The time finally came and we've had to say goodbye to our dear friend. It's been a very sad and long day for us but we're hanging on to the fact that he's finally pain-free and at peace. I stayed with him to the end and was able to sit with him for awhile afterward. He didn't fight the vet which is a strong indicator of how very sick he was. We'll all miss him very much. All the best our dear friend, we love you, be at peace.
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I saw this a couple of days ago, and I immediately wanted to say something clever and supportive, but I (as you know) are lost for words these days, and I couldn't come up with anything.
But I want you to know I really feel for you, and I think I know what you're going through, having lost three animals myself in the last couple of years. First a dog which was suffering from a genetic disease, and then the cat and dog we had to give away 'cause pets aren't aloud where we moved to. Of course they are still alive, but - gone from the family. Like the kids hadn't lost enough already!
So my deepest sympathy to you and your daughter, on a sad occasion.
Thanks so much Karin. Everyone has been extremely supportive and kind over the last few days. Even my supervisor and two of his kids dropped by with a special basket of goodies last night.
I dropped by the vet office yesterday to take in the "sharps" container. I ran into Domingo's vet, it was all very sad. She started to cry, I started to cry, people in the office started to cry....we can all share that common loss of someone precious to us. One lady told me about a poem/short essay about loosing a furry family member, it's called Rainbow Bridge. I've read it once but it made me too sad, maybe in a week or so I can revisit it. I'm still in the process of cleaning up. With a sick one in the house some things just get left. I'm slowly washing pillow cases where he slept. The floor in the laundry room where he tracked so much litter and unfortunately urine. Poor guy always felt so bad about not being able to keep clean. I tried to keep up with it but when you have a diabetic using the litter box continually you can only do so much.
Well, you know how we feel. Anika is handling it much better than I am so that's been a relief for me. We'll adjust and he's coming home in awhile, I decided to have him cremated so we can decide what to do about a final resting place later. It will take time, I just have to remind myself that the grief won't disappear overnight.
Deb, I'm so very sorry!! He was such a gorgeous cat, the nicest tiger cat I've ever seen! I suppose he was the luckiest and happiest cat that ever lived, so he hung on the best he could, but as you know; we only have so much time and when the time comes we just have to let go. And you're right, no more pain, and he can rest at last!
How is Anika handling it? I suppose this one is as hard on you though as it is for her? I feel like you've had this cat for a VERY long time, right? He must have been almost 20 years old!!
I'm really, really sorry!! Do you think you'll get another one like him one day?
The picture of him makes me want to cry my heart out, so I can't even start to imagine how you feel!! The nice thing about loosing a furry friend is that people understand and show a lot of compassion and empathy.
I'm glad you're bringing his urn home, which will give you a chance to bury him where he spent so much of his happy and playful life - in the yard somewhere :)
Hang in there!!
That was what the vet said, he had a very good life with us. I just kept thinking if I try harder, spend more time with him and monitoring his condition I could "fix" it. I even contemplated leaving school to look after him 24 hours a day, but we all know that's not realistic AND that was a big wake up call for me. If it was going to take continual care and attention then I should sit back and really take a closer look at how HE is doing, and when I did that I realized he was trying his best to struggle through but he was in so much pain. It was time for me to think about why I was keeping him here - was it for him or me. He was only 14 so I figured we should have many more years ahead of us. I think it was actually cancer in the end because his stomach was swelling. The vet thought maybe pancreatic cancer and that's why we couldn't control his blood glucose. He can finally rest.
Anika is with her dad today and they're building him a special wooden box. She has her ritual for handling this whole process. I kept her out of the decision making process on when it was time to let go, she's at peace with it and is happy he isn't sick anymore. She's now more concerned with how I'm handling it and doesn't like people to ask about him because it makes me sad. I've reminded her we all grieve in different ways and it's OK for me to be sad. There will be times I'm going to be sad and times I'll be happy, that's just the way it is.
I'm a bit at odds with cleaning right now. Some of it has to be done, but the rest I look at and wonder. It feels like I'm wiping him way. I washed the covers to the pillow where he slept, his dish has been washed, it's like he didn't exist. Then I feel worse and have to stop. I know it's not true but I suppose part of me still doesn't want to let go. It will take time.
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