So, I had to put my cat to sleep yesterday
 

Some of you who I'm friends with on FB saw my post. It was a very emotional and sad day. He was almost 15 years old, and he was having issues with his kidneys. He was losing a lot of weight, and it got to the point where he stopped eating the last couple of days, and he could barely use his litter box any more. He was also throwing up a lot of bile and just not doing so well. I made the call and was actually planning to do everything today, but he progressively seemed to get worst last night. So I ended up taking him and had him put to sleep around 5:00. I was there with him in his final moments.



People might say, it's just a cat...what's the big deal? Those types of people dont understand to have unconditional love from a pet, regardless if its a cat, dog, or anything else. He has been there for me during some dark times, and when I didnt have too many people to count on. He was always there for me and never asked for anything but to be loved. He led a very happy and spoiled life, and there will never be another pet that will take the place of him. It's been a sad grieving process but I know things will get easier and better. Right now, I'm going through the guilt and regret phase where I keep asking myself if it was the best thing to do. When I got home last night, I put all his things away and out of site. It was all too surreal this morning when I got up to come to work, and he wasnt there on the bed, or downstairs in the kitchen eating his breakfast as I was getting ready to leave.



I decided to have him cremated and I'll keep his remains on a shelf, so he's always there near me. I also plan to get his paw print tattooed on my arm. I'm definitely not a religious person, but I would like to think that he is in a better place now, with no suffering and we will one day again be reunited. Those of you who have lost a pet, how was your grieving process, and how long did it take to recover from the loss?



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Sad news man :(

People will think it's insane but we had a Leopard Frog that got very ill early in life and didn't make it. It tore us up with grief and we spent lots of time trying to get him back into health: hand feedings and special tank necessities, plus the numerous vet visits trying to find various herp specialists. The loss of a pet is the loss of a family member, it not something that every goes away you just learn to cope with what happened and remember the good times.



Sorry for your loss.

Sorry to hear you had to go through it. I had to do it last year with my 16 year old cat. It's a shitty feeling and there isnt anything anyone can say or do to make the situation better. Just give it time and eventually the sadness and grieving will get less and less each day. Oh, and alcohol helps too. :lol:

sorry for your loss. I had to do that to my cat about 15 years ago. that was a sad day for me. i hope you feel better soon. :beercheers:

Been there 3 times. It sucks hard. Eventually, the guilt goes away because you know you really were doing the best thing.

My condolences. Don't feel guilty, because putting down an animal in failed health is a kindness. It wasn't going to get better and you don't want to even think about what "worse" would have looked like. Cats only live so long and there's nothing to do about that. When you feel sad, remember a good time you had with him.

That's shitty man, it's really tough watching them suffer.



My cat is turning 6 this year so I'm hoping he has a bunch of years left in him.

Thanks guys. Yesterday was tough but today is a bit easier. I'm sure things will start getting better now with each day that goes by.

Sorry you lost your buddy. These are the reasons I stopped having pets.

I felt the same way after my Tiger died. Then I volunteered at the local shelter. I saw how many animals need homes and figured I couldn't put my desire not to have to go through that again above their need for a good home. My two cats, Sy and Max (brothers) kinda chose me. Whenever I walked into the cat area, they'd come to the door and meow. The shelter worker said they didn't do that with anyone else. Been 3 years now.