Our cat Zizou was unexpectedly put to sleep yesterday. X-Rays showed an enlarged heart and her lungs filled with liquid. She was having problems breathing. She was put on oxygen but unfortunately she never responded; she was suffering. My wife and I agreed euthanasia was the best option for Zizou. She was only 7 yrs old. Zizou was there for our 1st house, 1st child, 2nd house, and many other significant events.
I was able to say goodbye to her. I held her paw as in tears, I told her how lucky I was to have her and that she made me SO happy.
Explaining Zizou's passing away to our 4 year old was tough. But honestly, I'm the one having the hardest time. She was an indoor kitty. We did everything possible to insure she lived a long life. She was supposed to be with us for 15+ years. Why so early? She brought me so much happiness.
Rich
Full Version: Zizou, It Wasn't Supposed To Be This Way
Rich, I'm a new member to this forum, my cat of 20 years passed away about a week ago, and I'm very grateful to the members here. Just by reading their posts I've gained a lot of perspective that's been helpful.
I have only a minute, but due to the late hour of your posting, there probably haven't been a lot of people on the site, so if anything I can say will be a help, I wanted to try.
My first cat passed away of kidney failure at 10 years. I was just telling someone whose cat died at 11 that I wasn't prepared, I thought cats lived to be at least 15, and I made sure she had the best veterinary care, etc. The failure came on so fast I was in shock, one day she vomited a fair amount of clear fluid--hairball, I thought, the next day she was weak, the next the vet told me she was dying. The vet and I realized in retrospect that her light weight was probably due to the kidney problem, and that she had always had small kidneys. This after the vets all used to say they loved to see my cats because they were so healthy.
Sometimes cats have congenital weaknesses that take a while to surface. The fact that you gave her such good care may have kept Zizou healthy for much longer than she might otherwise have been. I was totally destroyed when Muffin passed--I even moved from the East coast to the West because I couldn't stop crying and needed to get away from reminders. Now I realize that there was nothing I could have done that would have prevented this. Every cat has an individual life expectancy that we can help them achieve, but we can't bring them past it, even with all the love and care in the world.
Zizou obviously knew what an important member of your family she was, and for cats that is the best feeling in the world. She also was lucky to have you with her when she passed, and to be spared the suffering she might have endured if you weren't there for her. I can't help take away the pain you'll go through over the next few days, nor on until the grief finds its own place to settle, but I have learned that all you can do is what you did for Zizou. Even cats from great catteries or long lines of tough domestics have undetectable problems.
The odd thing about dealing with my grief over the euthanasia of my 20-year-old Mandy is that I'm getting a little more peace over Muffin's premature death. I gave each of them equal care, the best that I could, and all (four in the original family, with some temporary rescues) of my cats have been indoor cats, yet Muffin only lived be 10 and Mandy survived to 20. I still miss Muffin and have a hard time looking at her photos, but as I said, I realize now that there really was no way to have kept her going, even if I was willing to let her go through uncomfortable procedures.
This site has really helped me more than I would have expected, and I hope it will help you in the same way.
I have only a minute, but due to the late hour of your posting, there probably haven't been a lot of people on the site, so if anything I can say will be a help, I wanted to try.
My first cat passed away of kidney failure at 10 years. I was just telling someone whose cat died at 11 that I wasn't prepared, I thought cats lived to be at least 15, and I made sure she had the best veterinary care, etc. The failure came on so fast I was in shock, one day she vomited a fair amount of clear fluid--hairball, I thought, the next day she was weak, the next the vet told me she was dying. The vet and I realized in retrospect that her light weight was probably due to the kidney problem, and that she had always had small kidneys. This after the vets all used to say they loved to see my cats because they were so healthy.
Sometimes cats have congenital weaknesses that take a while to surface. The fact that you gave her such good care may have kept Zizou healthy for much longer than she might otherwise have been. I was totally destroyed when Muffin passed--I even moved from the East coast to the West because I couldn't stop crying and needed to get away from reminders. Now I realize that there was nothing I could have done that would have prevented this. Every cat has an individual life expectancy that we can help them achieve, but we can't bring them past it, even with all the love and care in the world.
Zizou obviously knew what an important member of your family she was, and for cats that is the best feeling in the world. She also was lucky to have you with her when she passed, and to be spared the suffering she might have endured if you weren't there for her. I can't help take away the pain you'll go through over the next few days, nor on until the grief finds its own place to settle, but I have learned that all you can do is what you did for Zizou. Even cats from great catteries or long lines of tough domestics have undetectable problems.
The odd thing about dealing with my grief over the euthanasia of my 20-year-old Mandy is that I'm getting a little more peace over Muffin's premature death. I gave each of them equal care, the best that I could, and all (four in the original family, with some temporary rescues) of my cats have been indoor cats, yet Muffin only lived be 10 and Mandy survived to 20. I still miss Muffin and have a hard time looking at her photos, but as I said, I realize now that there really was no way to have kept her going, even if I was willing to let her go through uncomfortable procedures.
This site has really helped me more than I would have expected, and I hope it will help you in the same way.
thanks MandysMom, you really did help. I was in tears as I read your reply. What happened to you was exactly what happened to us: completely unexpected. Thank you so very much. 
Dear Rich,
I know exactly what you're feeling as far as feeling a little shorted out of Zizou's life. I lost my dog Shiloh, age 5, to lymphoma last September, and just 4 weeks ago I lost my kitty Hobbie, age 8, to fatty liver syndrome. It doesn't seem fair when our furbabies are taken from us when they're so young.
What I try and focus on is all the happiness and good times I shared with both Shiloh and Hobbie...that has helped, but I still miss them both terribly.
You're in my thoughts.
Kathleen
I know exactly what you're feeling as far as feeling a little shorted out of Zizou's life. I lost my dog Shiloh, age 5, to lymphoma last September, and just 4 weeks ago I lost my kitty Hobbie, age 8, to fatty liver syndrome. It doesn't seem fair when our furbabies are taken from us when they're so young.
What I try and focus on is all the happiness and good times I shared with both Shiloh and Hobbie...that has helped, but I still miss them both terribly.
You're in my thoughts.
Kathleen
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