Losing an animal companion is extremely difficult to say the least. As an expat, you rely entirely on friends and local contacts to go through the loss. Being prepared for it, however, is something only you can do.

Having a plan of action in case of an emergency really helped us when we recently lost our precious kitten Najia. This is why, aside from telling her story, I thought it would be helpful to share what we did and how we’re coping.

Preparing and anticipating helped us feel at peace, but when the emergency came, it also made things easier for the other ones involved. These are 5 of the lessons we learned through this process.