I'll look out for Shadow here, with the two black cats I have, and the spirit of the one I gave away as a kitten to a loving home but who unfortunately died accidentally.   I'm sure Shadow will visit you from time to time.

Your story reminds me of when I had to make the decision to ask the vet to put one of mine to sleep, and as it happened, it was on my birthday. She was a little cat, but had the little dog next door totally under her spell. They hung out together next door all the time. Her name was alternately Fredericka the Squeaker (she squeaked rather than miaowed, although she rarely did it) or Fritzi, or a number of other names.

When I brought her home from the vet I sat with her body on my lap and started playing some harp music for her. Just then the door bell rang and it was a friend of mine and her son, who has developmental difficulties and at that time, aged about 8, could make sounds but most of it was fairly unintelligible.

I didn't have time to put Fritzi back in the carry box so I took her to the front door with me. The boy wanted to pat her and I had to say that she was dead and that I was just about to bury her in the back yard.

They both came out there with me, we gently laid Fritzi in her grave, put some flowers over her little body, and then covered her with earth. Then the boy did something beautiful. He stood there with head bowed and solemnly spoke some words which had the rhythm of a prayer over her grave, said Amen, and then we went back into the house.

I'll always have that picture in my mind of him standing there so solemnly. I had expected the boy and his mother to laugh at me but they both were wonderful about it.

Helen