Poll of the Day > have you ever had to put a pet down?

(+) Yeah! (+)

my cat is 13, since early last year shes had a tumor removed from her ear two times. first early in the year, the last time was late november. they said she has wide spread cancer, and that the tumor will likely return within a month. sure enough it came back toward the end of last month.

its gotten me really down and stressed, i have aspergers and shes all i've had for a friend for years, i'm not a fan of people, i really love cats though and shes always been really loveable to me. my mom keeps saying its getting to the point where she needs to be put down, idk if i have the strength. knowing i'd be taking her life, its a devastating feeling.

she acts happy and loveable, but her ear really bothers her, everyday i have to scrub and clean up blood everywhere in my room. that's what makes it hard too, me and her are always together in my room, i don't go anywhere really, so its hard to think of her in this way without breaking down.

this is actually my first time posting about this on the internet, i don't talk to people on a personal level to vent outside my home, but i actually kinda wanted to gather what other people thought on this subject.
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dude......I get it. I have aspergers too actually. and I have a cat. and he has helped me through some tough times. I have lost lots of pets in my life. It never is easy no matter how many times you do it

It's hard I know, but sometimes you just need to know when to let go, putting pets down can be far better than letting them suffer with a disease that will eventually kill them.
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I never have. And I know I couldn't. And like Dan O'Brien said, I just assume my dogs will never die.
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Zikten posted...

dude......I get it. I have aspergers too actually. and I have a cat. and he has helped me through some tough times. I have lost lots of pets in my life. It never is easy no matter how many times you do it

seems like a lot of aspies have a type of animal they really like, seems cats are more popular. yeah, i hate being so emotional, i've always felt emotions way to high, mostly on the sad and stress level and way to easy daily. glad there's video games to numb your mind a bit.
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LinkPizza posted...

I never have. And I know I couldn't. And like Dan O'Brien said, I just assume my dogs will never die.

i felt the same way about her too, just assumed she'd be fine, shes been healthy for years and never needed to go to the vet for being sick, until her cancer.

when something happens, that bliss feeling of thinking nothing will happen gets you sadly. :c i've always had that mind set of telling myself that everything will be fine, but i think that's human nature i guess. it don't feel well telling yourself that the inevitable will happen. which i have a habit of worrying all the time lol.
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I had to do it last week for one of my cats. Even knowing it was the right thing for her, it was still hard as hell to do and rough to deal with after the fact.

Cruddy_horse posted...

It's hard I know, but sometimes you just need to know when to let go, putting pets down can be far better than letting them suffer with a disease that will eventually kill them.

you're absolutely right.

i wish there were another option, its been hard and stressful this year. the vet basically said though, nothing more to do, before the last surgery they said the next option would be removing the ear canal. however after the surgery they said her cancer was widespread so there'd be no point.
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Nope. Pets aren't for me.
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Better not watch Marley and me TC
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rjsilverthorn posted...

I had to do it last week for one of my cats. Even knowing it was the right thing for her, it was still hard as hell to do and rough to deal with after the fact.

i'm really sorry, this was a very difficult read for me. cats and animals in general are so good to us, i can only imagine your pains after going through with it, and how you feel since. i'm hurting through the process where you began, and once again i'm really sorry. :'c
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My cat, Ebby, had a stroke about 2 years ago and I had to put him down. It was really tough due to how sudden it was and because he was my buddy, meaning that despite belonging to my wife and I, he clearly preferred me. We even had a nighttime routine because he didn't care much for cuddles during the day. Even now, it hurts to think about but I do take solace knowing that I did the right thing and prevented him from prolonged suffering before his death. It's really hard, but I consider it one the ultimate acts of love for your pet. You are essentially choosing to suffer a great, lingering pain yourself to spare your animal from suffering.

My personal advice: Schedule the appointment to have it done, then give her a good day when the time comes. Prepare a food she likes, like baked chicken or something similar. Feed her, pet her, cuddle her, then take her in to have it done. Most importantly, be there with her when she goes so that she'll be as comfortable as possible, because she'll probably be scared without you. Then give yourself some days to grieve and recompose yourself afterwards, because losing a close pet is very intimate and is essentially like losing part of yourself. That's what it felt like for me, at least.

Personally, I went and adopted another cat about a month afterwards, which really helped me move past the sorrow I felt when I had to put Ebby down. That's not to say that I don't miss him, because typing this post choked me up and I actually had to take a break to stop myself from really crying, but I think it's important to remember that there are a lot of animals out there that need good homes and it makes me feel better to know that the new cat will always have a good home.

Sorry for the long post and sorry for your bad news.
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Get another cat first for support.
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Rasmoh posted...

My cat, Ebby, had a stroke about 2 years ago and I had to put him down. It was really tough due to how sudden it was and because he was my buddy, meaning that despite belonging to my wife and I, he clearly preferred me. We even had a nighttime routine because he didn't care much for cuddles during the day. Even now, it hurts to think about but I do take solace knowing that I did the right thing and prevented him from prolonged suffering before his death. It's really hard, but I consider it one the ultimate acts of love for your pet. You are essentially choosing to suffer a great, lingering pain yourself to spare your animal from suffering.

