First time pet loss

Help & Support for those who have lost a beloved cat
Post Reply
KLB2304
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2022 5:00 pm

First time pet loss

Post by KLB2304 »

Lost our six year old rescue Carter last night, had to make the hardest decision to put him down as he was bleeding from his liver. Could have spent thousands stabilising and diagnosing him, but if (as the vet thought) it was cancer, the prognosis was bleak anyway. I was convinced we had made the right decision at the time, but 24 hours later and I’m feeling such immense guilt that we didn’t choose to try and save him. We have five other rescue cats and two dogs, so finances would have been completed stretched (£5k just to stabilise and diagnose) and although insured it wouldn’t have covered it. I am just struggling so much. He was so young, if he was older I could have accepted it more. Heart is so broken and even though we have seven other animals, the house seems so quiet. I just want him back so desperately, even just for a day
Amerififer
Frequent Cat Chatter
Posts: 26
Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:41 pm

Re: First time pet loss

Post by Amerififer »

KLB2304 wrote: Sat Feb 19, 2022 5:22 pm Lost our six year old rescue Carter last night, had to make the hardest decision to put him down as he was bleeding from his liver. Could have spent thousands stabilising and diagnosing him, but if (as the vet thought) it was cancer, the prognosis was bleak anyway. I was convinced we had made the right decision at the time, but 24 hours later and I’m feeling such immense guilt that we didn’t choose to try and save him. We have five other rescue cats and two dogs, so finances would have been completed stretched (£5k just to stabilise and diagnose) and although insured it wouldn’t have covered it. I am just struggling so much. He was so young, if he was older I could have accepted it more. Heart is so broken and even though we have seven other animals, the house seems so quiet. I just want him back so desperately, even just for a day
First off my sincere condolences on the loss of your furry family member.

It is quite normal to feel the way you are feeling..
We all question that ultimate decision even when we know its the best decision for the pet at the time..
I try to look at is as the ultimate act of love.. Not wanting to see them suffer longer than needed is soooo important.
Losing a furry family is difficult at the best of times... First time especially so... It never gets any easier.. Give yourself time to greive however long that takes, is different with everyone.
I have had to make that decision more times than I would have liked to .. and struggled soooo much after even knowing it was the correct time and correct decision. I have leaned on cat crazy friends, Facebook pages I'm on and sites like this one they are all great souces of support where you can talk about your rainbow bridge boy...
Take it one day at a time..
KLB2304
New Cat Chatter
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Feb 19, 2022 5:00 pm

Re: First time pet loss

Post by KLB2304 »

Thank you. It comes in waves, I’m trying to tell myself that so many people go through it and it’s normal, I suffer from anxiety anyway and I’m also now worried about my 7 remaining pets. I’m feeling worse than I did after losing human relatives and friends… he was my baby and the most amazing, loving cat xx
alanc
VIP Cat Chatter!
Posts: 842
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 6:52 pm
No. of cats in household: 1
Location: West Oxfordshire

Re: First time pet loss

Post by alanc »

I lost my 5 year old cat Badger to cancer, it is devastating to loose them so young and there being nothing you can do about it. You did the right thing, however hard it seems now. Operating on your lad would have just put him under more stress to no good effect.
Post Reply