The Rainbow Bridge

Me dog passed away suddenly about three weeks ago. She was 10.5years but still acted like a puppy and was full of energy. In the week before she passed she was chasing my daughter and I up and down a hill while we were tobogganing and running in the snow, going for her long walks 2x/day as usual. Then she was not interested in her food one day, which was normal for her. I fasted her for 24 hrs but she never had diarrhea. I began giving her boiled chicken with pumpkin and rice which was our normal protocol, after a day she barely ate that so I took her to the vet. Bloodwork showed low RBCs, zero platelets and high WBCs. The vet said she would need to be hospitalized for a week to receive transfusions but most likely she had cancer that was not treatable at her age. It was a shock because she had just been fine. They repeated the bloodwork and it had the same results so we decided to let her rest. I know I made the right decision in letting her rest, she had an amazing life.

She was my first dog and it has been so hard. I keep having dreams that I come home and she is just normal and in the dream I think "she recovered just fine on her own and I didn't have to say goodbye" but then in my dream I do it again.

I miss her so much and the dreams are tearing me apart and making me feel guilty. My dog had a lot of friends in our neighbourhood and came to work with me and the support I have had from family and friends is more than I could ask for... But I feel like if I tell anyone about these dreams they won't understand the impact it is having on me.

My sweet nugget has been gone for a month and I am still just not really okay sometimes. On Friday, I was with my fiance and I was crying again and talking to him about how much I missed her. That night, he got a call that his friend had passed away at only 28 years old. He’s never really been good at showing emotions but I know he’s really upset. Since that happened I can’t help but feel bad/guilty that right before he got that call I was crying about nugget again even after it’s been a month. I don’t know what to do to help him, and I feel I need to stop being sad about her so I don’t make him feel even worse. :(

I lost my childhood dog February 1st, 2023. It just doesn’t get any easier. I cry just by the thought of him. I still stare at his pictures and cry all the time. I got myself a dog like him and he’s my new best friend in the entire world. It makes it easier. But no one could ever replace the one I lost, I know that. I feel so petty for still grieving this bad as an adult. This was my first dog and I loved him more than words can describe. No one around me understands.

I got my dog at 19 when I was living in an apartment and a couple years later I went to school and couldn’t bring him bc I had to support myself being a live-in nanny who didn’t allow dogs. Then I moved back home and got to be with him again for the next few years. Flash forward to 2022, my now husband got a great job in Colorado he was my boyfriend at the time but I chose to go with him. (My family and I are from Georgia). He was 11 years old by this time, had arthritis and wasn’t used to snow or altitude or apartment living after he had had a doggy door and backyard at my parent’s house for years. I also worked 10 hours a day when we first moved here and he isn’t used to being alone or not having access to a bathroom. So we made the difficult decision of leaving him behind. (Background story, my father is an alcoholic and mother is a narcissist so getting away from them was a huge priority.) Well I just got the text that he passed. They never told me he was sick and I had no say in his end of life care, which I understand since they were his caretakers at the time. I’m over-consumed with guilt. I told my mom to let me know if he ever gets sick and that it’s extremely important for me to have his ashes and that I’d pay for them. Well she chose communal cremation instead of individual cremation since I haven’t been talking to her since Christmas because of how horrible she treated me when we visited and I’m crushed. (She knew how badly I wanted his ashes) She said I don’t deserve his ashes because she did most of the work and that I should have talked to her more. But she didn’t want his ashes anyway so what’s the harm in me having them? He was my whole world, I made the decision to leave him behind strictly for his benefit- it was incredibly hard for me to make that decision and I cried all the time. Well this just happened yesterday so I’m thinking of calling the vet tomorrow and ask if it’s not too late to change the option to individual cremation and pay the difference. But my mom threatened me not to call the vet and ask for his ashes because it would ‘embarrass her’. He’s my baby and I need the closure and I’m not sure what to do or if I’m out of line. Thanks

we recognized each other instantly.

my arms wrapped around her body out of habit. i felt that familiar warmth and purring. i kissed her fur and face, like i've done thousands of times. she had that cheery brightness in her eyes, and moved so freely — like how she always did, even better.

she was so happy to see me! no sadness, no pain, no fucking cancer! just us again, like we always were.

i woke up without the dread and loss that has weighed on me for weeks. i'm not religious or spiritual — this wasn't "a sign." this was a more direct and personal connection: just her and me.

when it's my turn to leave this place, we'll be together again. i know it now. it's only time.

