Kid (after killing a man for the first time) - "Well, I guess he had it coming..."
Clint - "Drink up kid, we all got it coming"
Seeing how this is the Religion, Philosophy and Metaphysics section, I feel that it is a pleasant thought that I may be reunited someday spiritually with all of the "entities" that I have loved... I wouldn't really care for heaven if my cats weren't there ;-) . I have two cats that I've raised from very tiny kittens and I dread the day that one of them will die. I don't think any death is different from any other. For the living, it means "end of story", "chapter closed" now get on with it... There is no appeal process, nada. It's just final, move on.
On the metaphysical side, I like to think when I go that people will be sad but will move on quickly as their lives are short as well - only so many seconds, so many minutes, so many days... I think I'd like a New Orleans style send off myself. I'm rambling now... Hang tough and when your ready, get another cat. He won't replace your old buddy, but he will become a new one.