Awww...I know how sad and awful losing a baby like JJ is, and my heart just breaks for you, but I wouldn't want you to feel 'deflated' at all, and I'll tell you why. I had a beautiful, sweet, devoted 'heartbeat' kitty...a tiny 'chest' kitty...a kitty who literally lived on me. She would climb up me and I could/would walk around the house, even change my clothes, sit down, stand up, lie down, and she would stay on me and just move around to accommodate my movements. She 'stayed' after she left the physical.
About a year later, I had another kitty almost her age...I brought both kitties home from the Humane Society together...him to adopt and her to foster after which I
knew I would be adopting her as well
...who had a urinary obstruction and almost died...he kept crashing on the ER Vet Hospital staff but they were able to bring him back and save him. Now, this is going to sound really strange, but I swear she 'came back'
with him. I just know how weird that sounds, but you'd have to understand that after he'd nearly passed and was repeatedly saved, he did things after that experience that ONLY she had
ever done...AND he continued doing things ONLY he had
ever done, too...kind of like they were both physically 'expressing' from the same body. I know that sounds confusing, but it was like seeing two cats...him as himself at times, and her 'costumed' as him at other times...kind of a 'split personality' effect but all good...
...the best parts of both kitties...and specifically displaying behaviors identifiable only to each kitty. As an example, she had always slept on my chest or neck...he started sleeping on my chest or neck, which, BTW, is cool
when the kitty weighs ounces and fits in the palm of your hand but when kitty gets a bit larger and heavier, there can be weird gasping noises when an airway is cut off that might wake DH if you're lucky...
...and fortunately she was a very small kitty even as an adult...but she
never gave up sleeping on my neck.
I guess all I am trying to say is that JJ's 'presence' may well
change more than once over time...it has been that way in my experience...but, I am not certain it means he has
left even if you don't see it all the time. {{{Hugs}}}