My baby kitten Jet died overnight and I just can't stop crying. I only had her for 11 weeks and she was really sick for the past 2. She was born with a congenital abnormality that caused her ribs to grow wrong, they were smashing her lungs so she struggled to breathe most of her very short life. At one point she did try to run and play with her brother but it was just too much effort for her most of the time. She would just sit back and watch him play. But boy what a loud purr for such a tiny girl! I took her to the vet and was told they could do surgery but it would be expensive. We decided to try it but she never really recovered. She fought for 2 weeks but her tiny body finally gave out this morning. I'm so angry and also feeling guilty about even putting her through the surgery that didn't even help a bit. I feel so selfish for doing that to her, I should have let her go, I know now. I guess I just need to talk about her, get it out. Thanks for providing a place for me to vent!!
I miss her so terribly.

I am so sorry for the loss of your precious baby Jet. That is so sad she wanted to play but had to settle to just sit there and watch her brother. Even in her short life I am sure she felt the love you had for her. Jet knew that you wanted to save her and love her for years to come. Our babies know these things.

You said you are feeling guilty for putting her through it, yet had you not done the surgery you might have felt guilty that you didn't do all you could. It seems no matter what choice we make somehow most of us still think we might not have done the right thing. Don't be angry with yourself for trying to get something done for Jet to try to save her life.

Please come and talk about your feelings often, we will be with you every step of the way. Just let those tears pour down your face as often as they come. Tears are for healing and we have all been through it, we care and we understand.
Ann

Ann thank you so much for your kind words. It does help to hear from someone who understands and doesn't think I'm nuts because I spent so much money trying to save her. I know I did all I could but I see now it wasn't the best choice. My only consolation is knowing she is running and playing all she wants now and breathing easier while she does. Thanks again for taking the time to try to make me feel better.

Sherry

Dear Sherry,

I am SO sorry that you lost your precious kitty, Jet. I know the time was too short and it breaks my heart.

On the other hand, what a wonderful caring and loving person you are to have done everything you could to try and save Jet. There are just hundreds of postings in here describing the amount of money and the lengths we have all gone to try and save our furbabies. We ALL are willing to spend our last dime! I think Ann is right. If you had decided not to try the surgery you would probably have felt bad that you didn't. At least you know you did everything you could.

You made her little life the VERY best. You gave her tons of love and attention. What more could any kitty ask for? Although it just breaks my heart that she lost the battle, I am so happy to hear your story of how comfortable you made her life. She is no longer suffering and I really believe that she is watching over you in spirit now.

Please allow the tears to flow. They are healing tears and in time the healing will begin for you.

Cheri

Please don't feel that you did something "selfish". What could possibly be selfish about trying to save a tiny, beautiful life?

I'm so sorry that you have to go through losing a baby that was only 11 weeks old, but you did all you could possibly do to save her and to give her the best possible life you could. Stay strong and don't be so hard on yourself. You don't deserve it.

Hugs,

Pat

I am so sorry you lost your kitty. In her short life span you were a god send to her. You tried everything humanly possible to save her. It is so hard when we lose our fur children no matter what age they are. When they are such little babies it's so hard to understand why they were taken so young. Your little girl is now free from any pain that her body caused her and she is playing and running free in her new life.

kim

I am so sorry that you have such pain when your heart was in the right place in doing everything possible to help Jet breathe without discomfort. I praise you in your efforts as I would have made the same decision at any cost.

My thoughts are with you.
Sincerely,
Litebrez

Dear Sherry,

I'm so sorry for your loss of Jet. It sounds like you gave her a wonderful life in her short 11 weeks. Please don't feel guilty or selfish for having opted for the surgery. Had you not opted for it, you might have always wondered if she would have made it. Your actions were not selfish...you were giving her a chance.

This is a wonderful place for "venting" all your feelings. Please feel free to come here and share as much as you need to.

You're in my thoughts.
Kathleen

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who responded to me yesterday. It truly did help me to feel better. I know I did the right thing trying to save her. I just feel so cheated because it didn't work. The surgery never made her any better, not even a little, for one minute. That's what's so hard to deal with, I guess. If she had felt better at all, even for a little while, it would have been worth it. She spent the last 2 weeks of her life mostly hospitalized, being poked and prodded. And the time she spent at home was spent struggling to breathe and being force fed by me. Every time I picked her up she struggled to get away because she didn't want to eat. And she looked at me with eyes that said "why are you doing this to me?".
I told her I was sorry when she died. I know she is in a much better place, I just miss her so much. My days are always busy because I have 3 kids and 4 other cats but I still am feeling empty and kinda purposeless since she died. I spent so much time either taking care of her or worrying about her when she was in the hospital. I know it will get better with time though. Just really stinks right now.

But anyway, again, thanks so much for taking the time to try to make me feel better. This is a great place to go when you need a cyber hug.

Sherry

People like you remind me of how wonderful the human race can sometimes be.

Thank you for giving her a chance, trying to save her, and giving her a small bit of happiness.

i also think you are a wonderful person for trying....so many people would not have tried to give Jet a good run for a life. You tried and that is what matters. I am so sorry that Jet had to go, in the short time she was with you she touched you deeply that must have been her purpose. Hang in there Sherry. Pamela N

Wow! Thank you so much DJ and Pamela! You have no idea how good you made me feel. Really lifted my spirits today. I hope I really did make her short life as happy and comfortable and full of love as it could be. Lord knows I was crazy about that kitty. I do believe she came into my life to teach me something I needed to know. I'm just too depressed and heart broken to see what it is yet I guess. I know I wouldn't trade a minute of her life for anything. I was blessed to be there when she came into this world and when she went out and I'll always be thankful for that. It's a really comforting thought that she might be watching over me right now. I hope she knows how much I miss her and love her.

Thanks for making me smile!

Sherry

Dear Sherry,

I'm sorry you had to lose little Jet so young. Please don't feel guilty, as you did everything humanly possible to help her (and she knew that.)

Hang in there,

Hugs,
Lynn

Hi Sherry:

I too, am very, very sorry over the loss of your beloved, beautiful Jet....... What a precious baby!!

God Bless You for trying everything possible to save her life on this Earth..... PLEASE, always know that
your lil' Jet will always be in your heart!!!!!!

I truly believe that Jet is up at Rainbow's Bridge now, and is running free, AND breathing easier.

After our sweet Ernestine was put to sleep on February 7, 2004..........I was like a zombie..... Nothing made sense to
me.... All I could do was cry....
And, ,Thank God I found this site.....

I will share something that was said to me by a very wise person on Lightning-Strike, and that was:

"You took away Ernestine's pain so that she could finally be without pain.....

That was the one thing that FINALLY made sense to me....

In my heart, I know that Jet thanks you for setting her free
She will always be with you!!

Love, Denise

Sherry-

I am so sorry for your loss of baby Jet. What a wonderful and special person you are to have given her that love and support throughout her too short little life. Imagine how good she must have felt to have been surrounded by you and her little brother too. I know the guilt and confusion. I also know the feeling of being "cheated" when pets die when they are young. It is not fair, and that is hard to cope with. Don't ever question whether you did "the right thing" for Jet. You did the right thing by loving her, and in the end, that's all there is. I will be thinking of your baby Jet, breathing freely and fully, and running endlessly at Rainbow Bridge...

Thinking of you, Caroline