The Everything Pet Thread
Posted by biodancer on Jul 04, 2008 · Member since Jul 2007 · 978 posts
I wanted to start this thread to be all about our pets. Ask questions, help answer questions, tell a funny story about something your cat/dog/ferret/bird/rat, etc did, update everyone on your pet's health, tell us about a new pet, vent, grieve, laugh, etc. I know I'll be posting here a lot and I hope you'll join me!
:)>>> :)>>> :)>>> :)>>>
~1999 to July 5, 2008 3:03 pm
I just got back from having Cat euthanized. I kept telling him that I didn't know how to make him feel better, but I could help him not hurt. I didn't know how long the process would take, but I could tell it worked immediately, because the room suddenly felt empty. The vet checked Cat's heart just after that and said he had passed. I don't feel especially sad anymore. I feel hollow. I had to walk in my house and it felt sterile. I feel very sorry for myself.
This process put me under a great deal of stress. I had a 2:45 appointment, but I had to wait 15 minutes. I started tongue-bathing Cat. Don't judge. Cats shed a lot, but no fur came off. I was surprised by that.
Di - The vet's office took care of the cremation. I have a private cremation with return and it cost $147.
I am so very sorry HH. You so did the right thing. It has been a sad week for the two of us. I also feel hollow.
May Cat RIP.
Hugs
Di
(insert inappropriate joke/pun bp typed out and then deleted about BD being kicked off for posting said pic on vegweb)
Ha! I should post pictures of Jason's old cat. She was a sphynx and totally naked! (insert numerous "everyone likes a smooth/bald/hairless p**sy" jokes here) ;D
This may inspire other people to be more proactive than I was.
Before kidney failure:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/2640207655_40ca413651_m.jpg
This is how we will all remember Cat :-*
Yes, this is how I will think of Cat too! I'm so so so sorry for the loss you had. I know that the pain will stay there with you for a while but I think you did what was best for Cat. He is not in pain anymore. I'm glad you got to spend so much time with Cat loving him and letting him love you. Hang in there! HUGS!!!!
Also, thank you so much Di and HH, every little bit helps, I'm sure.Her vet who was so insensitive when she first delt with my sister has had a change of heart and is willing to negotiate on prices, so as long as we can help her with something, she should be all set. And thank you all who are sending good thoughts and prayers our way- that measn so much to me.
This makes me so sad......I feel for you :-\
Maybe we should have a thread about how to be proactive with cats and kidney failure. I feel like I need to be educated.
Oh HH. I love Cat. I love. love, love him. I'm so sorry.
By the way, if anyone has had a cat with feline leukemia and has any advice at all for me, I'd appreciate it.
This is what my second cat (Mackenzie) had. But... we were too late to do anything for him and the vet said... well, I think you get the picture. To me, it was so odd. He had LEUKEMIA! Cat's get that? I don't think there was anything we could have done anyways. It was just so sad and maybe even inevitable. I loved that little guy.
I clearly don't have good luck with cats. They all get sick :'(
I sure don't want this thread to be too weepy! Pets are the best! I love having animals around me - a purring cat on my lap is heaven.
I have a cat with feline leukemia....Stanley. He born with it and was set to be put to sleep.....he was 'fine' so I took him in. He was on something called 'Interferon A (sp)'....it's kitty cat chemo basically. Not all vets will even give it to you because some vets believe there is no hope for feline leukemia.... I found one who would. I gave hime chemo for 2 years and went into 'remission".... my Stanley is now 10 yrs old and just fine! He still carries leukemia and he has some minor problems (allergies and eczema) because his immune system is abnormal but he's just as healthy and happy as can be! :)>>> The typical vet response to feline leukemia is to put the cat down which is so sad. Sometimes it really is required because the cat is too sick but plenty of others could be saved. Here is a picture of my Stanley!
~1999 to July 5, 2008 3:03 pm
I just got back from having Cat euthanized. I kept telling him that I didn't know how to make him feel better, but I could help him not hurt. I didn't know how long the process would take, but I could tell it worked immediately, because the room suddenly felt empty. The vet checked Cat's heart just after that and said he had passed. I don't feel especially sad anymore. I feel hollow. I had to walk in my house and it felt sterile. I feel very sorry for myself.
This process put me under a great deal of stress. I had a 2:45 appointment, but I had to wait 15 minutes. I started tongue-bathing Cat. Don't judge. Cats shed a lot, but no fur came off. I was surprised by that.
Di - The vet's office took care of the cremation. I have a private cremation with return and it cost $147.
Absolutley no judgement here. I do not envy the decision you had to make or what you had to go thru. I absolutely would have lost my mind knowing I had to go euthanize one of my kitties the next day.... When the time comes I honestly don't think I'll be strong enough to do it, my husband will have to carry me thru the whole thing. Just know that a lot of people here are thinking of you.
Thank you, everyone, for your support. I received some personal messages that I value - they all mean a lot to me.
