aww, that's terrible

but it's good that you have support from your family during this time. my little cousins "comfort" for me when my sweet Elvis disappeared: "Aww, Elvis was one of my favorites. That's terrible. But you got 4 other cats, so it's not too bad." that most certainly didn't help, made a chill go through me actually...so having people there for you who care and understand is a great thing.
I hope you can move on from this with fond memories of your pet. a collage is a really good idea for a memorial for him. feel better soon!