Forums Serious Talk I put my cat Down Today.
One of my cats, Wiggy, was thirteen years old. Her brother died a few months ago, and she'd been dealing with a thyroid problem for a while now, but had been put on medication and seemed to be doing great.
It's like she just suddenly got 10x worse, it seemed to happen almost overnight. I'm worried I didn't do the right thing in having her put down though..
She was meowing randomly, but it didn't sound anything like her normal meow, and she wasn't eating, not even wet food. She was drinking, but only rarely. She'd lost a ton of weight in what seemed like a day or two, complete bones basically. She didn't seem to be here mentally- she wasn't reacting to sounds or people approaching, and she didn't seem to really care if I was petting her, other than to make me stop.
Her eyes looked glazed/far away, and she had a bad smell coming from her mouth. None of her teeth were bad, though. She was having tremors in her head and sometimes in her body, and she kept hiding and meowing, and then she would lay down and just stare for hours. She wasn't sleeping, her eyes were completely open for hours, or so I noticed.
And when I was bringing her to the vet today, she started drooling, and the drool was brownish and a bit thick.
But I'm worried I made the wrong choice, because I brought her outside before we went to the vet, just to let her experience it one more time, and she was walking around decently. She jumped up on a small bench, and she scratched/sharpened her nails on some wood. She was shivering though, and when I brought her back in, she seemed to completely lose interest and deflate again, withdraw and just lay there.
The vet said she didn't look good, and I don't think they would just put a healthy cat to sleep... But I'm just feeling so much guilt, I don't know if I did the right thing or not.
Here in the darkness I know myself
I am so very sorry for your loss.
I just last week had to make the same heart wrenching decision and I am still struggling with the loss. Somethings that have helped me this last week was going through photos, crying when I needed to cry, endulging in some not so good for me food, and knowing that my baby was no longer suffering.
The impact that you had on Wiggy was profound, they will always know your love and how you cared for them, and in the same token, you were able to experience their beautiful life and it is something you can cherish forever.
If you need anything, I am here.
Can’t break free until I let it go.
Let me go..
Let me go..
Foever in my heart
Spookums 11/25/18
Angus 6/23/19
Mom 6/29/19
Dad 11/29/2021
Spookums 11/25/18
Angus 6/23/19
Mom 6/29/19
Dad 11/29/2021
@Gay Space Trash: I am so sorry you went through this. Losing a pet is such a difficult thing to deal with.
This sounds almost exactly like what happened to my ex boyfriend's cat. She was 13 or 14 and one day we noticed she was losing weight rapidly and seemed completely disinterested in food. It happened over the course of just a few days. She was a mostly outdoor cat but we assumed it was more to do with old age than any possible poison or infection from consuming stuff outside (which is how my childhood cat passed when he was still young and healthy).
We brought her inside and made sure her last few days were as comfortable as possible. She slept in the bed with us for 2 nights and on the third day, she passed in what seemed a pretty peaceful way, considering she hadn't made any noise leading up to it, she just faded out while laying in a box we had set up for her. On the second day she had been meowing a bit, we were worried she was in pain but she would purr if we showed her love while she laid down with us.
I think you did the right thing. If she was in pain and really that old, it's probably best that she got to go peacefully. Sometimes I wish we had taken his cat to a vet but it wasn't in his budget at the time and he really was holding on to hope she'd recover.
Just like humans, animals will deteriorate from old age at some point. It's not always a peaceful process but it's part of life. You shouldn't feel guilty for doing what you and the vet thought was best. It's natural to feel like you could have or should have done more, but in the end your kitty isn't suffering now and that is really the most important part.
I hope your heart heals swiftly. I'm sure even if she wasn't responding much to your touch, she felt your love.
@SirLionelNigelConrad:
@Lithium:
@Ghostie:
Thank you all for the support and kind words. Lithium, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss as well. :c And for your boyfriend's loss, Ghostie.
I'm always available if anyone needs to/wants to talk as well, and I really do appreciate the offer, Lithium.
It's nice to see other people agreeing I did the right thing, I feel a little better now.
@kiwi: Thank you ;-;
It's just a difficult situation, no matter who you are, or what the issue is. You can always message me if you're having troubles with Naomi, too. I'm always fine answering the phone at 4am too.
i love you so much tbh ;-; you're such a great person 
@Gay Space Trash: I am so sorry for your loss, you made an okay call I am glad that you kitty got to enjoy one last time outside though.
Loss is very tough with cats and dogs, I know and I really am sorry, I am even crying right now. I've had a some cats pass away, and a dog.
Loss is very tough with cats and dogs, I know and I really am sorry, I am even crying right now. I've had a some cats pass away, and a dog.
If you can’t say something nice, Don’t say anything at all!
@Gay Space Trash: I know this feeling all too well.
Earlier this year, my white kitty named Blizzard lost a lot of weight.
She had previously been.. ahem rather round and spoiled, and was probably too fat to begin with.
We brought her into the vet, where they found a cancerous mass consuming her abdomen.
She hadn't eaten in days, since the mass was blocking passage to her stomach.
