Well, I already have a topic in the pet sickness forum, where I described Fred, my tabby cat, who had a fibrosracoma removed lfrom his backast October. He recovered from that, then he lost his buddy Jason, last January (kidney failure). Fred did well for several months, we adopted a cat from the humane society and they were becoming fast friends. Then, about a month ago, Fred stopped playing and started sleeping a lot. I thought it was old age/arthritis etc. I took him to the vet. They did the whole blood workup thing, and it turned out he had mild kidney disease, but nothing significant. He has been slowing down a lot more recently. I thought it was arthritis, and so I made an appt. with the vet today to get pain meds or something for that. The vet said that he was breathing with his abdomen and not his chest. They did x-rays. It turns out the cancer has spread to his lungs Big Time, and he has fluid in his abdomen, they are not sure what. So. Tomorrow at 11:40, he goes to be with his friend Jason who died on January 22, almost 6 months to the day. I guess I shouldn't complain, he got an extra 6-9 months of life due to the surgery he had last October, BUT he is still eating, looking out the window and seeking attention. I asked the vet what would happen if we did nothing, and she said the fact that we noticed the cat was "off" means he is probably pretty sick, because they hide it until they are very ill. He will probably suffocate eventually if we do nothing. So, we are saying goodbye tomorrow, and Fred is joining Jason, I hope, wherever. I will really miss him, he was my buddy and we had so many daily routines together. Even my husband cried, he really bonded with Fred after Jason died. Fred was a very gentle soul, always happy, and always there when you wanted him around.

Lesson - re: Fibrosarcomas - if you have a cat with a lump - GET IT CHECKED TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dear freds mom, i couldnt even read everything your wrote without breaking down. my fred passed away four months ago...Im so so very sorry you have to go thru this. i now consider myself so blessed (if you can think of it like that) that everytime ive had to make this decision, its been on the spot. i dont even know what i would do if i had to schedule that appointment. that has got to be incredibly heartwrenching. i wish i could give you a big hug in person.
im praying for all of you. that you and your husband will find strength and at the same time peace.

patricia

That is hard.....I also had a hard time reading this....I who am also just now feeling sad again over Ceaser, I am extra sensitive to stories like these!
Hugs.....at least he will go in peace and not suffer but I hear you...it is not easy!

Thanks you guys, before I went to the vet, I promised the cat and my husband, that he would be coming home that night, otherwise it would have been an on the spot decision like the last cat.

I am still considering putting it off for a few days...........

My heart aches with yours. Very hard decision, but you know and feel in your heart what is right.
Enjoy your time and remember all your fun times.
Fred loves you very much!!!!!!!!!!!

Hugs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

praying for you, this is soooo hard a decision, argh!!!!!!!!!!! the waiting, the shld I or shld'nt I.....it's the pits.....
{{{HUGS}}} to help you thru.
elaine

Fred has a great life, and for that, you'll be proud of all the many years of love and companionship, given and returned.. Thoughts and prayers are with you..It's very difficult..Hugs..Ann

Fred's gone . It seemed a little brutal to drag him out of his bed where he was sleeping, and fight him in a carrier to take him to the vet, knowing he would not be coming home, ever. The vet did say that she was 100% certain we made the right decision at the right time. I will miss him very much, especially during all the little daily routines we had.

Something strange happened though, I don't know if my mind was just playing tricks on me....but when we left the vet, we were just a few minutes into the drive home and I was suddenly struck with the most overwhelming sense of peace - it felt like Fred and Jason were reassuring me that they were together now, and okay. That was always something I wondered about, as I was told by an animal communicator that Jason had been waiting for Fred. It was a very strong and unexpected feeling at that point in time, after just having left Fred 5 minutes earlier. I am not sure what to make of it.

Our remaining cat Ginger, is now wandering around the house meowing. I had better go give her some attention.

Thanks for all your thoughts, I know you all understand the pain of grief.

I decided the night before that my beloved pom was ready to go to sleep. I cried all night but I also got that extra time to hold her close. It is a blessing to be able to do that. My prayers are with you as you do this for your pet. While it is so very hard to do and to live with afterwards we will always treasure the time we had with our pets and know in our hearts that we did what we did so that the suffering would end.

You did the right thing. Our Velvet had abdominal fluid buildup from his cancer as well and it caused him a lot of discomfort breathing. We took him in immediately after giving him the pain med we had gotten in case he began suffering that weekend. He went downhill so quickly, in about 24 hours, that we knew we could not wait.

I think that our pets sometimes comfort us after death. Call me crazy but I really do think that happens. It shows how close you two were and it is a real blessing when it occurs.

Take care,
Ken Albin

jasonsmom/fredsmom,

I am so sorry you had to go through this again so soon. May you take comfort in knowing you did the right thing, and that Fred and Jason are together again. It must be nice to think of that. May your overwhelming sense of peace stay with you.
Chris

awwww...hug... my name is gail, and i'm so sorry. yesterday we put our 8 yr old beagle, miss lucy, to sleep. she had thyroid cancer, and two chemo treatments which she tolerated well. then all of a sudden, she stopped eating for 3 days and was panting profusely. her gallbladder had become diseased, and she had basically run out of hope.

i'm 50, and have had alot of losses in my life (parents, a baby, 4 dogs) but the loss of a beloved dog (all i've had is dogs, but i assume cats are the same) is awful because we are sooo close to them and their like our child. for many, they are that child.

my heart goes out to you. it's a sad day here today without our beloved beagle smiling and wagging her tail, that's for sure.

i am so very sorry. how are you doing?

Thanks for all your thoughts, I know you've all been there.

I miss him terribly, he was such a good friend. The gentlest, most playful, and loving cat ever. He left a big hole in our lives.

I'm still struggling with the weird feeling I got when I left the vet, sort of a sudden overwhelming peaceful feeling that hit me on the way home, that he was okay. Anyone else ever felt anything like that? Date on camera was wromg for this photo. This was October 2008, Freddie.

Click to view attachment

hes so beautiful and he looks so peaceful. what a sweet boy. i can tell you that the loss of my fred has left a big hole in my heart as well. i miss him something awful every day (i miss my riley too its interesting that you mention that you felt this overwhelming peaceful feeling after you left the vet. i dont know that i can say the same because at the time i was truly unconsolable. but days later i did feel that. and although it didnt take the sadness away, it did make me feel better. i still feel that to this day: i know that he is ok. i feel like he misses me but i know hes with his brother riley. i dont know, its comforting you know.
i hope that todays a good day. you are in my thoughts and prayers.
patricia

It is a incredible feeling that they are not physically there any more....Ceaser has been visiting often and Ia m soooo happy.
I miss him so much....I never thought that Ceaser would go this way....when he was around I use to think....no way and how I couldn't even phantom the day this would happen. but it does and will.....what is the most shocking I think is that their bodies are gone....their souls and spirits are still there which is the most important part but I also miss their physical presence very very much!!!
the fact that that part is forever cremated is a hard thing to cope with....
anyways....hope things get better...some days are better than others.