I just want to that I’m so thankful for this subreddit. I can’t really put to words the joy that fills my heart seeing all of your precious cats. It really makes my day sometimes.

My first cat had been brutally murdered by a German Shepherd off its leash in front of me and I was traumatized. I was in 3rd grade. My mother was a professor at the time and told her class about it. The next day, one of her students that worked at a shelter came to class with a beautiful kitten that had been abandoned in an empty apt and had been found weeks later. My mother brought the kitten home and I named him Hamlet.

We bonded immediately. He slept with me every night, would accompany me on walks, we would hangout in the backyard, and play. He was an indoor/outdoor cat and would always come when I called. When I was sad it was like he knew, he’d be extra affectionate and would let me hold one of his paws all night. He was a true companion.

Hamlet lived quite a long life, 22 years. Right before he passed, I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but we had a moment. I had moved out of my parents house and around the corner into an apt building and had decided it wouldn’t be fair to bring him with me when he was used to being outside and having so much space. So he stayed at my parents house and I’d visit frequently, at least 2 or 3 times a week. Anyways, I was heading out of the house and back to the apt and Hamlet followed me down the driveway. He seemed sad. I thought it was because he missed having me around all the time and so I started crying and holding him and telling him I was sorry. I stayed with him on the driveway for awhile and then told him I’d see him soon.

3 days later my mom called me to tell me he hadn’t come home in 2 days. This had never happened before, so I walked over there and called out his name the whole way. I spent hours in the rain calling his name looking for him to no avail. Put flyers all over the neighborhood and knocked on neighbors doors. No one had seen him. I called the shelters and got nothing. The vet then told me that it was actually fairly common for cats to abandon their owners so they could die in solitude, and given his age and how much slower he had gotten that that was probably what happened. I love him so much and now look back on that time on the driveway differently. He was sad because he was saying goodbye.

I don’t think I will ever love a cat as much as I loved Hamlet. That kind of connection just can’t be replicated. I mean I basically trauma bonded with a cat and he also with me. We essentially grew up together.

Anyways, this is a photo of my baby. It feels nice putting this all into words in a space where there will likely be people who get it. I will keep cherishing the photos of your precious ones.