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His cat is dying
By adamg on Tue, 07/16/2013 - 9:21am
Spatch begins to say good bye to Abbie, his friend of 16 years.
Abbie does not have long. I do not expect him to last the night. If he does, however, a travelling vet is coming by tomorrow morning to look him over. I do not think I need to explain what the outcome of this visit will most likely be. One can hope that perhaps it's just been a spate of serious weakness-while-recovering and with an appetite booster he'll be up and eating, but that is a desperate hope. And besides, if he does perk up, he'll still be terminally ill. What kind of life will that be? How many more weeks would he live like this? Death is going to happen. It is inevitable. It's always inevitable, but one only seems to take notice when it's close. As in, I know this is the very last night of Abbie the Cat's life. And I am devastated.
He had a good life. He had the sun, he had his favorite chairs, he had your food. He never knew malice or hate. He never lashed out in anger. He was such a calm, chill cat, he would let you step over him and not even flinch.
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Comments
Why do I read these things?
sniffle
Best to Spatch and Abbie.
I went through this back in April with my 18 year old cat. And his 18 year old sister two years prior. Taking a pet into your family is taking on a delayed tragedy. But it's worth it, in my opinion. And I keep reminding myself this every time I have to extract my new 1 year old cat from what ever trouble he's gotten himself into. Oops, gotta go rescue something else... :)
I fear this
few things make me tear up on demand. This is one.
I feel your pain and fear this day. My cat, Malcolm (or "my little boy") is 13, and is starting to show signs of aging. He's not as strong as he used to be, and it seems like he's having a hard time getting on the bed (he just seems "winded" or 'struggles'). Arthritis I think is stepping in.
:( I fear the day I have to do this.. I'll probably cry for months after. He's my buddy who loves me unconditionally. He waits at the door when I get home, sits on my desk with me when I use the computer, and always gets on the bed with me to cuddle while I fall asleep. I really fear the day.
:( *wipes tears from eyes*
Good Cats Find Good People
As Spatch said, cats choose you. God bless you both.
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Sorry Spatch
It's one of life's cruelties that cats and dogs live such relatively short lives. It's so hard at the end,and I wish you the best.
It's hard
We went through this with our 17 year old dog -- and then three years later with our 20 year old cat. Unfortunately, we needed to take each on one last trip to the vet, because they developed much worse medical problems at the very end. My deepest condolences to Spatch.
Your cat will be there when your time comes
My dog is 7, healthy and strong. I am grateful for her presence every day. 24 hours with my dog is a perfect 24 hours. After 6 years however I realized that the relationship with my dog is more than just a relationship with a dog. It is a relationship with another creature, another being with wants, desires and needs. I grasp that in spite of her dependence upon me to provide food and water that she remains a unique and singular being.
So when I contemplate that eventually her demise will arrive I am saddened. Perhaps in small steps I am preparing myself for what is inevitable.
I appreciate your sadness and grief. Death that is close is a reminder of our own inevitable demise. Death of any that is close creates an emptiness in our soul that takes on new shape and complexity just as a tree shapes and reforms its wood when a large branch breaks. A pet of course is a large branch of the trunk of our life. A branch that is sprouted one day when the dog or cat is adopted, grows, sprouts branches and leaves in its seasons, and then falls to the ground.
Your cat's soul will repose in your soul. Your cat has changed you in ways that only you can understand. But in the 16 years of your relationship with your cat the two of you have added joy, humor and sweetness to the world.
Grieve. Take comfort that you gave joy to another being. Pray that your cat's soul will rise and fill the cosmos with the particular and peculiar sweetness and joy that was in the essence of your cousin in the feline world.
The worst part of keeping pets
However, in keeping them, we agree to give them a good life. That also means, we can give them a good death, too, when the time comes.
As much as that sucks.
Good journey to Abbie, and hugs to you and yours. You know in your heart that it is the right thing, and that you gave this creature a good life. That's the most you can do.
I'm so sorry
I had to put my thirteen-year-old cat Izzy to sleep on Friday, less than two months after putting my sixteen-year-old cat Keegan to sleep in May. I'm holding you and Abbie in my heart today.
Not crying at work
Allergies must be playing up.
It can't be that I live in fear of the day I face the same kind of losses. I'm definitely not so sentimental as to grieve for someone else's cat.
Definitely the allergies.
Blame the heat
Your eyeballs are sweating.
Some good news: Abbie rallies
Spatch posts an update after a visit from a vet - and after Abbie sneaks some tuna.
My sympathies go out to you Spatch.
Having just lost my own companion of 15 years, a large white and grey shorthair named Owen, your commentary really hit home for me. Glad to hear that things have improved for the moment.
wow
I think this appears to be one of the few topics that does not get a bunch of annoying contrarian comments telling people to "suck it up," "it's just a pet," "what about the starving children of {fill in the blank}", etc... People are going soft.
Losing a pet is rough - I lost a black lab (unfortunately at a young age due to a car accident) a few years back and haven't had the valor to go adopt another one yet. Good luck.
I was thinking the same thing.
So many of us have been through this and it is so, so tough--trying to provide comfort and care to these dear animals who trust and love us. We have an elderly kitty who, despite some arthritis, is still mobile and happy, content to sleep most of the day but still catching the occasional mouse just to show she's still got her hunter mojo. Our dog is in healthy middle age and just the thought of his getting older makes me wince. I can't bear the thought of losing him.
