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One of my parent's cats had to be put to sleep today. He was a male cat named Big Mouth because of how loud and attentive he was. Long story short, my parents had crappy next door neighbors that just up and left three cats behind. One of them was Big Mouth. After taking care of them as strictly outdoor cats for awhile (they weren't sure if they wanted to bring them in with the existing cats they had at the time) they eventually brought them in.

Turns out that Big Mouth got FIV, which is basically HIV for cats, during the period where no one was watching over the three cats my parents eventually took in (no other cat has it). So basically Big Mouth got sicker and sicker the past few months.

Yesterday, my parents were debating on what to do with the cat because while it was very clear he was feeling awful, he was still capable of independent actions and seemed to still want to do his usual things such as greet dad when he got home, chill outside for a bit, etc. Earlier in the day, my mom took Big Mouth to the vet and they said that there wasn't much that could be done at that point. Still, dad understandably wanted to make the final call, since the cat basically attached himself to dad so much, and dad to Big Mouth likewise.

So dad took the day off and spent a good two hours at the vet desperately trying to come up with a solution that would extend Big Mouth's life. Before my parents went to the vet they let Big Mouth out again and he kept doing that thing that cats normally do when they know they don't have long left: try to find somewhere private, lie down, and wait for their passing.

So with that in mind at the vet, all options presented to my dad were high risk ones that probably wouldn't work and only made the last moments of Big Mouth's life a living hell. So that's why after a long debate, dad made the call and let Big Mouth drift off.

I am not sure what hurts more. The rare sight of seeing dad very upset, or knowing one of the kindest, coolest, unique, and intelligent cats my parent's household ever had is now gone, and gone way too early because of bad luck and horribly irresponsible former owners. One of the other cats that was taken in was the son of Big Mouth. They had a strong connection and would literally speak in weird vocal cues to each other that I never seen other cats do before. I can tell Big Mouth's son is wondering where he went off to by looking out a window to see if he's outside or sniffing spots that Big Mouth frequented. I wish there was a way to convey him that Big Mouth is gone. Fortunately, the cat in question does get along with one of the other cats, so it's not like he was will be alone among the other cats. Still a sad sight to see.

So I not feeling very good today.
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Comments

  1. Slothy's Avatar
    I've been the guy that had to make that call before. It is awful and I would wish it on no one. I also get really attached to cats though. I've had a harder time dealing with the death of any ofy cats than I have had with the death of friends or family.
  2. Shorty's Avatar
    I am so sorry to hear that, man. It hurts so much to lose a pet who can reciprocate affection like cats can. One of my cats have died and another simply never returned home, and those were hard enough to deal with. I can't imagine making the call to put one down like that.

    I hope you're doing okay and that you give yourself the time you need to come to terms with it.
  3. Sephex's Avatar
    Thanks to both of you. I also had to make the same call on a cat I owned three years ago. I guess this really hits hard because of how upset my parents are about it. Again, this isn't close to the first time a cat has had to be put to sleep or died naturally before that lived with my folks. It just sucks. I am feeling better about it more than I was yesterday, but this is probably going to stay with me for quite some time.
  4. Shaibana's Avatar
    aw, thats horrible to hear, Sephex
    i know the feeling, couple of months ago my dog had to be put down becaus he had severe cancer.
    ive cried non-stop for 2 days.
    almost 5 months later i still cry sometimes.

    make sure you have plenty to do, to keep your mind off it. thats what helped me