It would be nice to have a cat kidney care page. It'd be nice if it wasn't a thread, but more wiki-ish. We have articles on VegWeb. It'd be nice if we could get one in a wiki-ish format that we can modify. I don't know if Y wants cat care articles on her vegan site, though. Does anyone know of a site where we could have wiki-style articles? Cat didn't like wet food, but had I known how much dry food would increase his chance of kidney failure I would have fought harder. Also, he loved tuna, which is high in phosphorus. Phosphorus is one of the triggers, too.
Cat was my family. I loved him probably beyond the bounds of appropriateness - it was absolute and total love. My job, my friends and family, my home, everything was behind him in importance. To lose him because of something I did is unbearable. You all love your animals. Lose them to something you can't control.
Thank you, everyone, for your support. I received some personal messages that I value - they all mean a lot to me.
It would be nice to have a cat kidney care page. It'd be nice if it wasn't a thread, but more wiki-ish. We have articles on VegWeb. It'd be nice if we could get one in a wiki-ish format that we can modify. I don't know if Y wants cat care articles on her vegan site, though. Does anyone know of a site where we could have wiki-style articles? Cat didn't like wet food, but had I known how much dry food would increase his chance of kidney failure I would have fought harder. Also, he loved tuna, which is high in phosphorus. Phosphorus is one of the triggers, too.
Cat was my family. I loved him probably beyond the bounds of appropriateness - it was absolute and total love. My job, my friends and family, my home, everything was behind him in importance. To lose him because of something I did is unbearable. You all love your animals. Lose them to something you can't control.
Here are a couple of cat kidney care pages you can post your own stories on:
http://www.pouncerstone.com/
http://www.felinecrf.org/
If you can do a page on vegweb that would be awesome!
HH- It's impossible to love your dear pet beyond the bounds of appropriateness and whom ever says so has not been lucky enough to experience such bond with an animal. You and I have this in common.... I put my cats before pretty much anything else...my life revolves around them really because I love them so much.
I would be inconsolable in your shoes. Try not to be to hard on yourself though.
Thank you, everyone, for your support. I received some personal messages that I value - they all mean a lot to me.
It would be nice to have a cat kidney care page. It'd be nice if it wasn't a thread, but more wiki-ish. We have articles on VegWeb. It'd be nice if we could get one in a wiki-ish format that we can modify. I don't know if Y wants cat care articles on her vegan site, though. Does anyone know of a site where we could have wiki-style articles? Cat didn't like wet food, but had I known how much dry food would increase his chance of kidney failure I would have fought harder. Also, he loved tuna, which is high in phosphorus. Phosphorus is one of the triggers, too.
Cat was my family. I loved him probably beyond the bounds of appropriateness - it was absolute and total love. My job, my friends and family, my home, everything was behind him in importance. To lose him because of something I did is unbearable. You all love your animals. Lose them to something you can't control.
HH,
Please please don't feel guilty. I worked for a vet and from personal experience, A lot of cats end up with kidney disease. Those that have never had kibble in their lives. As well, I have known many cats that ate kibble their whole lives and cheap crap that lived long lives without kidney problems.
My friends cat lived on canned tuna his whole life. No pet food, just people tuna. Lived a long time.
There are lots of factors in every illness, disease and genetics also plays a big role.
Bottom line, you loved Cat, Cat loved you and you thought you were doing the right thing. There was no wrong thing.
Time to grieve and think of all the positives and warm memories. You gave Cat love. You gave Cat a home. Your love was unconditional. That is what is important. Not the what ifs, why dids.
Cat was very lucky to have had you in his life. You were very lucky too.
In your final act, you were unselfish and Cat knows it.
May you start to heal soon.
Hugs
Di
P.S. I feel the same way about my pets. They are my everything. When I meet someone and they make a comment like I hate cats...dogs, birds etc....my mind shuts down and they aren't even friendship material.
My heart goes out to all those dealing with pet losses, and pet illnesses or injuries. It is not fun.
I do have some good news, I have finally figured out The Great Birdcage Mystery. I got my budgie a new cage a couple weeks back and for several weeks he didn't want to sit on the perches...spent all his time walking around the bottom of the cage, tho he was his bright, chirpy self. Di and I emailed back and forth about it, and eventually he did start using the perches, but spent a lot of time in the bottom of the cage.
I just stumbled on the answer. As the cage doesn't have a plastic guard around the bottom, a lot of seed gets dropped on the floor or kicked between the bars. I had made a sort of "bag" to fit around the bottom of the old cage, that came up high enough to cover the seed cups because he spent all his time taking the tops off them and spilling food everywhere. When I put him in the new cage we were very busy so I never got the "bag" washed and disinfected until just lately.
The key to the mystery is this: For years, he hasn't been able to see past the "bag" so he was just investigating, looking at the room from that angle! When I finally got the "bag" cleaned up and on his new cage, he has lost all interest in the bottom of his world.
Duh me. We put new cups inside his cage for this new one, so maybe the bag won't be so necessary.
Yeah, the great Sweetheart mystery has been solved! So happy that is what it was and not an illness.
