After a long battle with cancer, senior tortie crosses the rainbow bridge after a special final day with owner, reminding us to appreciate every moment

Briana Viser • Writer and Editor

Sep 30, 2026 9:30 AM EDT

We never know when loss will come, but we know that we can appreciate the time we had.

Love and loss are intertwined. You can't have love without pain. The more precious someone is to us, the more there is to lose. Love brings comfort, companionship, joy, and meaning into our lives. Somewhere within that is the ability for happiness to turn into something uglier, and everyone knows life doesn't stay the same forever. When a pet crosses the rainbow bridge, it can be as painful as losing a person. There could be times where the grief comes in waves, but ultimately it's something every pet pawrent has to face. In the story below, this woman had a beautiful tortie girl. She had oral cancer, but she loved her all the same. On their last day together, the two snuggled, they sat outside in the sun, she watched her cat scratch things, and every second just told her how much she loved her and wished it could be different. She meowed at her and the two had a tender final moment.

When we're getting through the loss of a pet, it doesn't always hit us all at once. Sometimes we may go through waves of pain. Some moments may feel okay, and others may feel like the whole world is crashing around us. The thing to remember is that everything will work out, everything will be alright. It's devastating, but that's apart of life, unfortunately.

Give the gift of kindness this holiday season by donating to our Giving Tuesday fundraiser to help homeless pets and animals in need! It's time to pay your cat tax!