Sorry yak for your loss - at least he is not suffering anymore. My wife found a kitten that was severely malnourished yesterday and took it to the vet. They were trying to get her to pay for shots and all the other things that were needed to keep it alive. Since we already own 2 dogs and a cat, I told her that it wasn't possible to keep it and have a 4th pet. The vet's office went ahead and made her sign a euthanasia (sp?) form. Needless to say it tore her up and she was still sad around 9 last night. So, it is going to be really really bad when we have to put down our cat and our dogs (and one is already 12).
Ever thought about just paying for the shots, nursing it back to health, and then finding the kitten a new home? You put a kitten down due to malnourishment. Maybe you'll should have just left it where you found it? Poor little kitty... .
I'm all for helping animals but not if it's going to be a financial burden. Normally we don't know a posters financial situation but Manny has actually mentioned that things are pretty tight right now. Family has to come before animals. Chances are if they left the cat to roam, it's going to die of malnourishment or find other cats to breed with, forcing more cats to live on the street with malnourishment.
Yak, I'm very sorry for your loss. We had a great pyrenees puppy that we adored that died at 6 months from parvo (even after having been vaccinated). It was absolutely heartbreaking. Sadly, it was harder to lose a pet that we saw daily than when JV's grandmother died that same year or when my aunt died shortly after. It is still sad, many years later, to think of her. But I learned a lot about grief at that time. Our neighbor had to put down her 17 year old cat right around then and it was so upsetting to her to see things in her home he had used she gave us furniture she couldn't bare to live with anymore and switched apartments. She went into a very severe depression but I think she was probably dealing with some other issues and was using the loss of her cat as a way of not looking at those other issues. Anyway, seeing how she was dealing with her loss actually helped me keep some perspective. Certainly you should go ahead and grieve but it is important to do so realizing that there is an end in sight.
Good points. But, it's reasonable to assume that if you try to help an animal you find and take it to the vet, then they are going to want to fix the animal up and charge whomever brought the animal to them to pay for it. So, what is the point of bringing the kitten to the vet in the first place? I suspect his wife had good intentions but didn't quite realize how this would end up. Or, she thought hubby might want to help the kitten and keep it? I dunno. I think his wife started out trying to help the kitten...not lead it to be euthanized. And, now she feels crummy about it. So, the point of going through that was...?
Yak, my condolences to you and your cat loving family, I come from one of the same and grew up with at least three cats that lived over 13 years each. The one thing I can tell you is my dad had the exact same car ride to the vet as yours did. he had to call me and break the news after he tried small talking me for a couple of minutes. my friend thought my mom had died based on the way I took the news. the message board was really supportive at the time and it felt good to write up a little Eulogy for "Socks" that's why I was wondering your cat's name?
Exactly. Believe me - there are times where I think that my family is putting my vet's kids through college as we spend a LOT of money there for our 3 animals. You have to know my wife to really understand - she loves animals and to her she was upset to see a kitten malnourished like that. She knew, realistically, that we couldn't have kept it but she was overcome by emotion. She also would love for us to live on a farm, but she knows that will never happen, either. Women get like that from time to time, know what I mean Surfguy? And as much as I love animals, when it comes to wondering whether I should have to pay for formula and baby food for my 8 month old or buy additional cat food, kitty litter, another kitty litter box, shots, vet bills, etc., I think I would go with the formula and baby food, lol. And having to put down an animal is never an easy decision to make, obviously; however, I reminded her last night that the kitten isn't suffering anymore and that she did it a favor by finding her. If she hadn't found it, it would still be out there wandering around and suffering.
So you're saying that dogs are stupid because they want to be around others and want attention unlike the loner cats? Would you want to be by yourself all the time? Probably not.
i never had a cat but i'm very close to my dog..i would be devestated if he passed away..he's 6 years old now though so i have some time before i need to worry about that, hopefully.
I was going to reply about a 15 year-old cat of mine (had her since birth) that had died recently and her circumstances of it, or about her sister (now 16) that has diabetes and isn't doing so great, but I started tearing up at work because of it. So, I'll just say losing a long-time pet is extremely difficult, but you need to think about the welfare of the animal. If they are in pain that cannot be dealt with in a feasible fashion, they need to be put to sleep. It is the humane thing to do, no matter how difficult it might be.
Brave and amazing post. Part of being a good pet owner is taking care of them as best you can at the end of their lives. You did an outstanding job, that cat is very lucky to have had a loving and thoughtful companion like you and your brother. The end hurts. You will think about the end for a while, it will be tough to shake. But your memories of your cat will even out with time, you will remember the spirit and all the happier stuff in time. The death is part of it, but not all of it. You and your family did as well by that cat as people can do, you should (and will) be proud. That nice cat was very very lucky to have you guys. To me, cats are just sublime. They know something. They know they know something. They know that I know that they know that they know something. I just love those animals. I think seeing them helpless at the end is really shocking, because they are dignified and typically resilient animals. They typically do not ask for much, and seeing them vulnerable like that is searing. I put our cat of 10 years down in January (lymphoma), it was absolutely wrenching. He loved us, but he hated our friends and guests so very much - and they hated him, he was mean to non-immediate family members. Hissing, stalking, staring, growling. One cat-sitter quit because he scared. One of my friends took a swing at him once. He was the best. To memorialize him, we decorated our guest room with a big picture of him, lest any visitors feel comfortable in our home. We like to remind our friends and family how great he was compared to them, and how much he hated everything they stood for. Yak: You're clearly young, and broken up by this, I think it shows your integrity and kindness. But you need to give yourself a pass, don't use your cats passing as an excuse to pick yourself apart. The opposite is true, you watched over your pet, loved the cat dearly, and allowed him to live an unlikely and great life. I'd do something, print a few pictures, do something to memorialize him when you have a chance. Give yourself a break about not-going to the vet, you're clearly beating yourself up over something you actually did very very well. Animals die, so do people. As a pet owner, you can take care of them and love them while they are alive, get as high quality care for them as you can when they are ill, and make the tough calls when they are dying. But usually, death is not pretty; people and animals will typically be uncomfortable as they die. The best you can do is be careful and minimize and make the best decisions you can. You can not hold yourself responsible for protecting your cat from every ounce of suffering a living creature will endure. You did great, and I am so sorry for your loss. What was your cats name?
Yak, CBFC said it all! The only thing I can add is that the old phrase "It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all" applies to our pets as well!
