Care, Support and Grief Among Our Animal Companions

March 15, 2026 Bernadette

two black cats in sleepypod — Another visit from your sister, support for Mr. Sunshine.

I’ve explored my experiences around the seven losses over the past few months, now I’m going to explore my cats’ experiences of the illnesses and losses of their family, friends and mentors. Over the years I’ve seen plenty of awareness and support in each of them of other cats’ illnesses and conditions, even impending death, and their grief and even communication between this world and the next. A trigger warning: I have a few photos of cats in my feline family interacting with other cats just after their death, and I write about those instances. Below that is a whole bunch of fun photos of Mr. Sunshine to cheer you up.

Over two years, June 2023 to August 2025, I lost a total of seven cats of a household of 12. I had a wonderful team of veterinarians and a couple of animal communicators to help guide me through that, but I’ll be resolving the series of losses for the rest of my life. I went very deep over the past few months to get my feet back on the ground and get accustomed to my changed life, including turning 65 just last week and all the rearranging that comes with that. I’ve shared with you here that journey about my own experiences through this entire cycle.

But I saw amazing actions and interactions among my cats during that time as I have in the past, and now among those who remain, Bella, Hamlet, Sienna and Mariposa are former ferals with some socialization issues who were mentored and loved those we lost. Morty who with Mr. Max, both friendly socialized cats, endured a trauma of losing their human then being neglected, loved and supported each other. I’m looking at the behavior of cats in particular during a time of illness and loss, and the aftermath.

Support when needed

In April 2022 when Mr. Sunshine was diagnosed with hypertension and some kind of mass on/in his abdomen his siblings were there for him, especially Mewsette with her special big love and cuddles as in the photo at the top of this post of her giving us a caretaker’s warning look while she cuddles with Mr. Sunshine after a visit to the veterinarian. The following year, as Mewsette’s health deteriorated, I regularly found her tucked into Mr. Sunshine’s belly while he quietly laid next to her and purred, kitty reiki, I guessed.

Spooning, Mr. Sunshine holding Mewsette.

A few weeks later as I monitored her for hours, her vital signs stable and her lungs clear, Mr. Sunshine came to cuddle into her belly. She unexpectedly drew her last breaths 15 minutes later with Mr. Sunshine tucking his face into her fur. He was present in this way with other siblings and in past years.

Mr. Sunshine seemed to communicate with his siblings in their next life in the months before he joined them (visit “A Quiet Visit”)..

black cat on deck — Mr. Sunshine on that last morning.

Sitting with them in the hours after death

When we lost both Giuseppe and Mr. Sunshine, Basil climbed into their boxes on the table and laid on them for some time after the other cats had visited each of them.

Basil lays atop Giuseppe, his ninja mentor.

Later that year Bella climbed on top of Basil and seemed ready to stay there forever.

My observance of this caretaking goes back 30 years to Fawn devotedly draping herself over Kublai in his last year.

Fawn "recharging" Kublai while he sleeps. — Fawn “recharging” Kublai while he sleeps.

After all these years I look forward to sharing these stories—not all of them with dire photos—and exploring their actions.

Now, just for fun, scroll down and enjoy the post full of photos of Mr. Sunshine that I shared a couple weeks after we lost him. He was quite the character!

Daily Photo: Photographs and Memories, Belly-up Silly to Serious

Posted March 16, 2024

black cat sleeping on back — Mr. Sunshine’s summer sleeping position, belly-up.

When I lost Mewsette and Jelly Bean and Giuseppe I knew as I prepared myself for the possibility of their loss what photo I’d want to use as a sort of memorial, one that was representative of their purrsonality. These are the three photos I have in the right column and at the bottom of “pet loss” articles for Mewsette’s Journey, Remembering Jelly Bean and Giuseppe’s Journey.

I actually started on this process back in April 2022 when Mr. Sunshine was first diagnosed with some sort of cancer, which didn’t turn out to be an injection site sarcoma but something more insidious. I wanted to be ready just in case…and he outlived his siblings and almost two full years after the diagnosis.

black cat in cat bed — Mr. Sunshine is pleased.

But I have been thinking about it for the past couple of months knowing things would change for him soon enough. I had one particular photo in mind right away and let myself spend some time with it. But then I felt it might focus too much on who he was at the end of his life but not give time enough for who he was at the beginning.

Tiny Mr. Sunshine!

May I see some I.D.?

Mr. Sunshine’s head tilt.

Is that all there is to taxes?

He was a totally cute and audacious kitten with a manipulative head tilt that he went on to perfect as an adult. As the weather grew warmer he would unroll and roll over onto his back as the temperature reached 80 degrees and higher. Here is just a small selection of belly-up photos.

Mr. Sunshine shows off his purrfect belly.

Mr. Sunshine and his temperature belly.

Mr. Sunshine’s belly thermometer indicated that the indoor temperature reached 85 degrees this afternoon.

Belly is not for rubs right now.

Mr. Sunshine airs out his belly in the studio.

A Sunshine belleh.

Mr. Sunshine asked for it, he got it.

Mr. Sunshine checks the air flow with his belly.

What a train wreck.

He had a series of decisive expressions and would have whatever treat or goodie he wanted even if he had to deftly swipe it from my hand, or cruise the counters until he’d located it.

He liked to play hard, though none of his siblings or any others who ever lived here did, so we always had a roll of paper towels on the kitchen floor for him to tackle and bite and bunny kick. He was a lot of fun, even for all his quiet nature.

black cat with paper towels — Mr. Sunshine subdues the roll of paper towels.

He always had the same self-contained and inventive, independent energy, but the inner strength he demonstrated in these past two years wasn’t as well developed when he was younger. I could see it when we seriously began fostering hospice cats, then socializing feral kittens about a decade ago, that quiet, sober strength that he would share with the weakened ones, and show to the kittens to learn about purrsonal space and respect with other cats.

He took seriously quietly settling down next to the hospice kitties with his calming rumbly purr therapy, and never lift a paw to a kitten but simply sit still and make it clear that touching, which was welcomed by the other three siblings, was not appropriate with him until he had touched them first. When, after a few encounters, he did touch them, they would just about burst with pride, but also understand restraint and the way to interact with a cat who was not your wrestling buddy.

With me, oh, the eye contact that communicated so much. Not since Kublai and his training of me in understanding his thoughts have I had communication that direct and that clear.

black cat on blue table — Mr. Sunshine reflecting.

They grew together as a group, the four of them, and each of them could perfect their best abilities by combining their energies. Mr. Sunshine became the leader of sorts. Observing him through the years I joked that if he had lived life outdoors as an intact male cat he would have been very successful, noting that inner strength that was so obvious to me. So it was always there, but not until this year did I know quite how strong he was.

And the sympathy card I designed with my favorite photo of his eyes when he was young.

"Mr. Sunshine's Eyes" sympathy card — “Mr. Sunshine’s Eyes” sympathy card

So I will keep looking for the photo so that I can collect the articles about him with it. I’m enjoying my own journey in this while I browse 16 years of photos.

Art and Gifts featuring cats you know! Visit Portraits of Animals

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Feline Artwork on Portraits of Animals

charcoal sketch of two cats sleeping — “Cuddle Boys”, charcoal pencil, 9″ x 5″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Bean and Sunshine couldn’t have been any sweeter cuddling with their faces together and paws entangled on the bed. Sunshine likes to sleep on his back, and Bean is just like a ball with his toes curled. Read more and order.

Copyright

All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.