Grieving pets

PinkFinal said:
My cat died in 2018 and I haven't got another one - because her sudden death one sunny Saturday morning after a single bite from a neighbour's dog (she used to go in their house scrounging, they loved her too) absolutely killed me. No exaggeration it was almost as awful as losing a close relative the same year. I wept buckets for days.
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We all do. Grief is normal.
 
We lost our two cats , brother and sister, within a few weeks of each other during covid. He was the runt of the litter but grew into a fluffy monster, and at the age of 13 developed a huge tumor on his face. It grew very quickly and he was gone within weeks.

Then his sister developed a similar issue a couple of months later. It was awful, especially as we didn't get to say a proper goodbye it was more a case of dropping them at the door of the vet and saying goodbye during the pandemic.

Hated it. We got them when we first moved in together and it felt like the end of and era. We cleaned the house out and eventually sold up, not because of losing the pets but it certainly didn't feel like our home anymore.

Fast forward three years and my eldest had been banging on about getting a dog, and every excuse we had just seemed to fizzle away. Not enough room then we moved to a bigger house. Too expensive then she found the rspca rescue website. Of course she'll walk him and pick up the poop. And to be fair the cats helped her massively with panic attacks and pets can have a calming influence..

So I as a goodwill gesture applied for a little oddball the rspca had on their website, thinking no chance, they didn't even put if it was suitable for living with kids of primary school age. The next day they called me and said we could go and meet him, they'd observed him via a foster career for a fortnight and he was perfect for a young family, and a week later he was in our house permanently. Now of course it's me who has to walk him twice daily, me who has to buy the fresh chicken for his sensitive tummy, and me he cuddles up to so he's my pal first and foremost. But in the back of your mind it's always there, every bond you make will be gone soon. Is it better to have loved and lost? I suppose it depends where you are on the curve.
 
bluetonium said:
We lost our two cats , brother and sister, within a few weeks of each other during covid. He was the runt of the litter but grew into a fluffy monster, and at the age of 13 developed a huge tumor on his face. It grew very quickly and he was gone within weeks.

Then his sister developed a similar issue a couple of months later. It was awful, especially as we didn't get to say a proper goodbye it was more a case of dropping them at the door of the vet and saying goodbye during the pandemic.

Hated it. We got them when we first moved in together and it felt like the end of and era. We cleaned the house out and eventually sold up, not because of losing the pets but it certainly didn't feel like our home anymore.

Fast forward three years and my eldest had been banging on about getting a dog, and every excuse we had just seemed to fizzle away. Not enough room then we moved to a bigger house. Too expensive then she found the rspca rescue website. Of course she'll walk him and pick up the poop. And to be fair the cats helped her massively with panic attacks and pets can have a calming influence..

So I as a goodwill gesture applied for a little oddball the rspca had on their website, thinking no chance, they didn't even put if it was suitable for living with kids of primary school age. The next day they called me and said we could go and meet him, they'd observed him via a foster career for a fortnight and he was perfect for a young family, and a week later he was in our house permanently. Now of course it's me who has to walk him twice daily, me who has to buy the fresh chicken for his sensitive tummy, and me he cuddles up to so he's my pal first and foremost. But in the back of your mind it's always there, every bond you make will be gone soon. Is it better to have loved and lost? I suppose it depends where you are on the curve.
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My partner said something similar to your last part. She is obviously very upset and mourning. She said is it worth having and loving a pet knowing at some point they will be gone and you know the hurt you will go through?

It absolutely is worth it, I said. Grief washes away in time and you then have the memories that make you smile. I think that period of hurt is a fair trade for what you get out of however long it is you are loved by your pet.

Today is even worse than yesterday. I’m working at her house and the silence is deafening.
 
Sling them in the dustbin and buy a new one.

Only messing, my girlfriends cat died a few months ago and was actually shocked at how gutted I was. My girlfriend was away working for a month so I was the one looking after the cat while she was sick, taking her to vets appointments and was ultimately the one who was there when it was time to put her down. She was always really clingy with me so it felt like losing a mate, still not ready to get a new one
 
The Mrs lost her dog a month into the first COVID lockdown. Not only did she have to make the decision to put the poor little sod to sleep she couldn't find a vet to do it for about a fortnight, absolutely heartbreaking. He was 17.

I don't think we'll ever have another one. Still upsets her now, especially when she sees one out and about who looks like hers did. They become family members. Especially hers who she had from being 18 to 35.
 
