Help: Terrible nightmares about my beloved RB cat!

I need some advice about a recurring nightmare involving my beloved
Vanilla, now at Rainbow Bridge. So you'll understand, I have extremely
vivid dreams that are highly realistic and strong. Therefore when I
have nightmares, they are doozeys.

My lovely Vanilla and I were together 18 years and she died in my
arms, of a heart attack, about 5 years ago. She has a special place in
my heart, even though I now enjoy the company of a wonderful big
orange fuzzball, "RJ".

In my recurring dreams (and I have them about twice a month), I'm back
in my childhood home of nearly 50 years ago. And in the dream, I
suddenly realize, much to my horror, that I've somehow "forgotten"
Vanilla all this time and had callously abandoned her, without a
second thought, leaving her alone, unloved, and maybe even unfed!
upstairs in my folk's house, without any way of her to get love and
petting from me, let alone food or water.

In real life, of course, we were constant companions and never had ill
times, and naturally I'd left my childhood home a good 30 years before
I even rescued Vanilla as a kitten. And of course, I was never hurtful
or thougtless to her, ever.

Nevertheless, these dreams are completely vivid and intense. And I'm
at the old home, and I suddenly realize that I've "forgotten" Vanilla
and have left her to starve to death!

So I run upstairs, calling for her over and over again. The emotion is
immense and the terror is crushing. In my dream I'm crying and sobbing
in anguish at what I've somehow done.

Many times I cannot find her. Sometimes I find her and she'd dead! Or
sometimes she's very weak and ill (having been neglected by me all
this time), and is dying.

I can only tell you that the dream is a terrible nightmare, and when I
finally awaken, I'm shaking with emotion for a long time afterward.

Do any of you have similar "abandonment of loved pet" dreams? Can you
tell me why I might be having these awful nightmares?

Thanks.

On 7 Sep, Singer709 wrote:

I need some advice about a recurring nightmare involving my beloved
Vanilla, now at Rainbow Bridge. So you'll understand, I have extremely
vivid dreams that are highly realistic and strong. Therefore when I
have nightmares, they are doozeys.
---------------------snip----------------------

I don't want to get too personal, but anyone who described having very
vivid dreams would get the same advice. I have had trouble with vivid
and unpleasant dreams which continued till my doctor and I agreed upon
a change of drugs. Not that I'm saying you take any or need any, but
I believe you might broach the subject with your doctor next time you
see him or her.

I myself need several types of psychoactive drugs to keep the old
brain chemistry in balance, and it's just one of those things. There
was a time when admitting that one's brain needed a chemical boost on
a regular basis was seen as a sign of 'weakness'. Fortunately, that
is no longer the case in civilized company.

Regards and Purrs,
O J (Old John) Gritmon

On 7 Sep, Singer709 wrote:

I need some advice about a recurring nightmare involving my beloved
Vanilla, now at Rainbow Bridge. So you'll understand, I have extremely
vivid dreams that are highly realistic and strong. Therefore when I
have nightmares, they are doozeys.
---------------------snip----------------------

I don't want to get too personal, but anyone who described having very
vivid dreams would get the same advice. I have had trouble with vivid
and unpleasant dreams which continued till my doctor and I agreed upon
a change of drugs. Not that I'm saying you take any or need any, but
I believe you might broach the subject with your doctor next time you
see him or her.

I myself need several types of psychoactive drugs to keep the old
brain chemistry in balance, and it's just one of those things. There
was a time when admitting that one's brain needed a chemical boost on
a regular basis was seen as a sign of 'weakness'. Fortunately, that
is no longer the case in civilized company.

Regards and Purrs,
O J (Old John) Gritmon

Do any of you have similar "abandonment of loved pet" dreams? Can you
tell me why I might be having these awful nightmares?

Thanks.

I"m a bit of a practical sort, but I think you still miss Vanilla very much;
and when the brain is on overload, and you go to sleep, those latent little
thoughts you're not even aware of in waking hours just come out. I don't think
dreams are warnings, or anything to worry about. Others would disagree
probably, but if I did take 'em seriously I'd probably be visiting a
psychiatrist. Because I always have this dream where I'm back in high school,
naked, facing a huge test, and I don't have a pencil. Not having the pencil is
the primary worry in the dream. Being naked is rather incidental. How come when
you're naked in a dream, nobody seems to notice?

