Euthanizing elderly pets---The Late Pets Memorial Thread

[Nikijad4210]

I hate to be discussing this, but the time may have come in this old man's life for euthanasia.......





We've noticed over the past 6-8 months that Pooh's dropped a lot of weight, been eating less, is losing lots of fur.....He looks nothing like the pictures anymore, and they're from this last winter, he looks and acts very old and frail now...He's somewhere between 15 & 18 years old, we've had him for around 11 years now.
I can easily remember when he was a strong, energetic cat, thick, long black coat.....Now, he moves as if he's in pain (feline arthritis?) Ducks and hisses when you try to pet him (he used to never get enough of being petted) Thin, raggedy coat, bald spots, seems to take a lot of energy for him to jump on the counter (cat food's on the counter, otherwise the dog eats it) I've got him on feline senior vites, and it doesn't seem to be making any differance in him at all....Throws up a couple times a day (bile or food, no hairballs)..........He's deteriorated physically and mentally--FAST. My hubby's terrified that he'll curl up on his lap for a nap and not wake up, sometimes his nap breathing is so slow & shallow, you can't tell if he's alive or not....

The prospect of putting the old man down is hard to grasp, but it's looking like the most humane thing we can do for him, rather than just let him die in the presence of the other animals (2 other cats, dog and bird) I don't think that would be a good thing, the other cats (his newer brother and sister) are 1 and 2 years old....

Dammit, just 2 years ago, we put his sister, Chloe, down. She was 9, and had feline lymphoma, tumor on the stomach was starving her to death. Went from 7 pounds (she was a small cat) to 2 pounds in 2 weeks....He had a major personality change after that, anti-social, grumpy, pulling his fur out, until we brought Abby home, and he perked back up to his old self...Now he's on his way out, you can tell just by watching him...

I'm not looking forward to losing another long-time furry buddy.....


Anybody in the same boat as me right now? Euthanized a pet this year? Let's make this thread a memorial & coping thread......

 

[Guest]

im sorry about you friend, buddy and long time compaion. i have a small and sad tell. my cat was 18 and stated to go down hill. i waited way to long to pass her onto a better place. its been over 15 yrs, and i still miss her. peace

pic. is my buddy

 

[Laxpunker]

Sometimes the best thing you can do is give them peace. One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was put one of my Golden's down.

RIP Barney

 

[binary_sessions]

My cat whiskers just died in August. I had hime for about 13 or 14 years and he developed diabetes about 2 years ago and i had to give him a shot every night. He was one of my best friends and he was a beautiful stiped Maine Coon and I miss him very much. During he last few days he would just sit on the floor in the basement breathing really hard and would let me pick him up or pet him really that much. we were gonna take him to the vet soon but we didnt have to I remember when i used to put him in my shoe and fly him around when he was a kitten when i was in kindergarten. Now we're left with his fat annoying sister from the same litter. I think she's depressed all she does is eat (more than usual) meow, and sleep. My heart and a bowl goes out to all whos lost a pet its like losing a member of the family.

 

[Nikijad4210]

Binary, you might want to consider getting another cat for your female, cats who have companions for a long time seem to get depressed, Pooh went into a funk for over a year after we put Chloe down. He reverted back to his old self with his new "sister".....Til he started going downhill.....

 

[treble]

Nikijad4210 sorry you have such a tough decision to make. In my experience old cats often die from renal failure, kidneys and the like, I dont know it it is painful and I have never been able to face my pets dying.

They usually get old, feeble and start to wobble or walk a bit not straight or can't control their movements properly in the end... its all very confusing and distressing to watch.

I had thought about working in a animal shelter myself buy I don't think I could cope with walking away from animals that will be put down for no fault of their own, being dumped etc. I just don't think I can do that but as someone pointed out to me we have to do something and when we do who is going to shed a tear for them and apologise for what is happening to them through no fault of their own.

no one cries for the animals
treb

 

[plumberjohn420]

im sorry . im not trying to be rude but hwen you are at the main forums page and this thread has been bumped this is what you see,
Euthanizing elderly... and thats it. ive seen it 3 or 4 times and it makes me giggle every time even though i know what the rest of the sentence says. it catches you off guard and have to look again. then you have to see the thread.
any how i had my buddy put down due to feline lukemia. worst thing i ever saw. i wish i knew thats what it was. i feel as though i made him suffer. anyhow its never easy to put a friend down.