Why am I So Sad About Losing a Cat?
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Thanks for listening to my call of the day podcast. You can hear my live radio program Monday through Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Sirius XM Triumph 111. Nicole, welcome to the program. Hi, Dr. Laura.

Hi. What's up? This is surreal. I literally can remember sitting in the backseat of my mom's car as a young kid listening to you, and then here I am now at 39 calling in. So this is amazing. My mom won't believe it. I'm calling because I almost feel like I'm being a baby, and I'll try not to cry because I don't want you to make me jump up and down out in the parking lot. So...

Yes, you do listen. Last Thursday, I had to make the very difficult decision to put my almost 15-year-old cat down. You have several health issues that just over time kind of stacked up and the time kind of came, saw it coming, but it always seems to be sooner than you think.

My question for you, I mean, obviously I've listened to you for years and I've heard from other people. Everyone grieves differently, that kind of thing. And my emotions kind of come and go, whether it's triggered by emotions or conversation or just out of nowhere. My question for you is,

I went back to work today. I work from home part of the time and I travel and go on site part of the time. Today was an on-site day, maybe not the best way to go back to work, but I find that I'm kind of just breaking down just by people saying like, how are you and things like that. I'm just wondering if you have any advice on how to kind of get through that because I feel guilty not, I don't want to take more time off work. You will automatically get through that.

you will automatically get through that. Okay. It will happen naturally. Because I kind of just feel like being a baby crying over my cat at work, you know? No, everybody who has lost an animal feels exactly the way. Okay. You're not a baby. Okay. No. That's not even fair to say to yourself. Animals, like especially cats and dogs, good God, we are so attached.

It's like having a kid almost. Yes. There's a real love attachment. I'm dependent on my dog. My dog's dependent on me. There's an interdependency of love and peacefulness. And it's just an amazing thing to have an animal you care about who cares about your back. So that's a lot to lose. That's not a babyish reaction. It's a human one and quite adult. So this will...

This will change on its own. Okay. I just, part of me is also nervous that it just makes me look, you know, unprofessional and stuff too. Okay. Next time you go to work, say, raise your hand if you've ever lost a pet.

everybody's hand will go up and they all understand how you feel. Would you stop beating? Who told you that when you feel pain or loss and can't act like a robot, that everybody's going to look down at you? Where'd you learn that? I didn't. I mean, and I, and to your point, I'm in human resources. So I'm always telling people to feel their feelings. I guess I just, when it comes to mine, I, I feel like it, I don't know.

takes away from the professionalism. Really? Then let's only hire robots because no matter what, they will only be professional. They will not be human. People don't relate to you kindly because you're compulsively professional. They can respect you for being professional, but they like you for your humanity. It's a good reminder. Yeah. Yeah.

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Why would I want to do that and undermine all the brilliant things I just said to you? No, understood. Feel the feelings, woman. We all do. Okay. And can I ask one follow-up question, if that's okay? Sure, sure. I do have one other cat. I'm younger, obviously. I'm fearful that...

Because I'm so caught up in my feelings with this older one, which I had a special relationship for. Like I said, it was my first cat as an adult or pet as an adult. I'm fearful. I can't give her the love and attention that I gave the other cat. Is that in the past as well? Every relationship with a dog or a cat is different because the cat, in your case, the cat's personalities are different. Some like a lot of interaction. Some are happy to watch you get through your day. Right.

You just love to beat yourself up is inadequate. Good God, woman. You're right. Okay, I'll give you a tip. I'll break my rule. Here's a tip. Interact with a cat that's not dead because it'll make you feel better. Okay. That's my tip. That's your therapy. Pet the cat. Sleep with the cat. Hug the cat. It'll make you feel better. You won't feel so alone and lost. Right.

So do it for you. That's my tip. Okay. That's easy. And at some point, get another cat. Okay. Someone actually just recently asked, like, do you think you'll ever get one? And when you're so fresh in your head, you think not anytime soon. I said I wouldn't get another dog for a better part of a year. And then one day I woke up and went, ah, got to get a dog. That's it.

Got to do it. Yeah. And this just, it happens naturally. You can't force it. Right. Okay. And then when you go check out another kitty, you look at yourself in the mirror and you go, well, you've been an idiot waiting this long. That's what I did. I've been an idiot waiting this long to get another doggy puppy. Okay.

All right. Well, thank you so much for your time. And it's really been an honor having you in my life all these years. And I'm excited to tell my mom that I got to talk to the famous Dr. Laura. So...

As long as you say famous and not infamous. My number, 1-800-375-2872. Check out my social media on Facebook and Instagram. I post stories, photos, and videos seven days a week and feature some of what you've sent me to. There's always something interesting going on there. You can find me at facebook.com slash drlaura and instagram.com slash drlauraprogram.

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