What’s the hardest decision you have ever made?

Fuzzybabyducks

Fuzzybabyducks

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This isn’t going to be a fun thread…

Today at 3pm I am having a vet come to the house to put my cat down. He has been in and out of the vet and hospital since about the beginning of the year. Has had pancreatitis, hyper thyroid, the steroids from pancreatitis pushed his blood sugar up and gave him diabetes and was recently in for a blockage . The vet and hospital stress him out so much and the diabetes has caused his back legs to be very weak.. he couldn’t get up stairs or jump anymore ( of course his walking better today on his last day) His quality of life has been terrible… even with all this I feel horrible and like I’m making a mistake to put him down. I feel like I’m selfish for putting him down… he laid on my legs today and started purring and I lost it .. couldn’t stop crying . I know deep down I’m making the right choice but it’s so hard ….like he could have more time but I’m afraid he will fall and hurt himself or have an emergency when I’m not here … this way he won’t be alone when he passes..

I’m a mess…. I got to hang with him all day yesterday and just talked to him and told him stories about him…I don’t know if he understood any of it but it helped me . A former roommate also stopped by to say goodbye.

It’s a special thing to have something in your life that hurts this bad to say goodbye to..he gave me a great 14 years … I just wish I could give him more .

This is the worst/hardest decision I’ve ever had to make . I just don’t want him to suffer. I’m petting him as I type realizing we just have three more hours together on this earth .
 
Fuzzybabyducks said:
This isn’t going to be a fun thread…

Today at 3pm I am having a vet come to the house to put my cat down. He has been in and out of the vet and hospital since about the beginning of the year. Has had pancreatitis, hyper thyroid, the steroids from pancreatitis pushed his blood sugar up and gave him diabetes and was recently in for a blockage . The vet and hospital stress him out so much and the diabetes has caused his back legs to be very weak.. he couldn’t get up stairs or jump anymore ( of course his walking better today on his last day) His quality of life has been terrible… even with all this I feel horrible and like I’m making a mistake to put him down. I feel like I’m selfish for putting him down… he laid on my legs today and started purring and I lost it .. couldn’t stop crying . I know deep down I’m making the right choice but it’s so hard ….like he could have more time but I’m afraid he will fall and hurt himself or have an emergency when I’m not here … this way he won’t be alone when he passes..

I’m a mess…. I got to hang with him all day yesterday and just talked to him and told him stories about him…I don’t know if he understood any of it but it helped me . A former roommate also stopped by to say goodbye.

It’s a special thing to have something in your life that hurts this bad to say goodbye to..he gave me a great 14 years … I just wish I could give him more .

This is the worst/hardest decision I’ve ever had to make . I just don’t want him to suffer. I’m petting him as I type realizing we just have three more hours together on this earth .
Click to expand...

It's never easy, don't feel selfish putting him down. Like you said the quality of life has been terrible. You are just ending it's anguish and relieving from a very painful existence. It's humane what you did. So don't feel bad about it.

My condolences to you. And RIP to your cat.
 
My heart goes out to you @Fuzzybabyducks
That was the hardest decision I ever made as well. In 2021, our kitty was diagnosed with an oral cancer, squamous cell carcinoma. The hardest part was deciding when to say goodbye…I would’ve felt terrible doing it when her quality of life was still good, and I’d have felt terrible waiting too long.

We absolutely LOVED and adored this cat, I’ve had cats my whole life, but never one like her. She was truly special.

In the end, I know we made the right choice and at the right time, but it still really hurt. You’ve given your kitty an amazing life, and what really doing now is giving him one last gift, to end his suffering. That’s love man, to give your friend a gift like that when it’s as hard as it is,
 
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whether to take the 5 year plea deal or go to trial and risk 15-20. Sorry about the loss of your pet TS, I've had to put a couple down and it's tough. My buddy just had to put 2 of his dogs down and it happened within a couple weeks of each other. :(
 
Damn, so sorry to hear that @Fuzzybabyducks but it sounds like you are making the right decision. Its never easy. My current plan is to die before my 2 cats need to be put down. With any luck, no one will find my body for a couple of weeks, giving my cats time to at least eat my eyeballs.

But seriously, 14 years is a good life for a cat. It sucks you have to make this decision but it sounds like its the right thing to do. And having the vet come to your place is an act of kindness on your part.
 
My best mate was twenty-three when Mum decided to have him put down.

A few missing teeth, he wasn't moving as well, kept shitting on the floor despite being good with the tray for most of his life and he stopped going out unsupervised, but he was a happy, content and well loved and cared for cat.

Until he stopped eating, stopped shitting and his lower part of his body started to swell. My Mum thought it was constipation and took him to the vet for an enema. All funny, but nothing came out.

I said my goodbyes to him as he sat loafed on the window sill, looking out at the world. He was quiet, but I didn't want to hurt him, so I have him a few pats, kissed him on the head, gave my crying but still held together Mum a hug and left the Isle of Wight by Fastcat.

On the coach from Portsmouth to Heathrow, Mum called and said that he had kidney failure and he received the injection with him in her arms. He just slipped off, no trauma. I knew he had kidney failure from a Google search prior to leaving.

I was sad, but I didn't cry. It was supposed to be. He had a great life for a cat, was doted on and beloved by myself and Mum, lived long and didn't suffer needlessly.

You did your best and you cared. It's all a cat could ask for.
 
Sorry for the pain of losing such a big part of life. :(


Totally get it, have had to put down a canine member of the family (had since a puppy) twice. Holding them and through tears telling how much you've been blessed to love them and enjoy the life-long companionship IMHO gives them a peaceful way to pass away.
 
