@allegate , I'm so sorry for your loss. I don't have kids but obviously am one and saw (and still see) firsthand what not addressing the grief head on with my mom led to when our German Shepherd Delaney had to be put down in 2001. She had an aneurysm burst in her stomach and...it was awful. Rather than be healthy about it and discuss it with my brother (13) and me (17) at the time, my parents closed off and both mourned deeply, leaving us to mourn on our own. That was hurtful--especially because they didn't let us be there when she was put to sleep despite the fact she was dying in my arms in the backyard before they took her to the vet. It was horribly traumatizing but they only cared about themselves.

It's been 18 years now and my brother and I have since moved on, but my mom still openly weeps about Delaney if she's brought up because my mom can't/won't move on. You don't need to do it immediately--you need to grieve and everyone does it in their own way, but for the love of everything, don't let the grief and sorrow consume your or your child's lives. It's extremely unhealthy.

It's natural to be devastated. There's a hole in your life now without your cat in it and it's never quite evident just how impactful pets were until they're gone. It's important to remember all of the wonderful things your pet added to your life and to be thankful for how they impacted you, filling the hole of their loss with all of the happiness they brought to your life, not the sadness of them being gone.