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Saying goodbye to my cat
- Thread starter leekohler
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leekohler said:
Sorry to hear about your cat. Sounds like a very nice and caring vet. At least you gave your cat a good life. That's the most important thing--your cat lived a long happy life.
As others have said you are doing the right thing as hard as it is to do. I have a 5 year old kitty myself, so I can just imagine how hard it is to do.
Peace to your cat! He has been a good friend.
I'm so sorry. I'm glad that he got so many years to be loved by you. I am sure that his passing will have a profound effect on you. I know that I just adopted a kitten last week and being his daddy is already affecting me in a lot of ways....
I know how you feel. I had to put down my dog 5 years ago because his cancer had developed again. You could tell that he wasn't himself. He wouldn't move, he wouldn't get up, he wouldn't even want food or water. But when I got home from school the day we put him to sleep, he seemed so normal and gave me all the affection in the world before we took him. And he wasn't even put down. We could tell that he had already passed before they started the injection.
Damn, I miss that dog.
Damn, I miss that dog.
Lee - I'm sorry to hear of your loss. I've been through it with my dog in the past, and know how painful it can be, even if it is for the best. It's wonderful that you were able to spend some time with him yesterday as his "old self".
Dammit, now I'm tearing up at work.
Dammit, now I'm tearing up at work.
seriously
andreas
this entire thread brings tears to my eyes. my cat is alot like my best friend, and I will be SO sad when it is that time, in the end, you are doing it out of love, and for the better of him. I am sorry, I feel your pain. IM glad you love your cat so much. herre is my kitty. maybe we could share.emw said:Lee - I'm sorry to hear of your loss. I've been through it with my dog in the past, and know how painful it can be, even if it is for the best. It's wonderful that you were able to spend some time with him yesterday as his "old self".
Dammit, now I'm tearing up at work.
andreas
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I know emw! I've been tearing up all morning. If I hadn't just gotten back from vacation, I'd have taken the day off.
Man, that's just awful. I lost two of three ferrets fairly close to each other. Morgan went first due to kidney failure (very common in domesticated ferrets), and I'm guessing Merlin just gave up without her around -- I got the pair of them as kits and they had always been together.
With Morgan it was especially hard. I woke up one morning and found her on the floor of the cage twitching and struggling to breathe -- luckily the vet is just down the road. They got her going again, but told me there wasn't anything they could reasonably do for her, and just take her home and keep her comfortable until the end came, which he said was a week on the outside. She didn't even last the day. She did manage to climb up my leg and curl up in my lap as she liked to do (when she wasn't trying to "help" me type) and just quit breathing after a few minutes.
Morgan on the left, highly interested in the camera.
With Morgan it was especially hard. I woke up one morning and found her on the floor of the cage twitching and struggling to breathe -- luckily the vet is just down the road. They got her going again, but told me there wasn't anything they could reasonably do for her, and just take her home and keep her comfortable until the end came, which he said was a week on the outside. She didn't even last the day. She did manage to climb up my leg and curl up in my lap as she liked to do (when she wasn't trying to "help" me type) and just quit breathing after a few minutes.
Morgan on the left, highly interested in the camera.
this is really one of the saddest threads ive read in a long time. its good though, I think that it will probably make people think about thier pets a little more today, somhow i doubt anyone who reads this tread wont go home and spend a little extra time with their pet today. mini-pet appreciation day
andreas
andreas
emw said:
Stump.
Don't laugh. Before he got sick he was an enormous 20 pound cat. I thought I might have accidentally gotten a bobcat at first because he just kept growing. He resembled a tree stump and could be just as stubborn. 
I'm sorry this is so rough, Lee You and Stump were lucky to have all those years together and I'm sure you will never forget him.
My cat was only 4 when she was hit by a car in '99. She was so cute playing just outside the front door with a little tiny field mouse. I let her stay out just a little longer than normal because she was having such fun... she was batting her little paws and running in circles. so I went inside to put her dinner in her bowl, talked to my mom for a few minutes in the kitchen and when I went outside, someone had placed her under my tree in the front yard. I was sobbing hysterically, my little cat was gone. I'm crying now just thinking about it.
You and Stump were lucky to have all those years together and I'm sure you will never forget him. My cat was only 4 when she was hit by a car in '99. She was so cute playing just outside the front door with a little tiny field mouse. I let her stay out just a little longer than normal because she was having such fun... she was batting her little paws and running in circles. so I went inside to put her dinner in her bowl, talked to my mom for a few minutes in the kitchen and when I went outside, someone had placed her under my tree in the front yard. I was sobbing hysterically, my little cat was gone. I'm crying now just thinking about it.
leekohler said:Stump.
Gold. Top name.
My ex-girlfriend from a few years back had a cat that had a feral cat as a friend. To this day I can't recall the ex's cat's name but we called the feral one "Spare" because just in case hers ran away (she was a bit of a hippy and didn't keep the cat inside - a big no-no in Australia) we had the feral one as a "spare."
There's a show on TV down here and the hosts bought a greyhound to race. They called it "Nads" so that when you were cheering it on you had to shout "GO NADS!!" Funny, funny story.... I guess you had to be there....
