Put our cat to sleep today :(...

[Lathum]

Hug your pet today for me.

12 years old and has kidney and thyroid problems, plus can't get enough water and needs an IV. Now she has a mass in her throat and can't eat. Sucks to have to do but I know it is the right thing.

Have the appointment in about 5 hours, wanted to at least wait for my wife to be able to say goodbye before we bring her in. I am going to stay with her through the end, as hard as that is going to be I don't want her to die around strangers.

It is amazing how attached we get to our pets.

Godspeed Newt.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Sucks to hear that, Latham. It's never easy.

I had to put my first dog to sleep 15 years ago. I held her paw throughout the process and I still remember very vividly how it felt when she passed. If it's any consolation it's very quick and seemed completely painless.

[DaddyTorgo]

awwww

sorry lathum

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm sorry for your loss, it's a miserable situation to be in and there's very little that anyone can say or do that will make it one bit better. But when you've done all you can reasonably do, there's not really a choice left except the one you're having to deal with.

I will say that, as nearly unbearable as it is to stay with them through it, it's something we did as well and have never regretted for a second.

[Butter]

Sorry man. We put a dog to sleep last year just after New Year's when he had also developed a mass in his neck and couldn't eat any longer and had gotten too weak to walk from place to place. I stayed with him all the way to the end too. It is very quick, and they will be rid of pain at last.

Just know you are doing the best you can to ease her suffering.

[claphamsa]

:(

[Kodos]

My cat died back on Halloween this year. Burying him was a difficult time for me and my wife. RIP, Raoul.

[JediKooter]

I'm sorry to hear about your cat. Sounds like she was loved a lot and had a good home. I agree, it is amazing at how attached we get to them.

[Sun Tzu]

Just the thought of having to put my cat to sleep gets me all foggy eyed. He's 5 years old and in the prime of his life right now...I just cant bear to think of it really. I'm sorry for your soon to be loss, really. At least you have all the memories. As long as you have those, Newt will never really be gone.

Do you have any other cats? If not, do you intend on getting more once you've...you know...mourned for long enough?

[PurdueBrad]

I'm very sorry Lathum, good luck to you and your family.

[Lathum]

Thanks for the kind words guys



Do you have any other cats? If not, do you intend on getting more once you've...you know...mourned for long enough?

We still have our dog, who also has health problems and is 11. We will probably adopt a kitten at some point.

[EagleFan]

Sorry to hear that.

[HeavyReign]

:( My cat is 17 and has both the kidney and thyroid problems. I know that day is coming for me as well. I feel horrible just thinking about it now. Losing a member of the family as always tough.

[Passacaglia]

Sorry to hear, Lathum -- that really sucks.

[CleBrownsfan]

Sorry Lathum - it's never easy putting a pet down :(

[Dodgerchick]

Oh no! So sorry Lathum :(

[Subby]

Sorry to hear that. One of the hardest things I have ever had to do.

Hang in there.

[GoldenEagle]

Sorry buddy.

[Peregrine]

Wow that sucks. One of my cats died last Thanksgiving after a long illness and it was really tough.

[DanGarion]

Ouch, very sorry to hear that. I don't even want to think about how I'm going to react when we lose one of our cats, they are my little buddies. My thoughts are with you.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'll give both my cats hugs tonight. They are both 7 and that day is hopefully a long time away, but I still dread it whenever it comes up in my thoughts.

[the_meanstrosity]

Sending lots of thoughts and prayers for Newt. I too lost my little girl kitty just over a year ago to kidney failure.

[molson]

It's always tough to read these threads.

Newt was a lucky cat.

[BYU 14]

Sorry to hear Lathum, I can only imagine the sorrow of having to do this. Wishing you and your family strength through this ordeal. Pets truly are a huge part of a family.

[Lathum]

Thanks for all the kind words guys, Just got back. My wife and I cried a lot and laughed a lot. They sedated her and at the end it was really quick. Our vet was really good about everything.

Thanks again all, as much as it sucks we had to do it and as sad as I am now I wouldn't trade any of it in. She was a cool, cool, cat.


http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/8725/16338126346854189710852.jpg (http://img94.imageshack.us/i/16338126346854189710852.jpg/)

[Castlerock]

So sorry, Lathum. Our dog, Tomo, died of kidney failure in September. It was SO hard to watch her take her last breath.

[k0ruptr]

I'm so so sorry lathum, My gf and I send our condolences. I couldn't imagine doing it and it's just hard thinking about it. it's amazing how much your kitty looks like the one we just adopted a couple months ago. I treat them like my children and probably always will. take care :)

[Schmidty]

I'm very sorry for your loss, Lathum. As an animal lover myself, I can imagine how much it hurts.

