Forum menu
Had to have one of our cats put to sleep on Sunday. Only 7 but by the end was having seizures every couple of hours. The vet suspected a brain tumour so it was the right thing to do.
Seems to have effected me much more than in the past. Have lost a few cats/hamsters/guinea pigs/rabbits etc. I buried him on Sunday and I seem to have this compulsion to keep checking that his grave is undisturbed.
Got our first dog 4 years ago and am already projecting forwards to how I will feel when the time comes for her to go.
Ashamed to say I've felt less emotion over dead relatives.
Is this normal? Because it feels a bit weird to me!
No, it's not weird. Lost my dog over a year ago now, and I still miss him. He really was a best friend and a companion.
Some people don't really 'get it', but we had a bond, and losing him was like losing a member of the family.
My consolation was that I treated him the best I could and looked after him properly, after he was dumped out in the cold by someone else, and we literally rescued him.
I can't have another dog just now due to work/life commitments, so I just fuss every other dog I get to meet. My poor girlfriend knows that she is fighting a losing battle though, and one day there will be more paws over the threshold.
Understood completely. We lost one of our dogs at the end of May and I still get a big lump in my throat when I think of him. He collapsed during our morning walk, spent all day at the vets and was put down about tea time. They thought it was some kind of aggressive tumour in his neck, but we never knew for sure.
🙁
Makes complete sense to me. Our cat who walked in to our lives as a stray had t be put to sleep due to kidney disease and its left a bit of a hole in our lives....
We had 8 good years with him and held it together at the vets, tickling him as he went off to sleep...
He has the best sunny spot in the garden and we do say "Hi" to him when we are out so to a degree, he is still around.
Completely understand where you are coming from.
My mate told me last week that his gorgeous lurcher, Peter had to be put to sleep because of cancer. I couldn't have been more upset at a family member dying! Such a lovely dog. Here frolicking with my girl.
[img] http://tinyurl.com/jf7bra2 [/img]
One of my dogs had a heart attack in May, whilst walking her in the morning before work. I gave her CPR at the roadside with her kennel mate next to me, but to no avail.
I was a lot more upset after that, than my own fathers death, so I think it is normal because you spend much more time with your faithful four legged friend.
Also had to take the cat to be put down 3 weeks ago, but she was nearly 25 years old so had a good long life so found it wasn't as bad with being less traumatic.
Still missing them both though 🙁
THERE is sorrow enough in the natural way
From men and women to fill our day;
And when we are certain of sorrow in store,
Why do we always arrange for more?
Brothers and sisters, I bid you beware
Of giving your heart to a dog to tear.
Buy a pup and your money will buy
Love unflinching that cannot lie
Perfect passion and worship fed
By a kick in the ribs or a pat on the head.
Nevertheless it is hardly fair
To risk your heart for a dog to tear.
When the fourteen years which Nature permits
Are closing in asthma, or tumour, or fits,
And the vet's unspoken prescription runs
To lethal chambers or loaded guns,
Then you will find - it's your own affair, -
But ... you've given your heart to a dog to tear.
When the body that lived at your single will,
With its whimper of welcome, is stilled (how still!),
When the spirit that answered your every mood
Is gone - wherever it goes - for good,
You will discover how much you care,
And will give your heart to a dog to tear!
We've sorrow enough in the natural way,
When it comes to burying Christian clay.
Our loves are not given, but only lent,
At compound interest of cent per cent,
Though it is not always the case, I believe,
That the longer we've kept 'em, the more do we grieve;
For, when debts are payable, right or wrong,
A short-time loan is as bad as a long -
So why in - Heaven (before we are there)
Should we give our hearts to a dog to tear?
[i]Rudyard Kipling[/i]
We had our beloved Rascal (yes that's my username) put down due to terminal illness about 10 years ago. Absolutely heartbreaking. It was years before we had another cat - Dude - who went missing 4.5 years ago...we've never seen him since. The night he never came home we cried as we knew something was amiss - silly I know. They are family members without doubt - it does get easier. Now we have Fudge who is the absolute bollocks - and I never even liked ginger cats before him! 🙂
I'm new to the "cat person" club. I hoping that [url= http://ohfrankreally.blogspot.co.uk/ ]Frank's adventures[/url] might put a smile back on your face.
[img] 
[/img]
Our old cat is 17 and has been getting increasingly frail. Costs me a fortune in posh food and tablets, probably spend more on her than I do on bikes.
I might get a new bike when the day finally comes, but I know I'll miss the cat more than I would any bike.
Lost one of my cats earlier this year, he was still young and died suddenly, he was adorable, really knocked me for six
I also 'lost' my dog this year too... He's still alive but haven't seen him since the end of April. My ex had to rehome him 😥
My pal showing us all her dead cremated pets. She misses them but is showing resilience in these dark times.
https://goo.gl/photos/5MW3SjgErgg25SqE9
[img] https://goo.gl/photos/5MW3SjgErgg25SqE9 [/img]
Therealhoops - a bengal ?
Quick, take it back to the kitten shop as they are the sweetest little buggers imaginable and they will turn your house upside down just for giggles.
Sorry for your loss OP and no it's not weird to feel the grief that you do. I still have moments of sadness from losing Felix 2 1/2 years ago.
I did read on here about the Blue Cross and have to say that their helpline was great and I would recommend them wholeheartedly.