I live with my parents. My mom brought home a guinea pig she was fostering from her friend. I was ecstatic. Eventually, we decided to keep her. I said I would take care of her. I shelled out money for a fancy cage and some toys, and I assumed if we had one we would get another, because they're social. They need friends. After some time it became clear that my parents were not on board with getting another guinea. I lost my excitement because she couldn't have a good life living alone in the corner of a room, even if she did have a big cage and everything. I suggested that we rehome her to a family that had other guinea pigs, and my mom said we should just hold her more. I told myself I was going to try to be more forceful about the suggestion, that I didn't think we could take care of her properly. I never did bring it up again. I distanced myself from the guinea pig emotionally. I knew my siblings were still giving her food and water every day. I felt guilty and so i avoided her, and now she's dead. I should have done better. she was alone. I think I'm a horrible person. I think I killed her from neglect.

My sister's dog is special, just as all pups are special with an extra dash of charming weirdness.

She and her partner adopted him about six years ago after he was found with a few other wild dogs in a Texas field. He is a goofy and particular boy who extends his love to a circle of four: my sister, her husband, his fur-sister, and myself. Last year he was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease as well as cancer, both of which have significantly impacted his quality of life. My sister has made the very difficult choice to euthanize him this week. He will be at home and surrounded by love.

I feel this loss more than any I've ever felt loss before, and he isn't even my baby. I can only imagine how they feel losing their special boy.

What can I do for them to make this easier? What's been the most helpful thing someone has done for you while you've grieved your pet? Thank you everyone <3

My beloved dog of 14 years - he was 16 - had to be euthanized yesterday. He was a spunky rescue we got when he was 2 years old. I have always had cats. He was my first dog. He was smart and sweet. Ate people food, sleep on the bed, and was the heart of the house.

I have been crying for 24 hours. I just want him back. My heart aches. I will be 60 in April. I don’t know how many years I have left to have a dog. I can’t fathom getting another dog because it won’t be him. But I miss him so much. I’m lonely without him.

Any advice would be so appreciated.

i had been posting about rocky's decline in the brindledbabes sub and i posted a final update last night: https://www.reddit.com/r/Brindledbabes/s/A0ceN3sfgk

this is very fresh and i know grief is not linear, but i regret everything so much. his earthly body wasn't fully himself when he passed. he still had patches of healed surgical wounds from a month ago. the back of his neck was slightly shaven for them to draw csf fluid for analysis. i hope that didn't hurt too much after waking from anesthesia. i hope those IV sticks didn't hurt too much. they tried to keep him comfortable, and i hope he was. i hope he wasn't in pain from when he has his seizure up until his final breath that i wasn't there for. my biggest fear owning senior dogs was not being there for them when they pass, and now it's happened. vets have already told me he may pass away suddenly due to an inflammation of his brain stem that controls his normal living functions, but they felt optimistic for him. that should've been my warning to bring him home. my gut it was about time for him to go, but he always pulled through in the past, and i wanted him to get better. how can i get over this guilt, or feel less guilty, about my poor judgment to leave him at a hospital two hours away instead of initiated in-home euthanasia for him?

today is a beautiful day, and he would've been so excited to go on a walk. rocky, i hope you're having rounds and rounds of zoomies wherever you are. 🤍

We’re putting our dog down on Monday. He’s been around since I was 8 (23 now) so I’ve had him for more than half of my life, and I feel like I am loosing family. I hate that we have to set a date for his death, but we know it’s time. He is 15 and a lab pit mix so his joints aren’t the best and he’s been having trouble for the last year getting around in the house, and he can’t really control his bladder anymore. I just hate this feeling, it’s been years since I’ve experienced any death. Everyday that it gets closer I just keep feeling worse. I’m going to miss him so much.

When do you stop counting the days? Time stamps are killing me. One month. 4 weeks. 30 days. 31 days in 24 minutes…

