Farewell To Caesar by John Cali


Image Credits

In our last blog post, He Was Just a Dog, I talked about taking care of my brother’s and sister-in-law’s elderly cat Caesar while they were travelling last week. Caesar died two days ago.

He was not my cat, but we all considered him part of our family for nearly 20 years. That may sound strange to folks who do not resonate with pets. But those who do will understand.

Caesar’s death was not unexpected, as he’d lived so long and was ill the past few years. Despite that we all felt a deep sense of sadness after he’d left us.

When I walked into my brother’s and sister-in-law’s house the day after Caesar died I was hit with a tidal wave of sadness. I had not expected that. He often met me at the door when I came to visit. Even though he was completely deaf, he sensed when someone he knew was coming to the house.

Everywhere I looked in the house there were reminders of him—like his favorite chair. Toward the end he’d developed the cat equivalent of human senility, and would get lost in a house he once knew so well. To help him, my brother and sister-in-law closed the doors to rooms not used often. Now they were open, stark reminders he was gone.

Certainly knowing animals have souls just as humans do helps when they die. However, our spiritual beliefs notwithstanding, we still miss their physical presence. We miss the warmth of their company, the unconditional love shining in their eyes.

The sadness lasted a while that day. But I felt comfort in the fact Caesar had visited me a couple hours after he died. He was happy and healthy, like a playful little kitten again.

He also visited my partner Barbara. He told her it felt so good to feel so “light” after he left a body wracked with heaviness and pain.

He obviously wanted us all to know he would never leave his loved ones. As my spirit guides often say, we never lose those we love—human or animal.

Here’s a beautiful video called All Dogs and Cats Go To Heaven.

Related links:
Farewell to Rosie
The Far Side of the Rainbow Bridge
Death of a Dog

****************************

If you’ve had a pet who’s died, how did you cope with that experience? Are you comfortable grieving for an animal in the same way you would a human family member? Please share your thoughts and comments with us below.

What other subjects would you like us to talk about in these posts? Please email me.

*****************************

About John Cali

John Cali is a writer, blogger, and channel for a group of spirit guides. His next book is Real Answers to Life’s Pesky Questions: Conversations With Spirit, Book 1. John lives in northwestern Wyoming.

10 Responses

  1. Conshana

    Thank You, John, for such a wonderful article.
    All my animals have come back to say “Farewell for Now”,,, And My Golden Wolf still comes onto the bed with me, once in a while, when I’m a bit blue or “Under the Weather”. And yes, I feel the bed sink under his weight.
    Blessings to you and Barbara, and crew~!
    Conshana

    • John Cali

      You’re most welcome, Conshana.

      And thank You for sharing. My little schnauzer, Schnapsi, is still with me now, 20 years after his passing.

      Blessings to you too, dear friend,
      John

  2. canron

    Hi, here is a different take on this subject but it fits in very well.
    About 20 years ago I had a litter of kittens which were kept in a cardboard box. One of them was able to jump out, the others not. The phone rang one day at 3 A.M. My brother was calling from a couple thousand miles away. My only son, age 23, had suddenly slipped into a coma and the hospital was about to pull the plug. They had declared him brain dead.
    Later that morning i went out for a Sunday brunch. When I returned I found the strong kitten laying across the doorway, dead. As I buried it in the outside of the garden I had the feeling that i was burying my son. There was no longer a need for me to travel to the other funeral.
    Two years later we were informed by the authorities that they could not come up with a cause of death and no doubt there could not have been found one for the kitten either.

  3. Barbara

    Fly high and free Sweetheart. We love you, now and always.
    Love,
    Barbara xxx

  4. Chris

    It is so hard when a member of our furry family leaves. Glad that he visited you.

  5. Shirley White

    We each have our own way of experiencing these things and the way we deal with it.

    My animals that have moved on often have visited me in spirit after leaving the physical earth. They are always so joyful and happy that although I miss them, I am encouraged that they are now free from pain or other physical problems and can playfully enjoy the wondrous place of existence they currently experience.

    I am always smiling at their playful and energetic presence during these brief visits. I do miss them more than actually grieve for them. I have been missing my beautiful and loving Sundancer, my Great Pyrenees dog who was with me for 16 years and departed this life in February. Missing is not a great sadness but a remembrance of her sweet presence and loving nature. She was a wonderful companion.

    Blessings, Hugs and love
    Shirl

    • John Cali

      Thanks very much, Shirl, for sharing your memories.

      I agree — missing is not a great sadness. It’s simply a tribute to, and remembrance of, our beloved furry family.

      Love,
      John

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.