Completely normal imo. She was a family member. Sorry for your loss dude 🙁
No, it's completely normal OP. I'm very sorry to hear you have lost such a special friend. It's 18 months since we lost our cat Douglas, yet I still miss him every day.
We have another cat now - a rescue kitten and she is lovely, but she isn't 'mine' in the same way. He was my little buddy. In fact my wife used to describe him as my 'cat son', whereas the new cat is far more my daughters. So, I think it's normal to be more connected to one pet more than another.
Take care.
^^ true....
My old cat Jet (he was pure black...Jet black, geddit?) was my friend. Used to greet me when I got home, would scratch at my door in the morning, sit and chill when watching TV....
He was a fat bugger, too. Was too lazy to jump the fence or the gate. Had to let him in the backdoor and he'd stroll to the front door and wait for it to be opened.
Had lots of character.
He ended up with some fluid in his gut. Had it drained twice. Wasn't fair to keep doing it.
I was a wreck when giving him to the vet. Seriously cried... Not cried that much nor been that upset over any family or friends death. But I'm not a particularly empathic person.
Cranberry - half Bengal half Siamese, all bellend.
[url= http://ohfrankreally.blogspot.co.uk/ ]Clicky here![/url]
My old cat Jet (he was pure black...Jet black, geddit?
Nothing to add other than my friend had a black cat once. Because he had no road sense he was kept in the house.
They called him Nelson. Sheffield in the 80's before political correctness.
Its fine to feel like that.
I lost 2 cats within a year of each other. Jess never came home one day and Molly was run over on the way home one morning. It was more upset at the time about Molly being run over but overall I think of Jess more often as I just dont know what happened to her.
Got 2 others now. It felt like the right thing to do to give some other strays a home. I would not be without them, they have been awesome company since my GF left a bit ago. Also they have even invited a local stray to move in with them. They didn't even ask!
I lost one of my cats a couple of months ago. She was an 18 year old Siamese who'd been getting older and more doddery by the month. I think I must have accelerated things as I bought her an electric blanket last year so she didn't have to climb up on to the radiators and so she'd always be warm. Only thing was that for the last year of her life she barely left it except to come and sit on us on the couch in the evening. She'd lost all the muscle off her back legs which meant she could barely walk.
About a month before she died she started sneezing blood but she seemed petty chipper in herself so I didn't take her to the vet as I was worried she wouldn't come back out again.
On the day she died she kept falling over and looked a little confused so I rang the vets in the morning to make an appointment for her to come in and be put to sleep, it was without doubt the right thing to do at that stage. However after I got back from dropping kids at school I walked past the living room and caught sight of het back legs which where in a strange position. It turns out she's collapsed and her body was limp and I knew her time was up. I put her back on the electric blanket and sat with her while she died. Over the next hour her breathing got shallower and eventually her body tensed up and then she let out a big lung full of air and her body relaxed and she died. It was heartbreaking but I was so glad it happened like that. After 18 years together it only seemed right we were together when she went rather than in a doctors sugery.
Vega - 1998 - 2016
[URL= http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a491/loddrik1/8D4DF615-9267-4145-8953-77DCD955E9BD_zpsifrsvvql.jp g" target="_blank">
http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a491/loddrik1/8D4DF615-9267-4145-8953-77DCD955E9BD_zpsifrsvvql.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]
Only thing was that for the last year of her life she barely left it except to come and sit on us on the couch in the evening.
There are worse ways to spend the last year of a long happy life.
On the day she died she kept falling over and looked a little confused so I rang the vets in the morning
I've been in the position and it is so very hard.
I knew her time was up. I put her back on the electric blanket and sat with her while she died. Over the next hour her breathing got shallower and eventually her body tensed up and then she let out a big lung full of air and her body relaxed and she died.
This too. I have said it before but it's a real privilege to spend the last moments with something that you have shared so much with.
.It was heartbreaking but I was so glad it happened like that. After 18 years together it only seemed right we were together when she went rather than in a doctors sugery.
It is the best ending but I really feel for you. It's tough...
Can't believe this thread has gone on so long without someone suggesting you lot MTFU.
MTFU.
loddrik - MemberI lost one of my cats a couple of months ago
Bit dusty in here...
More poignant as it's similar to what I expect I have coming up. Ours has been getting more frail and acting a bit odd, kind of going senile staring into corners and doing odd things. Got to have newspaper in the kitchen as she doesn't always get to the tray.
She's still seems happy enough so we're just looking after her and half hoping for something like you describe rather than having to visit the vets. Don't wnat to have to do that no more tests or treatment conversation.
funny how they get to us.
Ramon - Queen of the Rodents.
(Yes Ramon was a she).
Destroyer of cables, rugs, dresses & blankets. Travelled with us twice to Spain.
I was a mess when we had to have her put to sleep.
[img][url= https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5654/30193057251_38f399cd05_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5654/30193057251_38f399cd05_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/N14j1B ]L1010624[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/13146208@N08/ ]100%of thetime60%ofthetime[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Funny you should say that about Ramon. Used to have a rat called Bobby. He was brilliant, most sociable and affectionate rat you could ever imagine. When he got sick his breathing got much slower and noisy and he spent most of his time in his hammock. But no matter how bad he was, he'd hear me come in from work and he'd always come out for some love. Still well up now just thinking about it.