Help With Seperation Anxiety

[Hwashington]

I need help on how to get through and manage my seperation anxiety. I am estranged from my mother and her family and dont know my dads side of the family. Almost 3 years ago I lost my dad suddenly. My dad was my world and my life. I got his cats after it happened and had been taking care of them for a little while. Back in August 2015, one of the cats developed bone cancer. He was 12. I did everything I could to save him but he passed May 9th 2016. In December 2016, we had to put my husbands dog to sleep 2 days after christmas. The next day my dad's other cat passed away and he was 17. Then in January I adopted two cats from the animal shelter. Later that month, one developed a deadly illness and passed May 1st. I still have my other cat that I adopted and he's very healthy. I'm just absolutely terrified to leave him overnight. I feel like something is going to happen when I'm not there. Any advice on how to move past the anxiety of leaving him overnight to get spend the night somewhere or go on vacation? Thanks!

[Hidden]

You have every right to feel this way, considering what has happened to your pets and family. My dad has this crazy superstition that we need to keep our pets inside (two dogs and a cat, so you can imagine how crazy it is keeping them inside all day) on Easter Sunday and Monday, because all of our past dogs and cats have died on that very day. So it's normal to be protective of your cute pets! But maybe if you got him a kennel/crate/cage, put a cute bed and toys and water and stuff in it, and left him in there for like an hour a day while you're in the house and nearby, and then kept extending the time, until you feel able to leave him there overnight? Or something like that