I always go through a funk when a pet passes or even a friend's pet. I do the same even with people I've known that I've had falling outs with. Death is so final it just puts me through it and I just feel like I failed in some way.
 
Wrath of Foamy said:
My best mate was twenty-three when Mum decided to have him put down.

A few missing teeth, he wasn't moving as well, kept shitting on the floor despite being good with the tray for most of his life and he stopped going out unsupervised, but he was a happy, content and well loved and cared for cat.

Until he stopped eating, stopped shitting and his lower part of his body started to swell. My Mum thought it was constipation and took him to the vet for an enema. All funny, but nothing came out.

I said my goodbyes to him as he sat loafed on the window sill, looking out at the world. He was quiet, but I didn't want to hurt him, so I have him a few pats, kissed him on the head, gave my crying but still held together Mum a hug and left the Isle of Wight by Fastcat.

On the coach from Portsmouth to Heathrow, Mum called and said that he had kidney failure and he received the injection with him in her arms. He just slipped off, no trauma. I knew he had kidney failure from a Google search prior to leaving.

I was sad, but I didn't cry. It was supposed to be. He had a great life for a cat, was doted on and beloved by myself and Mum, lived long and didn't suffer needlessly.

You did your best and you cared. It's all a cat could ask for.
Click to expand...
damned right, most of my cats have been strays or rescues, most have had some severe traumas, some come back to trusting humans, some do only a bit but I've loved them all.
 
Fuzzybabyducks said:
This isn’t going to be a fun thread…

Today at 3pm I am having a vet come to the house to put my cat down. He has been in and out of the vet and hospital since about the beginning of the year. Has had pancreatitis, hyper thyroid, the steroids from pancreatitis pushed his blood sugar up and gave him diabetes and was recently in for a blockage . The vet and hospital stress him out so much and the diabetes has caused his back legs to be very weak.. he couldn’t get up stairs or jump anymore ( of course his walking better today on his last day) His quality of life has been terrible… even with all this I feel horrible and like I’m making a mistake to put him down. I feel like I’m selfish for putting him down… he laid on my legs today and started purring and I lost it .. couldn’t stop crying . I know deep down I’m making the right choice but it’s so hard ….like he could have more time but I’m afraid he will fall and hurt himself or have an emergency when I’m not here … this way he won’t be alone when he passes..

I’m a mess…. I got to hang with him all day yesterday and just talked to him and told him stories about him…I don’t know if he understood any of it but it helped me . A former roommate also stopped by to say goodbye.

It’s a special thing to have something in your life that hurts this bad to say goodbye to..he gave me a great 14 years … I just wish I could give him more .

This is the worst/hardest decision I’ve ever had to make . I just don’t want him to suffer. I’m petting him as I type realizing we just have three more hours together on this earth .
Click to expand...
You are a lovely lovely person in this quandary wanting the best for him unselfishly. And he definitely knew you were talking to him, sweetheart. My mum was the most amazing cat mum ever and after 19 years put our Sooty to rest. Be brave. All the love heading your way.
 
Wrath of Foamy said:
My best mate was twenty-three when Mum decided to have him put down.

A few missing teeth, he wasn't moving as well, kept shitting on the floor despite being good with the tray for most of his life and he stopped going out unsupervised, but he was a happy, content and well loved and cared for cat.

Until he stopped eating, stopped shitting and his lower part of his body started to swell. My Mum thought it was constipation and took him to the vet for an enema. All funny, but nothing came out.

I said my goodbyes to him as he sat loafed on the window sill, looking out at the world. He was quiet, but I didn't want to hurt him, so I have him a few pats, kissed him on the head, gave my crying but still held together Mum a hug and left the Isle of Wight by Fastcat.

On the coach from Portsmouth to Heathrow, Mum called and said that he had kidney failure and he received the injection with him in her arms. He just slipped off, no trauma. I knew he had kidney failure from a Google search prior to leaving.

I was sad, but I didn't cry. It was supposed to be. He had a great life for a cat, was doted on and beloved by myself and Mum, lived long and didn't suffer needlessly.

You did your best and you cared. It's all a cat could ask for.
Click to expand...
Cat men are so severely underrated. 22 years of love and being happy and safe.
When mum put Sooty down we remembered we got her from a stray not old enough to be away from her mum living in our car. All of my cats have been strays and recently rescue.
 
There’s no appropriate reaction to your post man, I gave you a like because Benjamin would like you to have a good post-like ratio.

It’s very common for humans and animals alike to have a burst of energy in their last moments here, even people with dementia speak clearly sometimes right before passing, so don’t feel bad about him walking better today because it was just meant for him to go out on a good note.
If you had waited he might have had a horrible last day, you made a very hard choice that was extremely painful to you for the good of a loved one. That’s what heroes do.

When my Sally goes it will be one of the hardest hitting temporary losses I’ll experience.
But that’s all I see it as, a temporary loss.

<3
 
I freaked out after I had Fletch put to sleep a couple of years back, got too stoned and convinced myself that the dog had gotten into my stash and ate some hash. And that I had him put down for no reason, he was just stoned.
Of course that wasn't the case, but those doubts creep in. That was the mysterious wooden box episode that I told @chill doggie about, a true David Lynch moment, remember that chill?

Anyway we know we did right, Fletch still lives on with us and we talk and laugh about him a lot. It hurt like fuck but I would rather have the temporary pain than never having had 12 great years with him

I got fucked up with you guys a couple of days later, and we'll do the same next weekend hopefully
 
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