I had a similar experience last year... my cat Mittens had kidney failure (or at least that's what the vet said) and we had to put her down. It came very suddenly and we weren't expecting it at all. She was over 15 years old.
I was sat in the vet just before she got put down and she looked me straight in the eyes... laid on the table wrapped in a blanket and it broke my heart. It was like she was saying goodbye.
It's unbelievable how animals can connect. I truly believe that there's something inside of them that's a little more human than people give them credit for.
I was sat in the vet just before she got put down and she looked me straight in the eyes... laid on the table wrapped in a blanket and it broke my heart. It was like she was saying goodbye.
It's unbelievable how animals can connect. I truly believe that there's something inside of them that's a little more human than people give them credit for.
I'm so sorry about your cat I've had to deal with a similar thing in the past too. My Alsatian (Deek) had cancer too. We thought it was all gone but aggressively came back a year later. I was only 12, we were the same age. My dad was given him just months before I was born. That was tough. Made worse at 15 when my uncles dog, again the same age as me had to be put down through various illnesses. I wrote a song just after they died and gave it a nice jazzing up in Garageband not so long ago My current dog (Muffy) is on her way out. she has Cushings disease and is on expensive tablets to keep a brain tumour from appearing. she's acting differently - tries to walk through the big side windows to the front door, randomly barks for no reason, stumbles around... shes so old.
animals. we love them so much.
I've had to deal with a similar thing in the past too. My Alsatian (Deek) had cancer too. We thought it was all gone but aggressively came back a year later. I was only 12, we were the same age. My dad was given him just months before I was born. That was tough. Made worse at 15 when my uncles dog, again the same age as me had to be put down through various illnesses. I wrote a song just after they died and gave it a nice jazzing up in Garageband not so long ago My current dog (Muffy) is on her way out. she has Cushings disease and is on expensive tablets to keep a brain tumour from appearing. she's acting differently - tries to walk through the big side windows to the front door, randomly barks for no reason, stumbles around... shes so old.animals. we love them so much.
I'm sorry about your Cat..i had a similar problem (my cat had cancer) it quicky took over his body and had open sores on his body at the end. Its still werid not to see him daily..he was loving fluff ball, and before he was put to sleep, he could barly walk, and was not himself if was hard to see him weak and not himself
Try to remember that death is part of life, and think about the good times with him.
Try to remember that death is part of life, and think about the good times with him.
Everyone. It's over. He went very peacefully. That didn't make it any easier though. I held it together until the vet left, then I cried uncontrollably for about ten minutes. I called my parents and the met with friends. I know it was for the best, but it still stings like hell. I loved that cat. He was the best. I know he's better now, but I just hope he knows I loved him.
He knew Lee. You just performed the greatest act of kindness you could have under the circumstances. It's going to be as hard as hell for the next few weeks, but you gave him a great life and at the end you still did the right thing by him.
Like Chundles, I'm sending positive thoughts your way. Take care.
Like Chundles, I'm sending positive thoughts your way. Take care.
Chundles said:
There are thoughts coming your way from France as well. Losing a pet is one of the hardest things one can go through.
leekohler said:
I am sure that your cat knew that you loved him- animals seem to be very keen at sensing these things.
Sorry to hear about your loss, lee. I know how it feels. A couple of years ago we had to put down our dog, and she was one of those big dumb friendly types. But her legs had been getting weak, she was incontinent and she was shaking and throwing up a lot. We knew from her age that meant the end was coming, and we didn't prolong it.
I have one especially fond memory. On the morning we were to take her to the vet to be put down (about noon), we helped her outside and we just sat on the grass and watched the sky, the trees and the birds. It was perfect weather, about 72º F, and our family just sat there with her in the grass and talked to her and comforted her until it was time to go. Damn, I'm getting misty-eyed just writing about it.
Anyway, she enjoyed it, even though she hacked and threw up in the grass a couple of times. She didn't resist, as she usually does, when we got to the vet's office -- she was just too tired. And the vet of course was very nice. We watched her go to sleep and we all cried.
Lee, perhaps this is the wrong time to be suggesting this, but when you're over it, it's probably time to get a new kitten. You won't forget Stump, but you'll spend a lot of time transferring your affections to your new friend. It always seems to work for us. You'll have a new buddy to enjoy, and lots of fond memories of your old one.
I have one especially fond memory. On the morning we were to take her to the vet to be put down (about noon), we helped her outside and we just sat on the grass and watched the sky, the trees and the birds. It was perfect weather, about 72º F, and our family just sat there with her in the grass and talked to her and comforted her until it was time to go. Damn, I'm getting misty-eyed just writing about it.
Anyway, she enjoyed it, even though she hacked and threw up in the grass a couple of times. She didn't resist, as she usually does, when we got to the vet's office -- she was just too tired. And the vet of course was very nice. We watched her go to sleep and we all cried.
Lee, perhaps this is the wrong time to be suggesting this, but when you're over it, it's probably time to get a new kitten. You won't forget Stump, but you'll spend a lot of time transferring your affections to your new friend. It always seems to work for us. You'll have a new buddy to enjoy, and lots of fond memories of your old one.