Another beloved pet passes away

binx
Sun, 04 Jul 2010 10:09:43 +0000

lje - I’m so sorry. I do know what you’re feeling. I had my S2’s cat put down on Wednesday. He was 19 - almost 20. He’s been failing, but it was still hard. I feel guilty. I did wish he would die at home, so I wouldn’t have to make that decision.

My S2 was home for 2 weeks (left a week ago). While he was home, “Frank” was sooo happy. He’s always been a really shy, timid cat, and very close to S2. Most of the time when S2 is gone, Frank just sits on the bed. I would check on him periodically to make sure he was still breathing. He’s gotten thinner and thinner, dehydrated, constipated, weepy eyes, and very arthritic. Just existing, really.

Vet told me that she looks for these signs when making a decision: Is he eating? Drinking? Pooping and peeing? And does he have something that makes him happy, even if it’s a sunny spot on a window sill. Frank was borderline on everything. Down to 4.5 pounds. Living for the few weeks per year that S2 is home.

What made it harder was that S2 only saw Frank when he was happy. Trailing S2, curled up with him, just content to be with him. So S2 was less convinced that it was time. He sent me an email, agreeing that Frank needed to be looked at, but might not be ready to go. But S2 did admit afterward that he probably would never have been able to decide that it was time, so it’s probably better that I did it.

Frank was so dehydrated, that the vet didn’t want to inject into a vein - said it would be difficult and painful. So she injected into his stomach. Brought him back to me and let me hold him while he went to sleep. (My choice to be there.)

But it has been a rough week. I think it’s not just the passing of Frank, it’s the passing of an era. We got Frank the year S turned 5, just before he started kindergarten. And Frank made it all the way through S’s grad school! We’ve said good-bye to a member of the family, but also good-bye to a way of life. Just made the nest that much emptier.