ray_afraid said:

Ah, ok. Right on then!

My cat, Dresden Lucifer Underfoot, isn't doing well. We've been partners for 11 years now and I'm afraid we will be parting soon. He has some health problems and they are all increasing and there's not much that can be done to help. I don't think I'll have to have him put down terribly soon, but all the signs are showing that we've spent our last full year together.
I love animals, so it's not like this is the first time a pet has passed on, but he is very special to me. All of my friends think of the two of us as a team, even though the guy never leaves my house.
Anyway, I dunno if that qualifies as bitching, but I needed to whine about it I guess.

It's understandable. I lost my dog a while ago, and it was tough. My coping method was to think about how great of a pet he was, and how the 12 years with him was easily worth the sadness that came with his passing.