My personal advice: Schedule the appointment to have it done, then give her a good day when the time comes. Prepare a food she likes, like baked chicken or something similar. Feed her, pet her, cuddle her, then take her in to have it done. Most importantly, be there with her when she goes so that she'll be as comfortable as possible, because she'll probably be scared without you. Then give yourself some days to grieve and recompose yourself afterwards, because losing a close pet is very intimate and is essentially like losing part of yourself. That's what it felt like for me, at least.

Personally, I went and adopted another cat about a month afterwards, which really helped me move past the sorrow I felt when I had to put Ebby down. That's not to say that I don't miss him, because typing this post choked me up and I actually had to take a break to stop myself from really crying, but I think it's important to remember that there are a lot of animals out there that need good homes and it makes me feel better to know that the new cat will always have a good home.

Sorry for the long post and sorry for your bad news.

i know what you mean, i think i made myself worst by creating this topic. i've gotten very emotional through it, i almost lost it again reading your post. i had to regain my composure to read it properly. sick of all the tears already. :c

i feel what you mean about everything, like my cat, lulu is her name. she is really only friendly to me, she runs from my younger siblings and my mom, and my moms cat she always growls at. but with me she always wants to be close and affectionate. my moms cat, i do love him too, but hes not always friendly. hes more playful.

i told myself when i was a kid, maybe naming her lulu wasn't the best idea however. i named her lulu based off the final fantasy 10 character named lulu, because she wore all black, and my cat lulu is an all black cat. lol... but the reason why as a kid i told myself it wasn't the best idea is because she wont live forever, and i might want to play that game again someday. which, i was planning on getting the remastered edition of the game within the next year or two since i haven't played it since PS2 days. but idk if i can play it normal and look past her name came from it.

that is one thing i can say is something i'm very unsure of if i can do, is be there... i'm a very weak person, if i was there to watch idk what would happen, i know i wouldn't react well. i don't know how i'm going to react when even sending her. i think about both scenarios and they're incredibly painful, and they will be much worst when it happens.

no worries i make long posts too as you can see, and i'm thankful you shared your story, as hard it was, and i'm really sorry i had you revisit it, that wasn't my intention, i didn't think of that when making this topic how it can bring on some tough memories. you did help though, thank you. and i hope you find happiness with the rest of your night or day.
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Had an iguana once. Previous owner fed her the wrong diet and did not properly take care of her. I spent several years helping her shed and her skin and spikes on her spine were growing back in nicely. One day she became paralyzed from the waist down due to the poor diet from the previous owner. Ended up putting her down.

One cat had hyper thyroid and a tumor in her neck. She was 14.

Another cat had another tumor and she was ripping all of her fur out. She was 16.

Another cat was diabetic and also had hyper thyroid. He eventually stopped eating. He was 17.

Another cat had a tumor in one of hid kidney. Doctors told us he would only live for 3 months. He ended up living for over a year before he finally stopped eating and drinking water. He was the best cat ever. He was 15.

I forgot what happen to the last cat that we had to put down.

One dog had an autoimmune deficiency disorder and his body started attacking all of his red blood cells. There was nothing we could do and he past away 3 days later. He was 7.

The other dog's hip constantly kept dislocating and she couldn't walk after the puppy accidentally tripped her. Eventually we decided it was not worth it for her to live like that and in so much pain. We fed her two cheese burgers before we put her down. She was 6.

Had two snakes, one had some blockage after eating and was found dead the next morning. Looked like his stomach exploded. The other snake I got sick from something and was found dead the following day.

All of these pets past away within a 1 year span.

Currently have 1 cat and 2 dogs still.

These are just the pets at my mom's. My dad has had 2 dogs and a cat recently pass away and has 1 cat and 1 dog still with us.

Never got easy and still tough every time one went.

Only you can decide what is best for her and you.

Kyuubi4269 posted...

Get another cat first for support.

as much as it feels like a betrayal, this is what i'm in the process of trying to do.

i just worry if the next cat will be as good as her. as strange as that sounds, but like my moms cat hes not the loveable type, i love him too, but i prefer the type of cats that are affectionate.

my mom is trying to get a kitten, she said she called a lady and usually kittens start becoming available the end of march as that's when they are born usually. :/ not sure if its like that everywhere or just them.
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RJP_X posted...

my cat lulu is an all black cat.

Ebby was a black cat as well, coincidentally.

if i was there to watch idk what would happen, i know i wouldn't react well.

