Our oldest family cat was put down today :(

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It is with red eyes and damp cheeks that I must find solace in WP for comfort...

This afternoon at 5:47pm, my family's oldest cat, Jane, was put to sleep at the age of 16. She was by far the oldest cat we ever had before she died, and outlived 3 others.

The reason why I'm so upset about it is because for the first half of her life, I'd been nothing but mean to her. Nothing physical mind you, but I always seemed to treat her as the bane of my existance, established early because she was an 'ankle biter'. Because of this tendency, she made me live in fear of getting bitten. The mildest insults I ever called her were 'pest' and 'nuisance'.

But when she mellowed out at the age of 10, she actually started to come to me without benevolent intentions. I guess it was because what with all the younger cats we took in, Jane started to feel neglected. One afternoon, after hearing her usual pestering pawing at my bedroom door, I finally decided to cut her a break and let her in. She entered and rubbed against me and purred...and that just totally melted my heart. From that point on, I was her 'go to' human for comfort. True, this created the newer annoyance of her never letting me have a moment's peace, but she usually slept under my bed and left me to my own devices.

And this afternoon....damn...she looked skinnier then ever...she had trouble walking...she couldn't even lower her head down to drink out of her water dish without meowing so pitifully. She even collapsed while walking across the kitchen to get to said bowl. Both Mom and Dad realized she probably wouldn't survive through the night, and wouldn't let her die under such cruel circumstances, so they called the vet, set up an immediate visit, and collected Jane in our cat carrier. She must've been in pain, because she didn't even resist like she usually does. I peered at her one last time through the mesh and said "Goodbye, Jane...until the next life, my friend."

And now she's gone. *fights the urge to cry again*

My heart is filled with sorrow's pain...
I'll always love a cat named Jane.

Usagi1992

I'm sorry to hear about your cat. Most cats live between 15 and 20 years so at least she got to live her life and didn't really go before her time.

For future reference, veterinary medicine has advanced a lot in the past few years and now it's possible to treat geriatric issues in older cats. I recommend taking older cats in for annual check up and having the vet do a "senior panel". This is where they do a blood test to check kidney and liver function and so on. Most cats eventually succumb to kidney failure if they live to a very old age, however this can be treated with subcutaneous fluid therapy and a low phosphate diet and the treatment can add a few years to the cat's life and it's also relatively affordable.

Your cat could have succumb to something different, but it's good to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of kidney failure if you own cats.

I'm sorry about your cat.

Hugs :O)

I'm very sorry about your cat.

I hope you feel better soon...

I am sad to hear that your cat has passed on, try to remember your cat as the healthy and loving cat.

_________________
Health is a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity I am not a jigsaw, I am a free man !

Diagnosed under the DSM5 rules with autism spectrum disorder, under DSM4 psychologist said would have been AS (299.80) but I suspect that I am somewhere between 299.80 and 299.00 (Autism) under DSM4.

My most sincere condolences on your loss. I'm glad you and her had at least the last few years of good times together.

I'm so sorry.
((((((((((hugs))))))))))

To all who have given me their condolences, arigato.

Heh, I guess you could say the reason why I felt so hard stricken about the biggest pest of a house cat dying, is that I feel just like Grumpy did when Snow White 'died'. He started off giving her a hard time, but eventually warmed up to her, to the point where he actually smiled, though he certainly wouldn't admit it. And when the Dwarfs held that candlelit vigil for her, Grumpy was by far the hardest hit of the seven, going off to cry in a corner. He couldn't even *look* at her, he was so ashamed and grief stricken; it was as though he was thinking "I'd been nothing but mean to her, and I never got to tell her that I did love her."

So yeah...that pretty much described the grief I've been going through for the past few days, with one noticeable exception: at least I was able to make peace with Jane in the last few years of her life. As stupid as it normally would be to cry over a 'dumb animal', she'd been a part of my life, for better or for worse, for 16 long years.

So rest easy, Jane Doe (that was her full name)...maybe you've found a place in Cat Heaven... >^_^<

Yours always,

Usagi1992

(bleh, sorry, that came out bad)

Seriously though, I'd like to leave you with a video to put a cap on this thread. it's where I got the inspiration for the last 2 lines I typed in the header of this thread.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUNJjIwlHk8

Honestly, I think ANYBODY who's ever owned a pet will probably be moved to tears by this.

Thank you all for your condolences.

Usagi1992