Just had my cat put to sleep

Maybe you think me soft or daft for this but I wanted to share this.
I just had the vet put my lovely cat to sleep as she had an abdominal tumor and she crashed last night.14 years,never a dull moment,always sweet,never once did she pi55 me off.ye gads I'm gonna miss her bad.
I know it was the right thing to do,but it doesn't help much at the moment.She's out of pain now.
It's the price of unconditional love,be it for whatever animal.It's a hard day and it comes at you fast.I wish you well with yours guys.
P.
I must sound like a wet but thanks for reading.

I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. i have a elderly cat my self and fear the time is coming soon. Though it does not make the loss easier rest assured you did the right thing.
Patrick

Phil

I know exactly how you feel. Several years ago, I had to put both of my cats down for various medical reasons. I had them about 12 years and they were sister & brother.

Just thinking about them gets me choked up. I've had several cats since then but they have used all of the toys that I carried over from the brother & sister; it keeps their memory alive for me.

Some people think that you should replace a "lost" animal in situations such as yours but I would recommend a short morning period before you think about it.

You never know when a little kitty will wander into your life and by then you'll know when the time is right.

Marty

Hello Phil,

Sorry to hear about that.

Tom

Unconditional love, that is what pets give us.

I have a 3 year old (May 5) Jack Russell Terrier, and I get sad about that day, hopefully long long into the future, when she will have to go to THE RAINBOW BRIDGE (1)
RAINBOW BRIDGE (2)
Rainbow Bridge (3)

I am very sad for your loss.

We as a society are told that dog and cat food that we buy in the stores is the best stuff that we can feed out pets, and I know that it is "good enough", but I really believe, that if we had higher quality food available for pets, they would live longer, and not get cancer as much.

Phil B,

I'm very sorry. (And just to get this out of the way pronto, YOU ARE NOT BEING "SOFT" OR "DAFT". I believe that in some ways animals teach us more about the true nature of love than other people can. There is less ego stuff getting in the way.)

I lost my precious little baby kitten Winnie, November 2nd of last year and I have not gotten over it. I doubt I ever will. I have spent time at www.petloss.com on their forum and the people there are very helpful and kind. It might be a bit too maudlin for some sensibilities, but that's really a minor thing. It helps to communicate with others who have had similar experiences and who also are the kind of large-hearted special people who aren't afraid to admitt that they are grieving over the loss of a pet.

I believe that God holds and keeps all things and that nothing is ever realy lost, animals, people, and even material things. There is a great deal of support from the various organized religions concerning the deaths of people, but very little support or consolation concerning the deaths of animals. The exception would be India. At least I have found the very view I stated above in the Bhagavad Gita and in the commentary on it by Paramahansa Yogananda.

It makes sense to me. If we have souls, so do animals. And I have no doubt that there is a God and that we do have souls, so therefore I believe that animals have souls. And the soul by very definition is eternal.

My youngest cat Winnie was run over, which in many ways is, I would guess, easier than having to do the right thing and put a dying and suffering animal to sleep, but no matter how a pet dies, we are prone to feeling guilt and confusion. We all think about the "if only's" and might have beens and in order to regain some small measure of control, blame ourselves and second guess ourselves. You loved your wonderful cat; you would not do anything but the best for her. Do not blame yourself or second guess yourself. What was your lovely cat's name? She must have been very special for you to miss her so much.

Try to remember all the time you did have with her. I only had a few short months with Winnie, and while I do have two other cats, I dearly wish I had her back again. There is very little that I wouldn't give up to have her back, but she was never really mine to begin with. She was only given to my keeping from God, who has her again now.

I do believe this, but it doesn't make the pain any easier, just as knowing you did the right thing doesn't help much either.

I am truly sorry for the loss of your lovely, sweet, precious cat. She is lucky to have spent this time with you, I think, and vice versa.

Hi Phil, it is not easy to give up on a long trusted pal, no matter if they are human or not. I used to raise White German Shepherds. I got too attached and had to quit. (I was doing follow up checks several months after selling a puppy) I am also a cat fan we have had many. I came home one afternoon to find Fritz curled up asleep with three cats and an opossum!
Topper

Sorry to hear it Phil.

I sure miss a lot of my old feline buddies, even though it has been 4 years since the last one passed on.

I'll probably let another one adopt me if ever again I'm in a situation that permits it.