There are good days and bad days. Some days I’ll cry a little and some days there’s barely an hour when I don’t cry. I read somewhere (saw in a reel) that grief is not momentary, it strikes again and again. And I can feel it every time I do something as simple as go from my room to the kitchen and look at the empty spot where your bed used to be. Even without leaving my room, I can feel it when I look at the floor or the doormat outside my washroom and realise you’re not lying down there, balled up and barely fitting inside. I used to think I’ll miss the physical affection when you’re gone but I just miss your presence. I open the balcony door and you don’t come running to warn your enemies to not mark their territory in your area. I order food and you don’t come running down at the sound of an intruder. I can leave food on my bed now without thinking twice and I hate it. I don’t know when I’ll be able to walk around the route we used to walk together. It felt like such a burden back then, stopping at every tree and pole because you wanted to smell everything and pee everywhere. How you would stop adamantly at new turns you wanted to take and how I would try to pull you but give up eventually. You gave me the best 10 years of my life because I survived a lot of days knowing that even if no one loved me, at least you did and that was good enough for me. I don’t think I’ll ever get over you and I don’t want to. You showed me a kind of happiness that I had only heard of. I had emotionally blackmailed my father into getting you, saying that I don’t want to grow up without having experienced this bond. I am so grateful to have grown up with you and because of you. As much as this sadness overwhelms me, I will keep trying to remind myself of all the good memories. It’s hard to recall everything without breaking down, but piece by piece, I will keep you in my heart forever. It takes a lot of wishful thinking to get over this sense of loss and I was never an optimist or a believer of destiny. I have always relied on reassurance from other people to get through tough things and my friend told me, “There’s no other way this could have happened. You need to believe that.” It’s hard to not resent yourself or higher power when you believe it could have gone another way but these ifs and buts get me nowhere. As much as my friends reassure me, nothing will come out of it if I don’t reassure myself. I know time will heal because the world doesn’t stop for my grief. As I find myself getting back into some sort of routine, I despise myself for it. My heartbeat starts racing in mundane moments so I keep binge-watching something to escape my thoughts. It feels like I’m doing you injustice if I don’t reminisce your presence. I fantasise about running away from this city, so maybe I can be delusional and picture you living at home like I did back when I was in college. Sometimes, when looking at a big water body or the sky or in a drunken stupor, I talk to you in my head. I tell you I love you and I’m sorry things had gone the way that they had. It reminds me of back when I moved from Delhi to Bangalore and days during COVID when I didn’t have anyone to talk to so I would talk to you. I felt stupid having a one-sided conversation but it was comforting nonetheless. And I guess this is another way of me doing that, knowing that there will be no reply but that things will be heard. You were the sibling I never had and the best friend who never made me feel like a burden. All the love I had for you has nowhere to go. It just stays inside me, overflowing into outbursts, and it comforts and terrifies me at the same time that there will be a day when I will learn to contain it.

Three days ago, my mallard duck was killed by a cat while she was roaming with my two pekin ducks. I've had all three of them for seven months and have grown so attached. I struggle with depression and have had suicidal ideations, but ever since I got the ducks, things felt better again. As a stay-at-home mom, I spend every day with them, watching and playing with them. They even slept in my room in a play yard. No matter how much they pooped, it never bothered me because I loved them so much.

I have cameras in my backyard, and the area is fenced in. I check the cameras almost every ten minutes, and if I don't, I'm usually outside with them. Unfortunately, I slacked this time and didn’t check on them for about 30 or 40 minutes. When I had my husband go check, all I heard was him screaming my name. I ran to the door to find out that a cat had killed my Mally. In that moment, I felt an immense pain like never before. I sat on the floor for an hour, completely blank.

The pain hasn’t gone away. I haven’t moved from my bed since then. I can barely eat or bring myself to go to the bathroom, and I haven’t stopped crying. I lay here in silence, feeling like I’m suffocating. I keep thinking I failed them; it’s my fault, and I don’t deserve them because I couldn’t protect them. I loved her so much. This pain is almost unbearable, and I’m beyond depressed. All I can think about is that I don’t want to be here anymore; I’m spiraling out of control.

I'm struggling to process my emotions and find it hard to talk to people about this. I worry they might think I'm being dramatic or respond with, “it’s just a duck.” But to me, this wasn’t just a farm animal; she was a little soul I loved dearly.

I've posted in the dogs reddit and domebody suggested writing here. I lost my frenchie this week totally unexpected he was 5 and my world. I can't stop crying and can't think straight. I'm at a loss I don't see an end to this. I've list dogs before growing up but this is killing me. I dont know what todo.

Hi, I’ve just lost my cat three days ago. The last time I saw him was six days ago at the vet (he was completely healthy; I just needed someone to look after him for a few days). And the last time I hugged him was twelve days ago, before going away for winter camp.

Plus, I’ve lost all the SD cards that contained the videos of him—his birthdays and stuff—a few days ago.

I viewed him as my little brother and always had convos with him, like: Me: “Hey, I love you (my brother), etc.”

I’ve completely lost it. I just stopped thinking. Every time he comes to my mind, I just put a glass door or close the door to my heart and avoid it, because the guilt and grief will eat me alive for losing him and all the SD cards that contained the videos of him.

I’ve become numb.

Today, I even made a joke about a dead cat (him) leaving a mess for me to clean, to my mom. She looked at me sadly and worried, like I am going insane, and told me to feel all my feelings and let go.

What should I do? I don’t want to feel the guilt and grief right now, as I have enough to deal with. I think I might go crazy if I let go of the numbness.

