The Man was very sad. He knew that the Cat's days were numbered. The doctor had said there wasn't anything more that could be done, and that he should take the Cat home and make him as comfortable as possible. A tear rolled down the Man's cheek and landed on the Cat's forehead, The Cat gave him a slightly annoyed look. "Why do you cry, Man?" the Cat asked. "Because you can't bear the thought of losing me? Because you think you can never replace me?" The Man nodded "yes". "Pick up that piece of string from the floor. There, my 'toy'. The Man reached over and picked up the string. It was about two feet long and the Cat had been able to entertain himself for hours with it. "Now take each end of the string in one hand," the Cat ordered. The Man did so. "The end in your left hand is my birth and the end in your right hand is my death. Now bring the two ends together," the Cat said. The man did so. Then the Cat continued, "You have made a continuous circle. Does any point along the string appear to be different, worse or better than any other part of the string?" The Man inspected the string and then shook his head. "Close your eyes." the Cat said. "Now lick your hand." The Man widened his eyes in surprise. "Just do it," the Cat said. "Lick your hand, think of me in all my familiar places, and think about all the pieces of string." Licking his hand, he discovered what a cat must know, that licking a paw is very calming and allows one to think more clearly. He continued licking and the corners of his mouth turned upward into the first smile he had shown in days. He waited for the Cat to tell him to stop, and when he didn't, he opened his eyes. The Cat's eyes were closed. The Man stroked  the warm, brown fur, but the Cat was gone. One day, not long after, there was a new cat on his lap. She was a lovely white cat. It is very different from his earlier beloved Cat and very much the same. What's the main idea of the passage?
Pets play an important part in our life. Life has no end and death is just a new beginning. We should take a positive attitude towards life and live life to its fullest. It gives us some suggestions on how to relieve ourselves when a pet passes away.