I'm so sorry to hear you lost your beloved pet. I too lost one after 17 years. Loki. A friend in Australia sent me a redwork block and i started a quilt in honor of Loki.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v6...rrent=a1aa.jpg
the funny thing was, the redwork showed a girl holding 3 cats. We now have 3 cats!!! a mamma cat who came to live in our back yard and her two girls. they are inside cats now!
Make a quilt to remember your pet by, it does help.