Love given and shared is more than feelings and emotions. It is also a piece of our heart and soul. Love may be given unconditionally to those who possess two legs or four. Sometimes even those with feathers among others. The deeper and more freely given, the more it hurts when that life we shared is no longer there. Understand the sharing of love is a gift, a blessing.

Three weeks back I was up at 2:30 A.M. and opened the door to check on the weather. There on the threshold was a tiny little ball of fluff. Leaving the door open I opened a can of cat food and put a little on a plate setting it down in front of her. Taking a tentative nibble she decided it was okay. Slowly I pulled the plate inside the door. She followed. Same way to the kitchen and the cat dish where I put a big spoon full of cat food in the bowl and went to bed. Morning came and she was on top my bed. When I went to pet her, I found she was covered in grass burs. A lot of work with sissors, and needle nose pliers with a little kitten that was no more than skin and bones, I finally held her in my arms. I can only imagine she had been surviving on grasshoppers and other bugs she could catch. I could feel every single bone in her body. Her malnutrition meant she hadn't put on her winter undercoat and her top coat was truly thin.
My bed is hers and I'm fortunate she lets me sleep there. She's filled out, I no longer feel her bones when I pet her. We don't always need to find our loving animal friends. Sometimes they find us. Their instinct is a whole lot better than ours as they don't have human emotions mucking up the equation.
Hugs QModo, yes it hurts, if it didn't you wouldn't have shared and been blessed with all that love
Barbe Jean Lee