Hugs
Di
Yabbit and Di,
I had a parrot for a short time a few years back. He was the funniest thing. He was in love with a macaw statue. It was a small statue about the same size as him. This bird would coo and preen the statue (he would also sit and poop on it too but anyway). He would get so mad at me when i moved the statue out of his cage to change his paper. When the statue would get too messy and I went to clean it off he would throw a fit. When I brought the statue back he would climb back into the cage as fast as he could and inspect it. I could almost hear him saying "are you ok baby? did she hurt you?" One day he knocked it off the table and it broke. All that was left was the head and still he loved it. Months later I was out at the mall and there was a kiosk selling printer ink. On the counter was the same exact statue. I asked if I could buy it even though it was one of their decorations. They let me and I exchanged the head for a whole new statue. It seemed like he nevered noticed the change! He didn't care how many pieces she was in, he loved her no matter what ;D
Here are my babies...they are the 'loves' of my life I swear. My husband is jealous of my cats and people tell me I love my kitties way to much. I'm the annoying pet owner who interviews highly certified pet sitters and then calls them 3 times a day while i'm on vaca to check in ::) I don't even trust my mother to watch my babies.... I am a little out of control I think but I just LOVE them so much and they trust me to protect them.... they are my 'little' best friends (I sound so pathetic)....but quite often I would rather hang with my kitties than anyone else. (yes, I go out too, don't worry ;))
Here are my babies...they are the 'loves' of my life I swear. My husband is jealous of my cats and people tell me I love my kitties way to much. I'm the annoying pet owner who interviews highly certified pet sitters and then calls them 3 times a day while i'm on vaca to check in ::) I don't even trust my mother to watch my babies.... I am a little out of control I think but I just LOVE them so much and they trust me to protect them.... they are my 'little' best friends (I sound so pathetic)....but quite often I would rather hang with my kitties than anyone else. (yes, I go out too, don't worry ;))
OMG, Pooh is a replica of Harold!
Your cats are beautiful! You can never love a pet too much! :)
Here are my babies...they are the 'loves' of my life I swear. My husband is jealous of my cats and people tell me I love my kitties way to much. I'm the annoying pet owner who interviews highly certified pet sitters and then calls them 3 times a day while i'm on vaca to check in ::) I don't even trust my mother to watch my babies.... I am a little out of control I think but I just LOVE them so much and they trust me to protect them.... they are my 'little' best friends (I sound so pathetic)....but quite often I would rather hang with my kitties than anyone else. (yes, I go out too, don't worry ;))
OMG, Pooh is a replica of Harold!
I guess the secret on my VW name is out :D Pooh is Pooh Bear (the gray kitty). She is more commonly called 'princess' pooh (LOL)!
Here are my babies
The lay color coded!
You're not crazy and you don't sound pathetic. I wouldn't do anything that would keep me out of the house too long because I couldn't bear being away from Cat. He was everything I'd want in an ideal mate. If people do reincarnate as animals if they mess up, then whoever Cat was got it right this time and is out of circulation in reincarnation heaven.
This is why I appreciate you all so much. Here are the two phone conversations I've had today.
Conversation #1
Me: Cat was euthanized yesterday.
Friend: Finally?
Conversation #2
Mom: What did you do today.
Me: I stayed in bed.
Mom: Why? Is something wrong?
(pause)
Me: Yes. Cat died yesterday.
Mom: Yeah, I know. But is something wrong?
What the hell, hh? Move to me?
This is why I appreciate you all so much. Here are the two phone conversations I've had today.
Conversation #1
Me: Cat was euthanized yesterday.
Friend: Finally?
Conversation #2
Mom: What did you do today.
Me: I stayed in bed.
Mom: Why? Is something wrong?
(pause)
Me: Yes. Cat died yesterday.
Mom: Yeah, I know. But is something wrong?
HH, this makes me so sad. What the hell is wrong with people? Our pets are family members. Often more important than relatives. We live day in and day out with them. They are our lives.
I hope both your mom and friend apologize. The day Harold died and the day after, my phone didn't stopped ringing. I finally unplugged the phone. It was the same people trying to reach me. I just didn't answer because I didn't want to talk to anyone.
Had anyone said any of the things that were said to you, I would have hung up the phone..or worse...said something so foul that I would probably regret it.
Sometimes people can be so thoughtless and I am sure neither meant what they said. They just weren't thinking. I am giving them both the benefit of the doubt because I don't want to say my trademark comment...Have I ever mentioned that I hate people? Please don't get me wrong, I don't hate your friend or mom.
For all of you that know me, I really don't hate people, OK, well some people. It is usually lack of compassion and cruel acts that I hate.
HH, we are all here for you. We know what you are going through. This week I especially know what you are going through.
We will always be here to support you. I hope you feel better soon. Allow yourself time to grieve and heal.
No one can say how long it should take. Only your heart will determine that.
Big hugs to you.
Di
What assholes! I'm so sorry - (((((HH)))))
I think the pet bonding gene must be missing from a lot of people. We're the lucky ones.
The pet bonding gene carries with it the characteristics of compassion, decency, kindness and awareness of others.
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