Phil, despite the "stiff upper lip" stereotype, they say Englishmen are fonder of their animals than we Americans are, and while I doubt that's really true, it ought to buy you a little leeway if anyone is tempted to tell you you're soft or wet.

My wife and I have a couple indoor cats whose farm-cat mother gave birth to them in our basement. We handled them from the day they were born, so you can imagine how socialized they are. Within a few weeks, they each seemed to develop an attachment to one of us, so while we each like them both and they both like both of us, I think of Rodger as my cat and Bobo as my wife's.

Rodger is the feline love of my life, and I dread like heck the day he's going to have to be put down. He's only ten, so it may be many years from now, but it's still hard to contemplate that loss.

You can take some comfort from the quality of life you gave your girl, compared to the hard and short life most cats live. You can also be grateful for all the love you got from her, and, if our cats are any indication, for all the lessons about love, life, and the universe you learned from her.

I'm sure, like me, you're a John Wayne-style, all-business tough guy when it comes to talking about flashlights, etc., on this board. But it takes a real tough guy to display a soft side like this in public. I'm proud to share space on the internet with you. And if you're soft or daft, well then, I guess I am, too.

By the way, Marty's right about a mourning period, but eventually getting another cat wouldn't be cold-hearted toward your girl. It would be tribute to how much she meant to you.

All the best.

Thankyou all so much.Wonderful. JS,her name was simply "Nig",a small,pretty tabby who we got from a broken marriage,just to "help out"!
Lambo,we have two other cats,one long termer,Bobo,and a huge ginger tom called "Larry"(happy as...)who walked in and adopted us last christmas.
I almost regretted posting this,but I'm so glad I did.You guys continue to amaze.Many many thanks. P.

Sorry to hear that mate, I lost my wee kitten a year ago and know what you're feeling. Just think of the 14yrs of happiness you had.

We do know what you are talking about, Phil.
In the last 25 years, I provided play and a great place to stay for 2 great feline friends that are no longer with me, but were a world of enjoyment and comfort.

Phil,

So sorry to hear about your cat. A year ago I had to put down our cat who suffered from colorectal cancer. The cat was 13 years old and was more human like than a lot of people I know. It was very hard holding the cat after the vet administered the shot. A simply gasp and she was gone but the memories will last forever.

Funny thing is that we still find some of her whiskers laying around the house.

You're in good company here.

Sorry for your heartfelt pain right now. Sharing it was a good thing. Enjoy the memories of your time together. They will keep her with you for a long time. Take care.

Thanks Phil for sharing, and I feel for your loss. Sounds like "helping out" turned into a long and wonderful life. A cheer for Nig, huzaa!

daloosh

My kitten is 8 months old now, she is now my best friend. I just hope I get 13 more years with her.

Phil,
You did the best for Nig. I have 2 cats - Coquette, a 14 YO Tabby who has early stage CRF (diet controlled), and Tuxedo ("tux") who is 12, and is a Vaccine Associated Sarcoma (VAS) victim - He's one of the lucky ones - he's alive 2 years after initial diagnosis - they are usually gone withing 6 months, so I treasure every day with him (I'm his human). Anyway, I know you may feel soft, but I think we all are, at heart

I know how you feel. Unfortunately, my knowing the feeling doesn't really help you feel any better; but it's our nature to try. It's only been about three months since I posted a similar thread. The compassion of the CPF members is outstanding. I've a new little kitty that I rescued from our shelter. She doesn't make me forget my 20 year buddy, but she does help fill a space within the void (if that makes any sense to you).

Just for this thread, a different sig.

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Oh, bummer. I truly feel for you. You are not a softie. Make sure you let yourself cry. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mecry.gif

I have two cats and the male is truly my soul mate. He follows me everywhere, like a dog. He is getting up there and I try not to think of the unthinkable. Nuclear war is easier to consider.

We lost our Houdini years ago and I still have a void. I cried for 5 days.

As a Christian, I choose to believe that we'll be reunited with our animals one day.

I can be a 'hard arse' but this is when I truly feel.

Hope this helps.

Rich

Phil, I'll tell Bobo he's got a namesake in Yorkshire, but he may want to visit.

Hope you're doing fractionally better after a night's sleep. Aren't all these other "soft" CPFers amazing? This place, and these guys, are just great.