Goodbye sweet kitty

So, our 10 1/2 year old kitty, Little Bit, had not been doing well for a long time. Finally, in the fall, I had to remove her from the house and transplant her and Mash outside. Little Bit had stopped using her litter box completely and so she had to go out. Poor Mash had to go out just by association, plus we thought Little Bit would be less upset if Mash was with her. Once moved outside, I had changed their diets and added in more calories, set up a place close to the house for them to sleep and gave them attention daily. We had our neighbor feed them if we left since stray cats and foxes could have eaten any food while we were gone. Our neighbor also gave them attention while we were gone. She called my cell on Friday and let me know that neither cat had showed up for the morning feeding. Unusual, because that's when they get wet food and it's their favorite. I wasn't too worried that Mash hadn't shown up, because she roams around some, but I was concerned about Little Bit. We had planned to come home on Friday night anyway so I figured we'd see her on Saturday. We ended up being delayed at my parents because two of the three kids fell asleep before the dinner we were planning to leave after. So we stayed.
We arrived home on Saturday and I feed the cats...but still no cats. We took a quick look around, but the cold wind drove me inside and I just thought that probably the cats were hiding out of the wind too.
Joe bundled up and went out to play later in the day. He came back in with a worried look and said that he had found Little Bit. Oh good, I told him, I was worried about her. But mommy, I wiggled her paw and she didn't move, he replied, but I heard a meow. Oh. I thought maybe she was just really sick, and couldn't move. I bundled up and rushed out. Jay wasn't home as he had taken Sam to the hardware store. Little Bit was dead. The meow was from Mash, who had managed to squeeze through a gap in the garage door and couldn't get back out to get food or water. I let her out and took care of her. I then had to break the news to the two oldest boys. Lots of questions had to be answered and many hugs given.
Jay dug a hole when he got home and bagged her up. He asked if any wanted to join him in burying Little Bit. Joe went out for a short time, but the cold drove him back in. The rest of us stayed in. With all the beloved pets that I have lost, I have never attended a burial and don't plan to start now. I just don't want my last images to be of a loved pet being buried under a bunch of dirt. It's hard enough just to see them dead.

Fast forward a few hours and Joe is horribly upset about Mash. Previously the kids had been told that the cats would have to go to a shelter once we moved. They understood that we wouldn't have them back and they would go to new homes. Joe is really really unhappy about this and begged me for a long time about finding Mash a good home so she could come back to us once we move home. Okay, so I will try again. I had tried once, but I will try again. Mash is a good cat and never had a potty problem. I may even move her back inside for the little time we have left here.