[MizzouRah]

Sorry Latum.. :(

I've been thinking if I could stay with my pet when the times comes... we have 5 dogs and two cats.. has to be tough.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

:(

[kingnebwsu]

Sorry man. It makes me sad just thinking about losing a pet :(

[Bad-example]

:(

[terpkristin]

:(

[RainMaker]

Very sorry Lathum, it is heartbreaking to say goodbye to a pet.

[MrDNA]

My condolences. Think of all the good times that you guys had and be grateful for those.

[Passacaglia]

bump

Our oldest cat, Keebler, will be put to sleep today. We knew it was coming a couple months ago -- they found some kind of cancer in her mouth, and said it would be just a matter of time until it got so far into her jaw that she wouldn't be able to eat. Since then, she's been eating less gradually, and losing weight. Since we weren't sure when to do it, the vet said that once her weight drops below 5 pounds, she would recommend it. She weighed 5 pounds on Saturday, so we gave her the weekend, and plan to do it today. It seems like she hasn't eaten at all since then, and looks really small, so it is probably the right thing to do, but still hard.

[JeeberD]

:(

[Lathum]

Sounds similar to what happened to mine. Sorry to hear Pass, if it is any solace it was very quick and painless.

[DanGarion]

bump

Our oldest cat, Keebler, will be put to sleep today. We knew it was coming a couple months ago -- they found some kind of cancer in her mouth, and said it would be just a matter of time until it got so far into her jaw that she wouldn't be able to eat. Since then, she's been eating less gradually, and losing weight. Since we weren't sure when to do it, the vet said that once her weight drops below 5 pounds, she would recommend it. She weighed 5 pounds on Saturday, so we gave her the weekend, and plan to do it today. It seems like she hasn't eaten at all since then, and looks really small, so it is probably the right thing to do, but still hard.

I'm really sorry to hear that. My heart is with you guys on this. :(

[MizzouRah]

Sorry to hear that Pass.. :(

[Ksyrup]

My wife is taking our 14 year old cat Boomer to the vet this morning, and in about 30 minutes, he will be put to sleep.

I think I'd mentioned in a couple of other pet-related threads what we've been dealing with the past few months. Since last summer, he's lost about 5 pounds and had been throwing up almost everything he ate. Beginning of the year, we took him in and started giving him daily medicine at home and bringing him back in for fluids every few days. The doc thinks he has a gastric disease that likely morphed into a cancer of some sort, which he said happens a lot. He said we could do some expensive tests to figure out what it is, but that he's already getting some of the same treatments he would get if it is cancer and since he's not responding, it would basically be a waste of money, unless we just had to know why he died.

At first, he responded to the medicine - especially the appetite stimulant - but he was still throwing up, and then eventually he'd go backwards and lose the weight he gained plus a little more. The last week, we noticed he wasn't even responding to the appetite stimulant, and Sunday while reading the paper we watched him walk over to the water bowl and just stare at it for a good 2 minutes, sniff a couple of times, and walk off. At that point, I knew it was only a matter of a few days.

So he was due for some more fluids yesterday, and when they weighed him, he was under 10 pounds. The doc said he's not suffering, but he's not responding to anything and that it's time to put him down. We're going away this weekend and then the wife and kids are going to Florida for spring break, so there was no use in trying to coax a few more days out of him. My wife had to break it to the little one after her soccer practice, and I did the same with Caitlin after her softball games. They both took it hard. As did I - I'm way more attached to cats than dogs, so this really sucks for me.

I'm not a very emotional person, but man, last night I bawled when Michelle showed me a videotape of Mackenzie reading Boomer a couple of cat books before she went to bed. That was tough to watch.

[korme]

Very sorry to hear that KS

[bulletsponge]

:( poor kitty

ive been lucky in the pet cat department. while we've lost a few cats, almost all have just disapeared. we live in a more rural area and have foxes, coyotes and venomous snakes all around so thats how they disappear. but we've also had a couple get hit by cars in the street out front. its never fun to see your kitten a ball of fluff when you exit your drive way.

the more rural area you live, the shorter the life span

[BYU 14]

So sorry Ksyrup, pets are such a big part of family. Boomer was loved and it sounds like you gave him a great life.

I'm teary now just reading about your little one reading to Boomer before bed.

RIP Boomer :(

[MacroGuru]

Very sorry to hear about it Ksyrup...

Gonna love mine extra tonight...(That is, if they decide to let me...or will they wait on their time?)

[CleBrownsfan]

:(

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sorry for your loss KS, been there & I know the pain.

Fuck cancer - human or feline.

[Ksyrup]

Thanks, guys. He's gone. It was the right thing to do, though.

