My kitty is dying

[giftof6]

:crying: He is the first pet that was my own (not my parent's). My hubby bought him for me the year before we got married, so he's pushing 16 years old. Very sad and traumatic. Thought I'd just wake up and find him curled up in a corner somewhere not breathing when the time came. That's not quite how it played out-but I'll skip the details. He's basically sleeping now, but it's only a matter of time. The kids just cried and cried. He was the best cat ever. Every one of our six kids climbed on him, pulled his fur, smacked him on the head (baby play) and he would just turn his head and look at them as though to say, "Ugh. Another silly kid." But he was always so good.

 

To top if off, I had two friends call at the same time to make sure I was ok. I told one friend #1 I would call her back because friend #2 was in a different time zone and woke up just to call and check on me. It took longer than I thought, and now friend #1 is ticked. Maybe that wasn't the right choice, but I felt bad for waking the friend far away. Shouldn't we get a little grace for faux pas in moments like those?

 

Thanks for letting me share.

[kalanamak]

:grouphug: He's very happy to have had you, too.

 

 

 

 

In Memory of Our Cat, Ralph

 

by Garrison Keillor

 

 

When we got home, it was almost dark.

Our neighbor waited on the walk.

"I'm sorry, I have bad news," he said.

"Your cat, the gray-black one, is dead.

I found him by the garage an hour ago."

"Thank you," I said, "for letting us know."

We dug a hole in the flower bed

With lilac bushes overhead,

Where this cat loved to lie in spring

And roll in dirt and eat the green

Delicious first spring bud,

And laid him down and covered him up,

Wrapped in a piece of tablecloth,

Our good old cat laid in the earth.

We quickly turned and went inside

The empty house and sat and cried

Softly in the dark some tears

For that familiar voice, that fur,

That soft weight missing from our laps,

That we had loved too well perhaps

And mourned from weakness of the heart.

A childish weakness, to regard

An animal whose life is brief

With such affection and such grief.

If such is weakness, so it be.

This modest elegy

Is only meant to note the death

Of one cat so we won't forget

His face, his name, his gift

Of cat affection while he lived,

The sweet shy nature

Of this graceful creature,

The simple pleasure of himself,

The memory of our cat, Ralph.

[Ellie]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

I'm so sorry.

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[Emerkaza]

{{{Hugs}}} I'm sorry. Losing a beloved pet is never easy. :(

[oldskool]

Shouldn't we get a little grace for faux pas in moments like those?

 

Yes, that is the least we can ask of people.

 

So sorry about your kitty. Pets are such important members of the family. It is really hard to lose them. :grouphug:

 

Lesley

[Satori]

:grouphug: I'm so sorry.

 

Last Friday I also lost my 16 year old cat. Best cat I ever had.

[mhgillil]

:grouphug: to you and your family. I have two young cats, but I started tearing up just thinking about losing them one day, so I can't imagine what you're feeling right now. :grouphug:

[gingersmom]

:grouphug:

[Hedgehog]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

I'm so sorry. :grouphug:

 

They may be gone from this earth, but they live in your heart forever.

 

K

[Lizzie in Ma]

:grouphug::grouphug:

[JudoMom]

:crying: He is the first pet that was my own (not my parent's). My hubby bought him for me the year before we got married, so he's pushing 16 years old. Very sad and traumatic. Thought I'd just wake up and find him curled up in a corner somewhere not breathing when the time came. That's not quite how it played out-but I'll skip the details. He's basically sleeping now, but it's only a matter of time. The kids just cried and cried. He was the best cat ever. Every one of our six kids climbed on him, pulled his fur, smacked him on the head (baby play) and he would just turn his head and look at them as though to say, "Ugh. Another silly kid." But he was always so good.

 

To top if off, I had two friends call at the same time to make sure I was ok. I told one friend #1 I would call her back because friend #2 was in a different time zone and woke up just to call and check on me. It took longer than I thought, and now friend #1 is ticked. Maybe that wasn't the right choice, but I felt bad for waking the friend far away. Shouldn't we get a little grace for faux pas in moments like those?

 

Thanks for letting me share.

 

:grouphug: to you, and a kick in the shins for friend #1. I'm sorry that she was stinky, and yes, you should get a little grace.

 

I'm so sorry about your cat :grouphug:.

[Guest jab300]

:grouphug: I'm so sorry, it is a really hard thing to go through.

[mamajudy]

:grouphug: I'm so sorry, Jenny.:grouphug:

[TXMary2]

:grouphug::grouphug:

[Jeannie in NJ]

when we lost our good cats Rocky and Patches, my dd put together a scrapbook with their pictures, cut out hearts, little poems, etc and with their names on the front cover. It really helped all of us. Maybe some of your dc woudl like to do that.

