I’m very sorry your cat died. I hope your kids are taking it well. I pray the Lord will comfort and console y’all. These critters latch unto our hearts and losing one is like losing a part of our own family.
The three older kids were/are pretty much shattered, but really we had that cat longer than we've had children. Five times a day for six months my wife or/and I ran a tube down his throat to his stomach and syringe fed him when he was a kitten. He slept every night on my wife's pillows and almost every time I sat on the couch he jumped on me... for 12 years. So yeah, the kids can get in line behind us.
The Assistant Cat, who is just not ready for promotion to Chief, has been wondering around confused for two days. If he doesn't snap out of it soon he's gonna lose his membership in the Cat Union.