Bastfriend said:

   How do you go on loving and adopting more pets after knowing how hard this is?

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Because it's worth it.

I still have a weep for my rainbow-bridgers.  It shows just how wonderful it was to have them in our lives.

Lots of **Hugs** to you.

Mani said:

Because it's worth it.:heart4:

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You never really get over missing the ones who've left. There are so many cats that need a home and who bring you such joy that you overcome the dread of losing yet another one, and live in the present, as cats do.

Because the love is worth the pain.

With these little animal friends usually having shorter lives than us. the pain of loss seems to be the unavoidable flip side of loving them.
But I would not give up the love in order to avoid the pain.

So at least that is how I feel.

I still grieve for my pets who are gone. I still sometimes cry thinking of my cat who died a year ago. By now, usually when I think of him it is the happier memories. but I do still miss my extraordinary Louis so much. and I know I will NEVER have a cat like him.

but I love my other cats who are here with me now. each is special in his/ her own way and all the time I grow to love them more.

Awwww, thanks you guys.   My Big Guy came up to me after that post as if to remind me "Hey I'm right here!"  and I picked him up and gave him some of his favorite treats and my heart feels a bit lighter now.  

Just It is the price we pay for loving them for sure. I have lost many over the years and always think I can't do this again too. But, there are SO many that need a loving home and somehow they find their way to us and we take them in. It does hurt when they get ill with disease or just die from old age, either way, it hurts, bad. I don't think time heals our heart completely and there will be something that brings the hurt back to the surface and it feels so raw for those few seconds. I do think having the other furkids around helps to comfort us during those moments of grief thinking about the ones we have lost. Hang in there.

Thanks Feralvr