LangleyBlue1970 said:
My partners dog passed away yesterday. The dog attached to me the minute off and so, whilst she wasn’t mine, it’s a real horrible feeling that the little mutt isn’t here.

Today was a horrible day at work and I’ve just got back to my partner house. The mood is sombre and everyone is really upset. Pooch was 13.

What are your experiences of the death of pets?
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Over the years, I've lost 2 border collies, at 16 & 17 yrs old. On both occasions I was inconsolable once the decision was taken to put them to sleep. I still have the handwritten letter from my 1st vet, which was the nicest letter I have ever received, and I'm 54 now. They are a part of your family, my kids grew up across the 2 periods, and I have such fond memories of taking them out with the dogs when they were younger.
 
richardtheref said:
After we lost our 2 dogs, Zero and Belle, over 2 years my wife said 'never again ". After a month she said that the house was empty and we now have Cali.
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My wife was the same. She just couldn't handle walking into the house after work and not having the dog there to greet her. Think we lasted about 2 months before we decided to get our current mad one, 7 yrs ago.
 

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Our dog is 13 back legs going arthritis etc I carry her upstairs at bedtime put her at the bottom of the bed etc , in the morning she wakes me up by licking my ears and cuddling up to me, can’t and don’t want to imagine life without her she really is my best friend
It’s tough just thinking about it
 
Indaparkside said:
Our dog is 13 back legs going arthritis etc I carry her upstairs at bedtime put her at the bottom of the bed etc , in the morning she wakes me up by licking my ears and cuddling up to me, can’t and don’t want to imagine life without her she really is my best friend
It’s tough just thinking about it
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A sign of a genuine human being my friend, we can all be leery and crazy but the kindness and care we show to animals shows what we really are.
 
Stumbled across this and thought it might be appropriate here, although it could probably do without the large picture of Joey at the start.
humans are elves to dogs.jpg
 
We have a dog that I'll be honest I didn't really want to get. I was somewhat bullied by the wife and kids into getting him. Had him about 4 years now and my god do I love him. Started reading this thread last night and he was lying on the sofa next to me, genuinely had to readjust my position so I could pet him for a bit whilst doing so as getting emotional reading it!
 
One of my cats - 2-year old Sky - had a severe reaction after eating some freeze-dried salmon. He vomited a little bit - but I wasn't worried too much as I'd seen him vomit like this before.

But his vomiting continued - and he refused to eat. Three days later he started shaking his head back and forth while frothing at the mouth; next, Sky started vomiting up blood. Poor Sky! Please get better!

I rushed Sky to an emergency hospital and they gave him intravenous fluids and anti-nausea medication.

Sky didn't improve.

Sky continued to vomit blood.

Back to the hospital for an ultra-sound (came back negative, thank goodness) - and another round of intravenous fluids and anti-nausea medication.

Finally, after about 5 days, Sky finally started to recover! He stopped vomiting and started to eat.
===
I've never had to grieve a pet's death - but after what happened to Sky, I empathize fully with anyone who has had this terrible experience. If Sky would have died, I'd have been emotionally devastated.
 
Alan Harper's Tash said:
They’re a family member that always make you feel better, whatever the situation.

The death of a pet is no different to losing that family member, just that you’ve been responsible for them and had to make the hard decision to say that the most merciful thing is euthanasia.

Sorry for your loss. We’re about to go through the same with our cat, who probably has a few weeks left at most now. We’re just waiting for her to signal that she’s had enough.

I’m dreading signing that form.
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Well, the day has arrived. Millie has told us that she’s in too much pain.

20 mins to go until her last vet appointment.

However much you know it’s the right thing to do, it doesn’t feel any less of a kick in the gut.

Just happy that fate let us have her for 17.5 years.
 
Alan Harper's Tash said:
Well, the day has arrived. Millie has told us that she’s in too much pain.

20 mins to go until her last vet appointment.

However much you know it’s the right thing to do, it doesn’t feel any less of a kick in the gut.

Just happy that fate let us have her for 17.5 years.
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A good friend does the right thing, be assured your friend had the best life with good responsible owners that she could have had.

Great age for a Pet doesn't lessen the blow but you have all those years to look back on.
 
Alan Harper's Tash said:
Well, the day has arrived. Millie has told us that she’s in too much pain.

20 mins to go until her last vet appointment.

However much you know it’s the right thing to do, it doesn’t feel any less of a kick in the gut.

Just happy that fate let us have her for 17.5 years.
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Enjoy those twenty minutes mate, and console yourself that this is the right thing to do.

We just got mutt’s ashes back today in a nice casket.
 
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