Creating a baby book in memory of our cat who passed away

whaat · April 2016

On Saturday morning our cat was hit by a car. I found him, brought him home, and we buried him in the yard. My husband and I are obviously very upset. He was our baby. He was such a big part of our lives and it's very sad to think that he'll never get to meet the baby.
I was thinking of making a book for the baby about the cat (mostly as therapy for myself and my husband). I was thinking of commissioning an illustrator for the project if my budget allows. I could definitely do this myself, but part of the reason I dropped out of art school is that I have a hard time finishing creative projects.

Has anyone done anything similar? Thoughts? Is this silly af?

ShallowSeas · April 2016

I haven't done this but I love the idea. Pets are family members. H and I have two pets, one that I've had since I was 14. If something were to happen to either one of them, I would want to do something like this as well. I'm sorry to hear about your cat

whitneyf1 · April 2016

I don't think it's silly at all. I'm so sorry about your cat!

yosemite2018 · April 2016

I'm sorry to hear about your cat! I think if it will provide you and your husband with comfort then you should absolutely do it!

KilgraveMadeMeDoIt · April 2016

I'm so sorry to hear about your cat.

What an awful loss.

As as to using the cat as the theme of the baby book, I personally probably wouldn't. I'd do a memorial project about the cat for sure (I'm working on one for our dear Nomi who we lost in January) but not in the form of the baby book, simply because my kids get pretty upset learning about animals who have died and I would want the baby book to be purely about the baby.

TwandaFTG · April 2016

No advice but sorry for your loss.

comealongponds · April 2016

I'm so sorry you lost your cat, it's awful to lose a pet. I think a book is a wonderful and adorable idea!

DunkinDecaf · April 2016

That sounds very sweet. I'm so sorry your cat passed away.

snowflake143 · April 2016

I think it's super sweet, and a great opportunity as the baby gets older to show them a lot of lessons. Things like how pets are loved and family, and how love doesn't end because the pet passes away, just because something isn't here you can still remember it, etc... Lots of possibilities on top of the obvious healing for you and your DH.

I'm so sorry you lost your kitty. I'm beginning to think ahead to how I'll handle my dogs passing since they're so bonded that I fear they'll go close together. DS loves them so much I need a plan in place how to explain it to him. This is a wonderful idea imo.

grannysmith912 · April 2016

Oh man, I am so sorry. Losing a pet is such a hard thing...

I've never done anything like the project you're describing, but it sounds like a great idea. It does seem like something that would be cool to do yourself, and perhaps the end-of-pregnancy deadline would help you get it done, but I'm sure it would be hard to find someone else to work on it for you!

kittiesandcoffee · April 2016

I lost a cat last year that I'd had since I was five. He was a one of a kind wonder and I'm still not over it. I've thought about making a book as well but I have zero artistic talent when it comes to drawing.

MissAmeliaPond · April 2016

Oh no, I am so sorry for you loss. Our dogs are definitely our babies at our house (we have no kids yet), and I would be just devastated if anything happened to either of them. I think making a story for the baby about the cat is a really cute idea. Sorry to be blunt, but as long as it doesn't have a realistic ending, I think it's a really nice idea. Do you already have a story in mind/written for commissioning an illustrator? You might even be able to find someone who is still in art school to illustrate the book, and that might help keep costs down too. Again, so sorry you lost your kitty.

LikeICantEven · April 2016

That's brutal, I'm so sorry to hear this. My cat is my 1st baby, I know how you feel. Lovely idea!

whaat · April 2016

KilgraveMadeMeDoIt said:

I'm so sorry to hear about your cat. What an awful loss.

As as to using the cat as the theme of the baby book, I personally probably wouldn't. I'd do a memorial project about the cat for sure (I'm working on one for our dear Nomi who we lost in January) but not in the form of the baby book, simply because my kids get pretty upset learning about animals who have died and I would want the baby book to be purely about the baby.

I wasn't thinking of putting death in the book if that makes any sense. Just a little story about a cat exploring the area, meeting the different animals you can find in our yard (we are bird people so it would be cute to incorporate the birds we see here).

Seattleite86 · April 2016

I think its a fun idea. If your budget doesnt allow a full book from an illustrator try a painter and have a nice canvas painted to hang in your nursery! My sister did a painting of my dog from a photo and it looks identical. There are a lot of painters on etsy that do these kinds of canvases

Thewizardofrhythm · April 2016

Oh @whaat I'm so sorry. Losing an animal is so hard. I think however you need to process it is the right way. And what a beautiful sentiment. I love it.

shevaCC · April 2016

I'm so sorry about your kitty. I think that's a really sweet idea, especially if it will help you guys with your grieving process. Losing a beloved pet is so hard.

pinnerk · April 2016

I am so so sorry for your loss. That actually hurt my heart.
I've got a 20 year old cat and I just know she's going to pass sooner rather then later and it can bring me to tears to think about. I love the idea of a book/memorial project.

On a side note, when I read Baby Book, what popped into my over tired head was those books where you put your babies fave meal, birth date, how much they weighed. So on.

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