Of course that said, I'd urge you to gather your courage and go find another dog. There are so many out there looking for good homes--black dogs especially, for some reason--and somewhere there's another canine soul mate waiting for you.
I've heard the same about black dogs
When I adopted my girl (who is mostly brown-black) I was told that most people shy away from black dogs. Weird. But at least that meant that my 4 legs of wagging love was waiting there when I was ready for a dog.
I agree with the writers above that a pet chooses a person. The first time I met my dog it was love at first sight. Her excitement and enthusiasm when I stooped down to pet her was like someone calling my name in the sweetest tone imaginable. I instantly knew that she was the dog that I was supposed to adopt.
For all the chaos of the world pets add a bit of order that is divine.
We were just looking at the kitties
Pets do pick us - a happy love story break:
We had recently lost one cat, ever wonderful Mario LeMiaux, who died suddenly and way too young of a heart attack. But we weren't really in the market for another. We went to see the kitty adoption center at the Alewife Petco because we were getting food for the other cat.I swear!
My son and I were playing with a cat on one level when the cat above her whacked on the glass with her fat Maine Coon snowshoes.
"HEY YOU - TWEEN BOY!"
My son whacked back on the glass and she tried to whack where he was whacking. It was love. It was all over. She signaled the human in the back to say "HEY! I want to meet this BOY!". (we found out later that she had never done that before - she was generally afraid of the visitors she was introduced to, not directly soliciting their attention!).
So we met her ... and she put on her best dances for us, with much purring.
We came back and got her three days later, after family discussion.
She was cute, but not really great with the people manners and likes to play rough. We found out later that she had had problems being adopted because she hadn't yet learned to hiss instead of slap, how to hold her claws in, etc. She also prefers men and boys.
She picked my son (then 11 years old), and was delighted to find that he came with a 13 year old and a man. And another useful person who understood that she needed to be loved - and socialized - to living in a human house. She is still his cat - he gets special privileges to pick her up and put her in her carrier or give her any medicine.
She's our own Eliza Doolittle - and when the weather howls outside, she just purrs. She's a housecat, now. No bother.
A Dog’s Last Will and Testament
Before humans die, they write their last will and testament, giving their home and all they have to those they leave behind. If, with my paws, I could do the same, this is what I’d ask…
To a poor and lonely stray I’d give my happy home; my bowl and cozy bed, soft pillow and all my toys; the lap, which I loved so much; the hand that stroked my fur; and the sweet voice that spoke my name.
I’d will to the sad, scared shelter dog the place I had in m human’s loving heart, of which there seemed no bounds.
So, when I die, please do not say, “I will never have a pet again, for the loss and the pain is more than I can stand.”
Instead, go find an unloved dog, one whose life has held no joy or hope, and give my place to him.
This is the only thing I can give… the love I left behind.
-Author Unknown
Oh go ahead...
...and make me cry willya....
If you REALLY want to cry
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.youtube.com...
(I hope the link is okay -- I can't test it at the moment)
I'll read it when I'm not at work
Can't be seen crying around the office.
My brother just put his dog to sleep. It wasn't even that old, but it developed a cancerous growth in its muzzle and began to have nose bleeds. He didn't even flinch about it. Dogs are good at hiding pain, I think. They put him to sleep about a week ago. He was insane as I'm guessing a lot of Australian sheep dogs are (he would bark at the reflection of the cat in the glass oven door and fireplace glass...but not at the cat itself)...but he was loyal and missed.
Soldier on, Spatch. There's another cat out there right now looking for you.
My pup is 9 now and I can't
My pup is 9 now and I can't imagine the day but it will be with love and dignity. He's my boy and I never htought I could love him like I do. I think my husband says it best that "perfection can't last that long."
You gave him love, confort and I am sure many yummy treats. That is all we can do.
Though so devastating you have had beautiful times with another living being.
United we pet
Yep - we argue like cats and dogs out here - but not about our cats and dogs. Lost my guy a few months ago just a bit shy of 18 and it's just the last few weeks I don't open a door or walk around a corner and expect to see him.
When I think about how sad I was I realize that I wasn't sad that we had to put him down - because he was hurting and now is in a better place. I was sad for us because I knew we'd miss him.
We do, but when summer sets - we'll likely be checking in at the shelters for a couple cats that'll have us.
Give Abbie a hug from Zoe and me
I'm so sorry for what you're going through. I'll have to go through it with my little Zoe soon. It sounds like you are a loving, caring and kind friend to Abbie and he to you. Zoe and I are sending good vibes to both of you.
He Gave Me The Ultimate Gift
Several years ago; after living a long and happy life; my cat, Elmer, gave me the ultimate gift of passing away peacefully on his own. I knew his time was near as he'd grown so very thin and frail, but my heart was aching at just the thought of having to bring him to a vet if he should begin to suffer.
Elmer enjoyed his life to the very last day; keeping a watchful eye on the birds from the kitchen windowsill, always telling me about everything that happened when I came home from work (he loved to exaggerate), and graciously asking to share a little bit of my dinner with me.
It was a hot day in May, and when I went to work Elmer was comfortably stretched out on the cool cellar floor. When I came home, his body was still there, but his spirit was free.
I missed Elmer so much that I adopted his name as my own, and I his image as my avatar. I'm "ElmerCat" just about everywhere on the Internet, thanks to my beloved little friend! I also try to follow his example of enjoying every moment there is in life!