Welcome to September 2009 edition of the Happy Cat Ezine Unfortunately this month it isn't a happy cat ezine and will in fact be mainly about the sad news that Little Mo passed away on the 22nd August. It really has knocked me for six and I seem to be spending all my days thinking of her, so please forgive this months ezine as it is mainly about her story and how to cope the best you can with the loss of a pet. I have received some wonderful emails from many visitors to the site and indeed received a wonderful poem about little Mo (featured in the ezine). I would like to say a big thank you to all those who contacted me with their sympathies. The website will continue in her memory and I know that she would not want us all to be too sad. So please still visit the site and participate in the caption competition. She was a loving happy cat and that's how we should remember her. Until next month Best Wishes Kate   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS 1. New Cat Gallery Photos This Month 2. Competition 3. Little Mo's Story 4. Ribute to Little Mo - A Poem by Mary, North Carolina 5.. Article - Coping With Pet loss ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.New Cat Gallery Pages   We have been very busy this month and have received nine new cat gallery pages. Click on the images to read more about them. Chet Jasmine Misu Fluffy Prancer Kirby Chai Miggs Harry ----------------------------------------- 2. Competition Number Sept23 Here is September's Caption Competition. All you have to do is write a caption for this picture. You are the first to see it as it doesn't get posted onto the site for a few days, so it gives you extra time to get your entries in first. Simply send us your caption to go with this picture. Click here to submit Caption The deadline for this competition is Sept 24th. The best caption will be chosen and the winners name and caption will be posted on the www.our-happy-cat.com competition page. This month the prize will be a copy of the book "Utterly adorable cats". As the title describes this book is just chock full of cute adorable cats, i love it. GOOD Luck             -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Little Mo's Story You would think that one little tabby cat wouldn't be that different to the next. But how wrong you would be. I have yet to meet two cats the same. I’ve known cats who treated us as a necessary nuisance, crazy cats who thought they were human too and others, who I’m sure just humored us poor human beings. Let us introduce you to our current tabby cat. Mo. To be honest she is not completely tabby, she has large amounts of white fur as well. A real moggy cat. We will tell you her story and how she came to be with us. Read the rest of Little Mo's story here     -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Tribute to Little MO by Mary (North Carolina)  She won their hearts some years ago Thirteen to be exact They found her at Battersea Dog and Cat Home Perhaps you know where that is at Kate and Matt had ventured there Seeking a playful little male One to brighten up their home with purrs and a spunky little tail They came upon a little cat sitting quietly and alone looking very thin and quite depressed they had to take her home She seemed so sad, it broke their heart they knew she was the one They put her in a carry box and took their "Lady" home When they got home and let her out so much to their surprise This little girl who looked so sad now had a glimmer in her eyes She stepped onto the carpet Explored in leaps and bounds Her tail was high as she looked about She loved this home she had found They named her "Mouse" for she was small In short "Our Little Mo" the name suited her so perfectly It just had to be so She loved the sun as most cats do She loved the garden too She frolicked there day after day There was so much for her to do The years passed by, they loved her so She brightened up their home They was so glad they chose "Lil MO" and took her for their own She bought them so much happiness Both Matt and his mate , Kate She was the center of their life Their life with her was great Then came the day they dreaded most By accident, she fell At seventeen, she could not be fixed the vet was sad to tell Both Matt and Kate was very sad But to her they must be true They could not let her suffer more They knew what they must do And so they helped her cross the bridge into the sunny light No longer would she feel this pain They knew that this was right When Little Mo approached the gate A loving voice said "Come in" She found herself a garden in the sun and many feline friends Though she is gone across the bridge From Matt and Kate apart She lives her life now looking down on them Always present in their heart. More Cat Poems and Cat Stories ______________________________________________ 5.. Article - Coping With The Loss Of A Pet Owning an animal used to be only considered when it was needed to carry out a purpose like ploughing fields, catching mice and rats or for hunting with. They were seen only as another possession and not something to be overly concerned about once it passed away. However all of that has now changed and owning an animal purely as a pet is far more commonplace and so to has their significance in our lives. We now consider them as part of the family, to love and care for them as we would any other member of our family. This attachment to our pets brings us many years of companionship and love but it does also mean that when they pass away, we also suffer grief and pain. However how do we express this sense of loss, when to many, an animal is just an animal and in many cultures grieving for a pet is seen as silly and as a weakness. It is just as important to find ways to come to terms with the loss of our pets, as it is when we lose any member of our family. If we don’t it could lead to physical illness and depression. It is therefore important to find someone to speak to who will understand your grief and who can help and support you through these sad times. They should allow you to cry and to talk about how you feel. If there is no one in your family or circle friends that you feel will be sympathetic to your feelings, then contacting a local animal charity and asking them for help is perfectly acceptable. Some animal charities even have dedicated telephone lines to help people with their loss of a pet. Other important ways to cope with your grief are: Make sure you eat regular meals, it may sound silly but during the grieving period it is common for people to forget to look after themselves as they normally would and may even find that they lose their appetite. Not eating will only make you feel worse. Allow yourself to cry without feeling embarrassed about it. If someone asks why you are crying, simply say that you have lost a dear friend. Try not to dwell on the loss, keep yourself busy. Don’t forget to continue to pay attention to any other pets you may have. They too will be experiencing a sense of loss even if it is not shown. When we lose a member of our family or a friend the ritual of holding a funeral to say your final farewells can be the starting place to accepting your loss. Unfortunately this rarely happens for our pets and so because that final farewell doesn’t happen we may feel that we have not yet let go of them and so can prolong the feelings of grief. It can therefore be helpful to have some sort of memorial for your pet. It doesn’t have to be much, a planting of a tree or bush, or placing a small statue or plaque in the garden, may be all that is needed to say goodbye and to help you through the grieving process. One of the hardest things to cope with when a pet dies is explaining it to a young child, who may have built up very strong bonds with the animal but who does not understand the concept of death. Many parents feel worried about trying to explain what has happened to the pet, as they feel that as the child’s first experience of death, the explanation should be a positive one and not something that will frighten the child. The best way to explain to a child about death is to be totally honest with them. Use real words like death and dying rather than words like sleeping etc. By explaining death to them in a calm and positive way it will help them come to terms with future losses and will prevent possible future confusion if they hear the truth from someone else. Children will respond to the death of a pet in different ways, some may start to do some very strange things like burying toys for the animal to play with or drawing pictures of the dead animal underground. Whichever way they want to express their feelings should be allowed and even encouraged and crying in front of your child will allow them to also feel as if they can cry too and not to try and be brave about it. Coping with the loss of a pet is never easy and you should always allow yourself time to come to terms with it. Often rushing out to replace the animal is not the best solution and can even cause other unforeseen problems not only for yourself but also for your other pets.