She, too, got the strange behavior. She would cry for food, but not be able to eat it.
She started to hide.
She would still purr when pet, but her breath smelled like flowers.
The vet told me that she could no longer maintain her own body temperature, and was actively dying.
I held her as they gave her the shot.
Even though I rationally know that what I did was a mercy to her...
I still left that place feeling like I had killed my cat.
I was ruined inside for months.
But, if you believe anything, believe this. It WAS a mercy.
It sounds like your kitty's internal organs were failing rapidly, and all she would know from that is pain.
You did her a favor.
You gave her a quiet, comfortable end to what could only be suffering.
Her life may have ended there, but it was an end surrounded by love.
The rest of us can only hope for something as good as that.
She had previously been.. ahem rather round and spoiled, and was probably too fat to begin with.
We brought her into the vet, where they found a cancerous mass consuming her abdomen.
She hadn't eaten in days, since the mass was blocking passage to her stomach.
She, too, got the strange behavior. She would cry for food, but not be able to eat it.
She started to hide.
She would still purr when pet, but her breath smelled like flowers.
The vet told me that she could no longer maintain her own body temperature, and was actively dying.
I held her as they gave her the shot.
Even though I rationally know that what I did was a mercy to her...
I still left that place feeling like I had killed my cat.
I was ruined inside for months.
But, if you believe anything, believe this. It WAS a mercy.
It sounds like your kitty's internal organs were failing rapidly, and all she would know from that is pain.
You did her a favor.
You gave her a quiet, comfortable end to what could only be suffering.
Her life may have ended there, but it was an end surrounded by love.
The rest of us can only hope for something as good as that.
Oh my love, I know you are my candyman
And oh my love, let us fly to bounty land~~
Közi (“Kouji.”)
He/him
Millet, spilling the tea: I hope you understand what I mean when I say this:
But trust me when I say you did the right thing, and while you question yourself a bit now...
you wouldn't want the other possibility of prolonging something that shouldn't have been prolonged.
That would genuinely be far worse.
I owned a flock of birds that due to details I don't have the heart to hash out, (at least without swearing about someone haha)
all died one by one..except the last bird.
The one that was my utmost best friend and companion for 13 years. While I pointlessly gave CPR
to each bird, he stayed close, even holding the head up of another bird...trying...parrots are incredibly smart...
He somehow stayed breathing and I rushed him
to the vet when I knew the other 5 were deceased. Then his symptoms came on late at the vet.
I was advised it was probably best to put him down.
I not capable of thinking rationally after losing 5 birds refused.
I convinced myself that he hung on this long for a reason. THat he had a chance. I had them do whatever they can.
He suffered. And he died. Out of my sight. with no one familiar to him. Just these strangers.
And to this day, this eats me from the inside out. Typing this I'm fighting tears hard.
I swore to myself I would never make this mistake with an animal ever again.
Had I put him down he would have suffered less, and he could have been in my own hands before
slipping away semi-peacefully. I couldn't even give him that and I feel selfish and dirty for it.
The whole trauma has actually caused me to feel incapable of owning birds ever again despite
my utmost devotion and love for birds. I do lots of volunteer work for bird rescues, and even occasionally
take house calls for training or immediate medical help. but I don't think I could
ever bring myself to own birds again without it consistently reminding me of what happened to my flock.
So after time healing from my birds, I rescued a cat who also ended up being...very..very..special to me.
And when I learned my vet messed up her oral surgery causing her to develop a malignant tumor that devoured
her jaw quickly....I knew this time around what I had to do. She went from fine to falling apart rapidly. It was shocking.
My fiance was in denial and much like I was with the bird- saying we can't put her down. We have to try.
A third of her jaw had already turned to dust.
it would take 2 months before they could even consult us with a "maybe" plan.
She was withering right before our eyes, suffering. He begged and I couldn't let him.
I couldn't do that twice. She was in immense undeniable pain. The thick drool pooled down
her profusely leaving her cold wet and sticky. We opted for an at home euthanasia hoping she
wouldn't die that last 24hours that we brought her home. I was terrified that entire time.
But she made it hte next day and we put her down holding her together.
And the only regret I have is taking her to the vet that would result in her necessary early termination.
Still hurts, but I'm much more accepting of this. Honeslty that one day felt extreme to me but
I understood my fiance wanted to give her "one last day" but the whole day we agonized and cried.
Which probably only stressed her out. But I have relief in my heart that I was able to put her down before
it claimed her.
Please be assured, you made the right choice.
@Gay Space Trash: want me to draw your baby for you?
i used to do this for clients at the vet whenever they would lose their babies.
if you decide yes, its free of any charge and send me a picture of your baby.
@Gay Space Trash: I am so sorry man *hugs* I lost my guinea pig a few days ago too and I keep feeling guilty if maybe she didnt have enough vitamins or something in her diet. Or maybe the temp was not right or maybe a mouse got in their cage and infected her with something. I am also really sad I didnt get to say goodbye before she died. I usually let my hubby feed them so I hadn't seen her for a few days. Your cat sounds like she was ready to go though... I dont think you made the wrong decision.
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Having you as a Voltie would be awesome.