 

I am so sorry you are having to go thru this. I know the hurt is terrible. Try to remember all the love your cat has given your family and how much worse it would have been if your cat had not been a part of your family to love.

[lea1]

I'm so sorry :grouphug: and I feel your pain. My 13 year old female, who was always my little shadow and faithful buddy, passed on yesterday. It was a very sad day for me and today I am trying hard to pull it together and move on with a smile for my two little 5 year old boys.

 

The photo/scrap book sounds like a wonderful idea. Maybe that will help us both.

[Melinda]

I'm so sorry.

[JFSinIL]

This is the hard part of having a pet - that they just will not live as long as us, and someday we have to part. Right now, one of our four cats, Fidget, is going to need to be put to sleep soon - she is only 11, but had a bad reaction to the annual rabies vaccination and a huge lump is growing between her shoulder blades ( she looks like Quasimodo now). As soon as she indicates that she is in pain I will take her in. That will be the hard, but responsible, thing to do. I just hope she is ok (still jumping on furniture, purring over catnip, etc.) until ds gets home from college next week - she was his 9th b'day cat.

[giftof6]

for your very sweet replies. Thank you for sharing with me as well. I am sorry for your losses, too. Especially for those of you who lost a furry friend recently.

After seeing him this morning and talking to friend #1 (who was, apparently, more tired than mad), it sounds like he had a stroke. This morning he is looking around and moving one leg--now two. There is a chance he could recover, but if he doesn't we'll have to put him down. That's not going to be easy for the children at all. I still have a few little ones.

Thank you for walking through this with me. You all were/are a huge comfort to me.

[Stacia]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[ereks mom]

:grouphug: :grouphug:

 

I am so sorry about your kitty. It is so painful to lose a pet who is really like a family member.

 

I know that pain--our beloved Kitty passed away a year & a half ago at age 17. My kids grew up with him, and he was a faithful companion. Time has dulled the ache, but I still miss him so much.

 

Hugs to you and your family in this time of loss.

 

ETA: I just saw your update, and it appears that my post was a bit premature. I do hope your kitty recovers. :grouphug:

Edited May 13, 2011 by ereks mom

[Guest jab300]

Thanks for the update, hope it does work out.

[Nakia]

Bless you. Our 13 year old cat was diagnosed with advanced and aggressive liver cancer last month, and we chose to have him euthanized. It was so hard. Like your kitty, he was our first pet, our baby. I still cry for him. We miss him terribly, but we are confident we will see him again. Much love. :grouphug:

[SailorMom]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[Sparkle]

:grouphug:

[BlessedMom]

:grouphug::grouphug: I'm so sorry! :grouphug::grouphug:

[jenL]

:grouphug: It's so hard when our pets are sick. We are a cat family, so I understand your agony. He knows he was dearly loved, and sometimes it's okay to let go. :grouphug:

[JeneralMom]

:grouphug: So sorry.

[Jenny in Florida]

I had two cats whom I adopted when I got my first place of my own after college. They lived with me through the time I got married and had two children. They were always part of my kids' lives.

 

They died within two years of each other after good, long lives. One of them we simply found in the morning. The second had a long, traumatic passing.

 

I was a mess. In addition to the sadness of losing a loved pet, it was hard for me because they were the last, lingering part of my "before" life, the last link to the me I was prior to marriage and mom-hood.

 

It's been seven years, and we now have two cats and the dog I wanted forever. But I'm still tearing up typing this to you.

 

It sounds like your cat had wonderful luck getting you for his person. My thoughts will be with you.

[Remudamom]

I'm so sorry. My old kitty is 16 too, and everytime I look at him now I know how much I'm going to miss him.

[Cheryl in NM]

:grouphug:

I'm so sorry! I just had to euthanize both of my kitties. They were the first pets I had on my own as an adult. They had only been separate once in their entire lives, from each other as well as from myself. They were 19 years old; I'd had them since they were 5 weeks old. One of them was sick; her body was just shutting down. The other one only lasted a month without her companion; she was inconsolable.

 

I still dream about them and am definitely going through kitty withdrawls!

 

I sympathize with you!

 

:grouphug:

[Paula in PA]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

There are no words that can fully express the heartache of losing a beloved companion. We've been through it so many times over the years and it never gets easier. All you can do is love them while they are still here and remember them when they are gone.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[Lara in Colo]

I lost my cat of 18 yrs about 4 yrs ago. I still miss her and I often have trouble sleeping without her. I know your pain and you have my sympathy. Losing a beloved friend is never easy.

 

Lara