[Lathum]

Sorry to hear bud, hope the kids take it well

[spleen1015]

Sorry Chris.

[the_meanstrosity]

Sorry for your loss ksyrup. We had to put our oldest kitty down last month due to kidney disease so I feel your pain. Hopefully Boomer and my Pugnacious are up there in kitty heaven hanging out watching birds.

[JediKooter]

Sorry to hear about Boomer Ksyrup. :(

[molson]

Shit.

Hopefully there's some relief with the medical stuff/dread being over. (I've always found the anticipation and physical decline so much harder than the actual end). And definitely, I hope there's comfort in realizing how lucky all the cats and people involved were to be a part of the Ksyrup pack.

[DanGarion]

Sorry to hear this. :(

[EagleFan]

Sorry to hear it K.

Not a cat person myself (mostly because I am insanely allergic and being around them for a short time I will end up barely able to breath) but I get the pet connection, especially when kids are involved as well.

[MizzouRah]

Very sorry.. :(

[claphamsa]

My condolences, I just tracked down all 4 of my cats and gave them all hugs! We had a cat that had to be put down due to jaw cancer about a year ago, it was AWFUL, I hope...I dunno what I hope, but peace

[Chief Rum]

Sorry to hear it, Ksyrup. Sounds like Boomer was a great cat, and an integral part of your family.

I have always been more of a dog person than cat, but the girl I am seeing just adores her kitties, talks about them all the time. When I see a thread like this, it makes me instinctively fear for my girl's cats and how much pain and hurt she would be in if something were to happen to either of them.

Know at least that Boomer knew he was loved.

[King of New York]

Know at least that Boomer knew he was loved.

+1,000. You gave Boomer a great life--hold onto that thought during such a sad time.

[Sweed]

Casper, our 17 year old cat, passed away last night. This pic is from a couple of years ago with our chocolate lab Mocha. A great cat and Mocha's best friend. We will all miss him especially Mocha. Mocha is a bit of a chicken and I think when we are gone Casper was her "comfort blanket".

Casper did remarkably well for his age. He was happy and able to get around fine until last Friday and then went down hill quickly over the weekend. He was always an indoor cat but somehow, about 6 weeks ago, slipped outside. We hadn't seen him and were looking around for him in the house. Coming up the basement steps I could see out the backdoor and there sat Casper waiting to get in:) What the hell? He thought he was so cool and would then sit around the door hoping for another chance.

Casper spent yesterday moving between his two rugs he liked to lay on or sitting on someone's lap. Very sluggish and a bit out of it, he just seemed to be trying to find a comfortable place so he could let go. At least he didn't seem to be in pain as he didn't react to any touching, petting, or being picked up like it hurt. I was just hoping he could go to sleep and that would be it. Last night about 7:30 I thought I'd try taking him outside. Wow, he perked right up when the cool evening breeze hit him. I carried him to the sunny side of the house and set him down in the grass. He walked around a bit 'til he tired and then would lay down in the grass, rest a bit and then walk around again. It wasn't the sluggish wandering though he was alert and enjoying ever minute. After a half hour of this Casper was starting to wear out so we went back inside.

I sat up with him for a few hours as he went between trying to get comfortable and sleep. I finally went to bed about 11:00 as he was sleeping on one of his rugs. Wasn't sure how good he was seeing at this point so left basement lights on for him. Sometime during the night he moved to his favorite sleeping spot, rolled up, and went to sleep for the last time. I found him this morning about 4:30 am. I cried like a baby but I'm thankful he went peaceably here at home. If he hadn't I would have taken him to the vet today as the time had come. A great cat and family member.

Good bye Casper, I miss you.

[Ksyrup]

Sorry to hear. I think I posted a picture here somewhere, but we've adopted 2 kittens. The girls love them. Boomer was older by the time the girls were either born or "aware" of the animals, so this is their first experience with kittens.

[Lathum]

sorry to hear, it's always tough at the end but it sounds peacful. And that last trip to the vet is one of the most excruciating thing to have to do.

[JonInMiddleGA]

My condolences Sweed, very sorry for your loss.

[the_meanstrosity]

Casper sounds like a great cat Sweed. So sorry for your loss.

[markprior22]

Great picture of both pets. Very sorry about Casper.

[DanGarion]

Very sorry to hear about Casper, your story about him seems to have happen at the same time as something got in my eye...

[General Mike]

So sorry for your loss Sweed.

[MizzouRah]

Sad news Sweed, so sorry for your loss. :(

[Sweed]

Thanks guys. As has been said here and in the dog thread it is amazing how big a part of your life your pets become. It hurts when you lose one but that's only natural when they add so much to your life.