How to cope with your pet crossing the rainbow bridge?: The story of the love between soul cat and devoted pawrent, and advice on easing the transition

Author image for Briana Viser
Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Nov 11, 2026 8:45 AM EST

No one likes to think about the rainbow bridge. But eventually every cat pawrent goes through the process. The good news is that we're all here for each other, so how can we ease the transition before it happens? 

Grief is a part of life. Life is full of mystery, love, happiness, and wonder. But the good things come with an opposite world, and that's just the way things are. Every single person on earth is touched by the hands of grief and pain, and it's actually something that connects us all. We don't need to look at it through a negative lens. Since we know it exists, it can actually make it easier. We can understand how to transition from being a cat pawrent to not, and we can turn to each other for advice. 

In the story below, a cat dad still has his 12 year old kitty. They've been together for her whole life, and he got her during a time that he was down on his luck. Like many of our cat love relationships and connections, he's built something with her that will never be forgotten or replaced. Now that she's been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given 6 months to live, he's reflecting and reminiscing on all of their years together. The internet pops in to guide him through this crisis in the most heartwarming way. 

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    I met this angel when she was 2 years old, she's spent a long, loving 12 years growing with me,
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    and me growing with her. This is soul-cat. My #1. My babygirl. My cuddly furry purry friend. The my most beautiful woman I've ever seen.
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    Lore: I'd just ended a 2 year relationship where I was cheated on. Really bad feelings.
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    That same night mom calls me and says "Hey Ry, someone is here and wants to meet you, come see who it is."
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    I was in a horrible mood. Did not want any visitors... but it wasn't a person. It was this lil calico cat.
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    The cutest lil thing. She was about 2 years old then and we bonded almost immediately. It totally
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    turned my sad broken hearted. mood around. She's been my babygirl ever since and we've only gotten closer. She's a part of my heart and soul.
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    After a long number of years my baby suddenly became lethargic and started to isolate herself. A
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    visit to a vet revealed she has a massive tumor in her abdomen that has grown to be so large its pressing upon her organs. (I just thought she was chubby)
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    Its cancerous and there is no treatment. The vet said chemo nor sur jery are viable options at this point. He gave her a timeline of less than 6 months.
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    NIKE 100
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    6 months... and shes been with me for 12 years. How can I deal with that? Its so unfair. All she
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    wanted to do was give love and eat tuna. Which she did plenty, and ate plenty. I'm making sure
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    her last days are full of the things she loves most. Tuna and salmon, tuna and crab, tuna and... whatever else she loves. Even junk
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  • Getting a cat on the same night you broke up with a cheating partner is something magical. Not everyone experiences the pain and betrayal of infidelity, but if you have then you know how heart wrenching it can be. A new feline is basically the perfect coping mechanism for a person in that situation. And now that they've had 12 years together, he'll have to reach for other tools to cope with the loss of his perfect kitty. As sad as it is, it's still a part of life. At least we have each other to always lean on.

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    cat food - those Temptations treats and the lickable food in the tube. Since she doesn't have much time left I am going to spoil her.
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    I've been showing her so much love but she constantly insolates herself. She's lost so much weight so quickly. She doesn't play
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    anymore, she doesn't follow me around the house like a puppy, like she used to. Her appetite is still strong but I can tell she is
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  • There's nothing light or happy about losing a pet. But by preparing beforehand, it may not come as a shock like it would if it was more spontaneous. There's so much process in loss, and it's not a straight line, or an upward path. There will be ups and downs, good days and bad days. But no matter how this person chooses to deal with the loss, there will be a light at the end of the dark tunnel, and he'll come out strong, loved, and simply okay. That's what's important. 

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    suffering so I am going to make the hard decision. It could be tomorrow or Monday.
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    I plan to be with her the whole time. I'm going to be with her when they do the injections. Its
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    gonna hurt me so much to watch her pass on but I don't want her to de surrounded by strangers. Then carrying her body to the car.
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    Then burying her. I think this is gonna damage my mental health in a serious way when its already bad. But i refuse to let her
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    surrounded by strangers. I'm going to be there holding her if i can. I am going to bury her in her favorite shirt of mine, with her
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    favorite toys and other mementos. I'm heartbroken but I'm so glad to have had the chance to know Sinclair. She is my world and I will always miss her.
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