My Cat Passed Away Yesterday

Assalamu alaykum. My cat passed away yesterday morning. To give you a bit of background: she had been dealing with bile duct stones for several years, having regular flare-ups where she’d vomit, hide in the closet, and wouldn’t eat because she lost her appetite. For nearly two years, we took her to the vet every two or three weeks for check-ups and to get the medication she’d been on for a long time. Eventually, the stones were close to blocking her bile ducts, and her organs-like her liver and pancreas-were getting really swollen. We chose to have her operated on four months ago because the vets warned us a blockage might happen otherwise. We went ahead with the surgery; it cost a lot, but we didn’t care about the money-we just wanted her to get well. But after the operation, the inflammation in her pancreas and liver kept going and even got a bit worse. She passed away yesterday because the pancreatic inflammation became too intense and she was completely worn out. I was asked if I wanted her to be put to sleep, but I said no-let’s wait until the next day, hoping she might recover. Sadly, she breathed her last the next morning at 7 o’clock. We did everything we could for her; we loved her so much, and I miss her terribly-I feel empty without her. I never walked past her around the house without cuddling or stroking her; we had such a strong bond. But today, I can’t shake the feeling that I might have made things worse by choosing the surgery-even though it felt almost necessary at the time. I keep wondering if she’d have lived longer without it. I also feel bad that I wasn’t beside her when she passed; they called me twenty minutes before, and while I was hurrying to the car, they called back midway to say she was gone. I thank Allah for all the moments He blessed us with together, and I pray that He keeps her in the best place now. As a Muslim, how can I deal with this loss and this emptiness? I’m hurting deeply, constantly torn between being grateful to Allah and crying, because I can’t have her with me anymore. Barakallahu feekum.