A sad day

[GooRoo]

My favorite cat, Nicky, passed away this morning at about 3:00AM. The last few days he was unable (or unwilling) to eat or drink, and his habit of jumping up into my lap whenever I sat down disappeared, as well. But until yesterday afternoon, around 4:30PM, he never made a sound, then he sounded more like "ow" than "meow" repeatedly for a couple of minutes. I petted him and spoke soothingly to him and made a sort of bed for him on a towel, where I continued to pet him, and he quieted down and sort of went to sleep. From that time on he barely moved, and if he did it was just to roll over onto his other side, or to turn around a little.

I prayed that he would pass away quietly in his sleep, and it appears that is what happened. He was , breathing shallowly at 2:30AM, and at 3:15AM he was no longer breathing, but none of us heard a sound from him, so it seems my prayers were answered.

There can never be another cat like him ... a bundle of unconditional love. Unlike most cats, he initiated 'snuggling' ... climbing into our arms, sometimes wrapping his front paws around our necks and purring before we ever stroked his fur. He came into our lives from the animal shelter, picked up as a feral cat, but behaved in our home as if he had been around humans for all the approximately three years of his life. He has been a joy to us for eleven and a half years, and I miss him dearly.

[oldone]

Aw, I'm so sorry Ed. We too have lost several beloved pets and it is very hard. Like one of the family passing.

[twiggy]

GooRoo, I am so sorry for your loss. I have also experienced the loss of many pets and they are members of the family with their own personalities and stories. It is heartbreaking when we have to say goodbye to them.

[Zu]

I'm very sorry too. I've lost a dog about 3 months ago, so I really know how it feels - it was hard to watch as she's slowly "going away"...

[GooRoo]

Thank you all for your condolences. This was my first experience with sitting up with one who was dying. The previous family pet was all alone when she died, and we found her when we returned home from some shopping trip or other ordinary out-of-the-house situation. It is much harder when you are right there, and there is nothing you can do except offer some little comfort. Cats (and dogs) are very much a part of the family ... and it hurts to lose them.

For me, it hurts so much more because he was so special as an example of unconditional love. I fed and watered him less often, perhaps, than my wife and daughter did, but it was to me he came whenever I sat down. Perhaps that is because I was the one who hugged and petted him the most. When we were at the dinner table, and I wouldn't let him up, then he would try my wife. If she refused him (and at the dinner table, she would), he rarely would go to my daughter (she has 'her' own cat, and I suppose he sensed that) ... but come back to me and try again. As soon as I finished dinner, he would come back and jump into my lap for 'snuggling'. I could even hold him in my arms on his back, like a baby, and he trusted me so much he would sometimes nap there, in my arms. Yes, I will miss him deeply.

[FriedGruntzaholic]

Let me add my condolences to all the rest. It is very hard to lose a furry family member. And trust me, they are a part of one's family, even if they have four legs and fur. I know this all too well as I myself recently lost two such furry family members, probably within hours of one another. The death of one of them hit me especially hard because she was such a friendly little cat. She didn't know a stranger. She didn't deserve to die the violent death that befell her. Again, my condolences to you and your family, Ed.

[Blaze The Movie Fan]

I'm so sorry to hear that.

[celina]

Dec 16, 2010 13:59:44 GMT -8 Blaze The Movie Fan said:

I'm so sorry to hear that.

So sorry for your loss.

[GooRoo]

Yesterday, our oldest cat Lizzy (and Nicky's longtime friend when he passed away) laid down in the middle of our front yard and quietly breathed her last. So we are now down to Pern (who our daughter had to leave here when she got married, due to allergies in her new family), and the litter mates Jenny and Hope. Since Mary Lou and I are both in our 70s, we will not be adopting any more replacements when our beloved pets end their days. I know we will be quite lonely when it is just us two humans in the house. Pets are such a comfort, seeming to know when we humans need support ... Hope has been particularly loving since the loss of Lizzy ... to both Mary Lou and I! She knows that something is wrong, and that we are emotionally 'down' ... and has been doing her part to try to lift our spirits.

[GooRoo]

Not so sad a day now! A feral female cat left her barely functional kitten in the middle of our back yard. So we brought it in and nourished it with warm cow's milk, then went online to find a kit and the proper milk to feed a kitten. Several days later, two more kittens showed up along with their mother. We let the first kitten out to be reunited with siblings and mother. Then raccoons (mother and three kits) showed up and threatened 'our' three kittens, so we brought them inside (the first was quite willing!) to protect them. All three are very friendly to humans, unlike the dozen or so that come and visit (for food) every day. One (spotted black and white) prefers to spend time with me; one (mainly black with white paws) prefers my wife; the third (tiger striped) is more of a loner, but shares its affection with both of us.

Everyone should have a pet!

[grosserfluss]

Some cats can be quite calm and friendly, while the others can be very aggressive and hyperactive. I had cats with both of these types and tried my best to take care of them. Having pets, no matter the animal, is a sweet responsibility to and I also agree that if one is able to, they should get a pet.
I admire your compassion towards animals GooRoo