The loss of a pet can affect animal lovers just as profoundly as their human loved one’s passing. For me the loss of my 11 year old cat Toby on St. Patrick’s Day in 2010 was the last thing I needed after losing my husband and father in 2008 and 2009 respectively. The worst thing about losing Toby was I had to watch him die over a very short period of time. He had coughed up a blood clot and rushed him to the vet in mid February or thereabout. The vet had no idea what was wrong and offered to do a series of very expensive tests that she said may or may not tell her what was wrong. She then said given the fact that he was 11 years old they couldn’t cure him they would only be able to make his last days comfortable. Then she proceeded to say I don’t think he’s going to die tomorrow or anything. I was livid about her attitude and made the decision not to put him through all the tests that may or may not show what was wrong because I knew he would be scared going through all that and took him home where he would be comfortable. Over the next few weeks he stopped eating almost completely and I knew in my heart that his time on this earth was coming to an end. And it broke my heart then and it still affects me to this day. I made him as comfortable as I could, carried him upstairs with me at night and watched to make sure he was in no pain. By the last two weeks of his life he spent most of his time on a folded up blanket in the basement where he loved to spend hours sleeping. I knew on that fateful day in March that he didn’t have much time left and made the decision to have him put down. The thought of putting him into a carrier and driving him to the vet did not appeal to me at all. I knew he would be scared. As I decided what to do I went down to where he lay semi-conscious in the basement and told him it was ok to go. Just a few hours later he died peacefully in the very spot he loved to be in life. That was the best way for him to die. Not in the sterile and frightening vet’s office on a table. Toby was a big gentle cat and not too bright but I will never forget him. I will say that there are days like right now that I still tear up thinking about my lovely Toby and it’s been almost two years since he’s been gone. I was lucky that he passed here at home and I am aware that I may have to make a decision of euthanasia for my other pets when the time comes but if I had a out.He was concerned that her paw had bled for so long and took a blood test. Meachoice the best option is for them to pass peacefully at home where they are comfortable.
Just recently in February of 2012 I had to make the heart rending decision to have my old cat peaches put down because of a probable cancer diagnosis. She was a rescue and she had been in my care for 15 years. Her inevitible death came a a shock because up until about three weeks before she was put to sleep she seemed perfectly fine. I found out that she had asthma during that three week period and she also accidentally declawed herself about three days before she had to be put down. Four days before she died she got a claw caught in a blanket on my bed. As I tried to remove her claw she jerked her paw the opposite way and the whole claw got yanked out. At the time I had no idea that her claw came out but she bled so much that I had to take her to an emergency vet hospital. During this time she had stopped eating for the second time in three weeks. When the bleeding had not stopped two days after her emergency vet visit I took her to my own vet to get checked because she had vomitted blood early the next morning. Having some knowledge of human medicine and my experience with my cat Toby I knew right away that vomitting blood was very serious and knew that I would have to put my beloved Peaches down as she had still not eaten for going on the third day in a row. I called my vet for the second time that week and took her in to have her put to sleep. It turned out that her blood tests showed that she most likely had cancer. I decided that putting her down instead of letting her suffer was the most humane thing I could do as she had already stopped eating anyway and I knew in my heart that she had decided that it was time to go. It devastated me and more than a month later as I recall her last days my heart is broken and i am in tears thinking of my beloved girl. She was one of a kind and I adored her. Don't let anyone who doesn't have pets tell you you are silly to grieve the loss of your pet because you feel the loss of your pet just as you feel the loss of a human member of your family.
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