Posted on 07/15/2016 7:07:29 AM PDT by Aggie65
Today, I had to have my 16 yr old cat put to sleep. She was not eating, or drinking, and could not climb kitty steps. She could not control her bladder. Last night is the first night she has not gotten on my chest when I went to sleep. She had hidden herself, and my wife could not find her to bring her to me. At the Vet office to day, she could not raise up on my chest even when I laid back at a 45 degree angle. I told her that she would be able to play with her litter mate who died of cancer in 2008 (after hurricane Ike). Thank for letting me remember her.
To all who have recently suffered the loss of a cat, I offer kittens.
They are adorable, and my neighbor has MS and cannot care for them.
She had to kick them out of her house and it is only a matter of time before they get run over. Looking for good homes now. They are about 3 or 4 months old.
I live in Houston and will drive 50 miles out.
I’m very sorry for the loss of your furry family member. I have found that, for me at least, that only time helps heal. I’ve been able to replace grieving with happy memories, silly stories, etc. as time goes on. We lost our 14 year old cat to kidney failure in August and had to have our 13.5 year old yellow lab put to sleep 2 months ago because of an aggressive form of bone cancer. I firmly believe that we’ll see our pets again someday.
I’ll pray for you.
So sorry! My 16 year old Scamp has started her long slide and I fear it won’t be long for her, either.
Best wishes and bless you for giving your kitty a forever home.
Cheers,
Jim
I am so glad you linked to this, Laz. I got a lot out of reading it. We lost our kitty yesterday, had to put her down after she poisoned herself eating window clings last week, and we fought a week long to keep her alive, to save her, when her kidneys just continued their shutdown. Because you are a man, an intelligent insightful one, I believe your words could really help my older teen son. This kitty was his baby. She didn’t hate all others but we were clearly, CLEARLY cheap substitutes for the Real Thing when he wasn’t around. I am going to give him your post. He is in such quiet pain.
Thank you. Glad I saw this.
And I confess to hoping you have another pet with a wonderful connection now. You’re a good pet daddy.
I am so sorry for your loss too.
Aw, T-Bone. That is so sweet. We are moving in August so we need some time before we think of a new kitten. Thanks though.
I’m sorry, Jodster.
I am so sorry to hear of your loss, your lil guy passing on. You were lucky to have 16 wonderful years together. From what you describe, the quality of life was not there any more, poor kitty. And I know from recent (March) personal experience that when your beloved kitty hides from you, the end is very near. I hope that time will help to both heal your broken heart and give you an opportunity to remember your good times together. Eventually, you can honor the wonderful relationship you had by saving another kitty’s life from a local rescue. I wish you peace.
So very grateful you got something out of this....
I am here to help.
I know the sadness that comes with this loss.
Lost my Tabitha last summer after nearly 19 years.
It will get better for you. The first days are the roughest but then the memories begin. Maybe you’ll have some visitation dreams where kitty reassures you that they’re okay.
Hope you have other kitties to lighten the loss but, if you don’t, please consider finding a new one when you’re ready. It helps to deal with the loss and new kitty needs you, too.
I have two. Zippy Pachoo the Love Bug, and Lisa Troublemaker.
Recently lost one of our cats too. Alex had been having health issues since the first of the year. He didn’t adapt well to our move last year and stopped eating. We found him partially paralyzed from a stroke. It was sad to put him to sleep, but knew it was his time. We miss him sleeping in the bathroom sink and sitting on the bathtub playing in the bath water with his paws. Our two other cats and even the dog miss him too.
I had to do that about twenty three years ago. My first wife and I had adopted a shelter cat - actually she adopted me. My wife, who had always wanted a cat, was happy to go along with it. Ginger, a long haired orange tabby, was with me for the next fourteen years. Finally, just like your cat, her internal organs gave out, the vet said that he could keep her alive for a few more weeks, but that it would be very expensive. So, I decided that it was time for me to let her go. I had always been a “dog” person. Ginger was my first cat, but she will always be the one I loved the most.
It is hard watching a beloved dog or cat die that way, and I wouldn't criticize anyone's decision to euthanize in that situation.
However I'm not sure it's always painful for the dog or cat (or human, for that matter), to go through the organ shut-down process -- which is actually the way many of us will likely die, i.e. we will go into a coma for several days while our kidneys and other organs fail.
I often wonder if the organ shut-down process might be part of God's design for a "good" death. Possibly some very significant, even wondrous things are going on in one's mind as one edges toward death in this way?
It's painful for those of us watching from the outside; but perhaps for the dying creature, it is not.
You might be surprised. It’s not uncommon for a house cat to live past 20. The Guinness Book lists the longest-lived feline as belonging to a man in Austin, TX. That cat passed away at the ripe old age of 38, and his other kitty lived to 34.
My oldest cat turned 19 in April; she’s a Persian-Himalayan mix who is very much The Queen and regards the rest of us as domestic staff. My “younger” cat will be 15 next month and still spends every day outside, except during the winter. She awakened me at 5 am today, because there were birds to hunt in the backyard.
I just read your story, again, and cried all the way through it. You are a good guy, Laz.
Very, very sorry to read of your loss. I’ve lost many of my furry family members over the years and it is always so sad and painful. I’m thinking good things for you as you start the healing process.
Yes, we had a 15-year-old cat die several years ago, probably from kidney failure, and she just sank into increasing lethargy and eventual coma. She didn’t seem to be in any pain.
This one, on the other hand, appeared to be hurting. I hated to have her euthanized, but we just couldn’t stand to let it go on.
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