Sherry

Do any of you have similar "abandonment of loved pet" dreams? Can you
tell me why I might be having these awful nightmares?

Thanks.

I"m a bit of a practical sort, but I think you still miss Vanilla very much;
and when the brain is on overload, and you go to sleep, those latent little
thoughts you're not even aware of in waking hours just come out. I don't think
dreams are warnings, or anything to worry about. Others would disagree
probably, but if I did take 'em seriously I'd probably be visiting a
psychiatrist. Because I always have this dream where I'm back in high school,
naked, facing a huge test, and I don't have a pencil. Not having the pencil is
the primary worry in the dream. Being naked is rather incidental. How come when
you're naked in a dream, nobody seems to notice?

Sherry

"O J" wrote in message
...

I myself need several types of psychoactive drugs to keep the old
brain chemistry in balance, and it's just one of those things. There
was a time when admitting that one's brain needed a chemical boost on
a regular basis was seen as a sign of 'weakness'. Fortunately, that
is no longer the case in civilized company.

Regards and Purrs,
O J (Old John) Gritmon

On the contrary now. Acknowledging that something is wrong, and working to
make it right, is very brave and honest and should be seen as a sign of
strength!

Hugs,

CatNipped

"O J" wrote in message
...

I myself need several types of psychoactive drugs to keep the old
brain chemistry in balance, and it's just one of those things. There
was a time when admitting that one's brain needed a chemical boost on
a regular basis was seen as a sign of 'weakness'. Fortunately, that
is no longer the case in civilized company.

Regards and Purrs,
O J (Old John) Gritmon

On the contrary now. Acknowledging that something is wrong, and working to
make it right, is very brave and honest and should be seen as a sign of
strength!

Hugs,

CatNipped

"Sherry " wrote in message
...
Do any of you have similar "abandonment of loved pet" dreams? Can you
tell me why I might be having these awful nightmares?

Thanks.

I"m a bit of a practical sort, but I think you still miss Vanilla very
much;
and when the brain is on overload, and you go to sleep, those latent
little
thoughts you're not even aware of in waking hours just come out. I don't
think
dreams are warnings, or anything to worry about. Others would disagree
probably, but if I did take 'em seriously I'd probably be visiting a
psychiatrist. Because I always have this dream where I'm back in high
school,
naked, facing a huge test, and I don't have a pencil.

Me too!!

Not having the pencil is
the primary worry in the dream. Being naked is rather incidental. How come
when
you're naked in a dream, nobody seems to notice?

I know, isn't that rather insulting!! ;

Hugs,

CatNipped

"Sherry " wrote in message
...
Do any of you have similar "abandonment of loved pet" dreams? Can you
tell me why I might be having these awful nightmares?

Thanks.

I"m a bit of a practical sort, but I think you still miss Vanilla very
much;
and when the brain is on overload, and you go to sleep, those latent
little
thoughts you're not even aware of in waking hours just come out. I don't
think
dreams are warnings, or anything to worry about. Others would disagree
probably, but if I did take 'em seriously I'd probably be visiting a
psychiatrist. Because I always have this dream where I'm back in high
school,
naked, facing a huge test, and I don't have a pencil.

Me too!!

Not having the pencil is
the primary worry in the dream. Being naked is rather incidental. How come
when
you're naked in a dream, nobody seems to notice?

I know, isn't that rather insulting!! ;

Hugs,

CatNipped

"Singer709" wrote in message
m...
I need some advice about a recurring nightmare involving my beloved
Vanilla, now at Rainbow Bridge. So you'll understand, I have extremely
vivid dreams that are highly realistic and strong. Therefore when I
have nightmares, they are doozeys.

If I take too much of certain medications I will have very vivid, bordering
on nightmare dreams.

There is a possible way to get rid of this particular dream if it is coming
too often. I had to do it after a car accident that reliving it was taking
over my life. I went to a therapist who used a process similar to hypnosis
to redirect my train of thought when ever the accident would intrude. That
instead I would switch to thinking about a place I enjoyed as a child.

May all you dreams be happy ones, or at least properly entertaining.

Jo