I sobbed the whole time it was happening, which might sound awkward, but veterinary staff is very accustomed to that. I know I would have sorely regretted it if I hadn't been there for his final moments. He was my friend and I owed it to him to be there. I really strongly encourage you to be there, hard as it may be. She will be alone and scared, especially without you, and that's no way to let your friend go. I don't judge either way, I just would feel so guilty if I weren't there for my pet at that time.

i'm really sorry i had you revisit it

Don't feel sorry at all. Not only is it cathartic to grieve over my pet, it makes me happy to know that i had a cat that was so good that I can always fondly remember him. He'll always be with me in that regard. Best of luck to you.
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I know how that feels. My dog of 12 years had suffered with cancer. He used to howl in pain and we considered putting him down but our religious beliefs made it hard to make the decision until he finally died. It destroyed a part of me as I since then thought if I could go back in time and put him down instead of making him suffer. I regret it everyday.

My heart goes out to you and her.

I hope you find your answer.
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Well, I held a friend's cat until it started wriggling because it didn't want to be held so I put him down on the floor.
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RJP_X posted...

Have you ever had to put a pet down?

Yes. And when the vet was like "Do you want to stay with her until it's over or just leave so you don't have to deal with it," I was like "No, I'm going to stay because I absolutely owe her that much, and I don't want her to be alone when it happens." And then they gave her the shot and the vet left the room and left me alone with her, and I sat there and watched as she slowly just sort of closed her eyes and her breathing just got slower and slower until it stopped, and I spent the entire time trying not to cry (and blatantly failing at it, there was a lot of eye-wiping), and when the vet eventually came back I wasn't actually able to speak with anything beyond a croak because the massive lump in my throat basically took my voice away.

(Just thinking about it now I'm sort of tearing up and feeling a lump in my throat, and this happened years ago.)

For reference, I watched my father die in the hospital, and I didn't crack a tear. My dog's death pretty much wrecked me.


There are worse ways for it to happen, though. My one friend had his elderly cat basically crawl up on his lap and just sort of meow like "Well, it's been fun, but I'm going now", and then went to sleep and died. He was pretty messed up over that for a while, because he absolutely loved that cat.

And honestly, there's a point when you almost have to do it, when doing it is more of a mercy than just a selfish human wanting to get rid of a defective pet. Like when cancer or other internal issues are just causing the animal constant pain. Or like, as was the case with my dog, where her back legs were pretty much just completely dead, so she could barely drag herself anywhere with her arthritic front legs, and couldn't stand up at all, so her entire life basically just devolved down to laying in bed every day and pissing/shitting herself, and most of our interaction with her boiled down to changing diapers and having to clean her so she wouldn't get sores or stink too badly.

"Quality of Life" is basically my philosophy for both pets and humans. When someone or something is basically miserable, and life is almost more suffering than anything worth experiencing, it's potentially better off to end it and offer a release from pain.



darcandkharg31 posted...

Better not watch Marley and me TC

The Jurassic Bark episode of Futurama shredded me from the inside out. And my dog was actually alive then.


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OS_12TR posted...

All of these pets past away within a 1 year span

That sounds like a stroke of really bad luck. All so close together. And all different ages...

ParanoidObsessive posted...

The Jurassic Bark episode of Futurama shredded me from the inside out. And my dog was actually alive then.

I cry every time I see that. I think it's actually more effective if you have a pet. Especially one that's still with you. I stare at my pups every time...
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Had to say goodbye a couple years ago. My 15 year old cocker was having heart troubles and one day he could no longer use his back legs. That's when we knew it was time. I wasn't sure I wanted to be there at first, tbh. But I went in anyway and cried like a baby. He was such a feisty, smart, loveable little shit and I miss him still.

It will be the kindest thing to do.

*hugs* I'm sorry. It's so hard to do. :(
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Rasmoh posted...

My cat, Ebby, had a stroke about 2 years ago and I had to put him down. It was really tough due to how sudden it was and because he was my buddy, meaning that despite belonging to my wife and I, he clearly preferred me. We even had a nighttime routine because he didn't care much for cuddles during the day. Even now, it hurts to think about but I do take solace knowing that I did the right thing and prevented him from prolonged suffering before his death. It's really hard, but I consider it one the ultimate acts of love for your pet. You are essentially choosing to suffer a great, lingering pain yourself to spare your animal from suffering.

My personal advice: Schedule the appointment to have it done, then give her a good day when the time comes. Prepare a food she likes, like baked chicken or something similar. Feed her, pet her, cuddle her, then take her in to have it done. Most importantly, be there with her when she goes so that she'll be as comfortable as possible, because she'll probably be scared without you. Then give yourself some days to grieve and recompose yourself afterwards, because losing a close pet is very intimate and is essentially like losing part of yourself. That's what it felt like for me, at least.

Personally, I went and adopted another cat about a month afterwards, which really helped me move past the sorrow I felt when I had to put Ebby down. That's not to say that I don't miss him, because typing this post choked me up and I actually had to take a break to stop myself from really crying, but I think it's important to remember that there are a lot of animals out there that need good homes and it makes me feel better to know that the new cat will always have a good home.

Sorry for the long post and sorry for your bad news.

This is really good advice.
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