Wednesday morning at 8:22 am I had to put my baby dog to sleep forever for her to cross the rainbow bridge, my baby's name is Candy she was a 10 year old dog, I got her as a gift when I was 13, she had cancer, the cancer got to her really quickly... Last year i had to moved out to another city here in my country because of work, I couldnt take her with me because even tho she was my everything, she was the whole heart of my home, until last year, we had 4 cats, Candy and another baby dog named Puppy, sadly, last year 2 of the baby cats passed away, Theo and Tom, they were 11, Theo died on April and a month and a day later Tom died as well, in both occasions my grandma (we call her Mamita instead of abuela or abuelita) was at the hospital, she had a surgery when Theo died and she was away for a few days, then a month later she had to go to the hospital again because she got infected by a bacteria and then my beloved Tom passed away, in both occasions I couldn't be present to say goodbye to them, because only a month ago I had gotten the job, I had no experience so it was my first real job opportunity, I mourned them and I miss them when I see their pics. I miss my baby boys a lot, now we only have Selena and Lulu our baby female cats, Selena is 12 and Lulu is turning 5 this year. Selena was the biological sister of Theo. Now, I had to put down Candy to rest this Wednesday, Candy never had health problems or anything like it, but last month after almost 9 months of me being away I finally had a license/some days off to come home, she was well, but I think the cancer got first to her and the symptoms were reflected in her front right paw, that day when I got home I took her to the vet, but the vet told us it was another some kind of infection and I put her to a treatment, she even recovered quickly, I was able to go back to the city where I'm working (a long 5 hour drive and I only have a day off a week so I cannot come home as often as I wish I could), I thought everything was gonna be fine and that my baby girl had more time with us, a few years more, she was turning 11 this Feb 28th.. but she didn't, these last 2 weeks have been the worst of my life, I got into an accident on the 12th, nothing major but it was shocking for me, then that same week I got really sick, and couldn't get up from days, then I got the call last Monday my baby was diagnosed with cancer, that week I even put her to chemo, to try everything I could to get her back to healthy, to prolong her quality life, my Mamita told me she seemed to recover but it was false hope, by the stories I recollected from my aunt and cousin and even my grandma, my Candy stopped walking, even if they tried everything, they tried to gave her all the love possible, and I was just trying to pay the bills from the vet by the distance, I even tho that if she could get better I would keep her under chemo even if I had to go to a debt, but that wasn't the case, by Sunday her condition worsened, she refused to eat, and was in constant fever, my hometown city is really hot between 32 Celsius- 35 C but we have air con back at home, my aunt and cousin are constantly at work so at home only my grandma and my pets are the ones left, but my grandma is 70 so she cannot be exposed to going from one place to another, on Monday they couldn't take Candy to the vet, so on Tuesday I called a friend for her to do me the favor of taking Candy to the vet, then I got the call that I knew was going to break my heart forever... the vet told me that it was better to let my baby go, my family even my mom (she's working and living even far away) who loved Candy so much begged me to let her rest, so I took the first bus home that Tuesday night to be able to say goodbye to my angel in earth, I don't know if it was the best decision to have her euthanized because my heart hasn't been able to rest since that day... but when I saw my little Candy she couldn't even focus her eyes when I talked to her, when she usually always paid attention to everything I said, she couldn't even move her tail anymore, and she couldn't move her hind legs anymore, so I kissed her and told that we will be waiting for her to come back to us or for her to wait for us in the stars, I don't know if I did okay in telling her that her little family will be okay without her, a little heartbroken, but okay somehow. Now my little family only has 4 beloved fur babies, our cats Selena and Lulu, and our male dogs Puppy and Euro, such sweet dogs, the one who's been the saddest about Candys passing is Puppy and the cats because Euro is been with my family for a few months, he's actually my cousin's dog, and about Puppy we adopted him back on 2022, but he was from a neighbor who didn't actually loved him... so we took care of Puppy since then. Either way, my family has lost so many fur babies this past year, and I don't know how to cope, I've even joined so Facebook groups about people losing their pets to try and heal so part of my soul... I'm just heartbroken, but a few nights ago my grandma and I lighted two candles and plead for our baby to cross the Rainbow Bridge, and pray that her lovely soul crossed the stars and for her to rest peacefully... I just want her to come back to me or to wait for me in the stars, my Candy I love you for eternity. And sorry if my English didn't convey everything well, it's not my first language, I'm just trying to let it all out.

On January 31, I had to let my cat D.J. cross the rainbow bridge. She was approximately 13 years old and her heart failed. We'd been together for 12 years. She was a stray who literally ran directly to me as I arrived home from work one day. We were so close! She followed me everywhere in the house. She was always with me - on the couch while we watched t.v., outside the bathroom or shower door, on the pillow behind my head while I was sleeping. At night, I could always reach up to touch her. Now she's no longer there and my heart is broken. I loved her so much! She was an angel, a princess. She gave me unconditional love. There could never be another kitty like DJ. I'm crying every day as I run across things that remind me she's no longer here. I know that with time the pain will ease, but I will never, ever, forget her. Or stop loving her. She gave me so much.

A part of me will always regret this even though it was back in 2016 we put my lovely baby Sparkie down.

She was 16, all her teeth had rotted, super thin and probably had diabetes. The vet wanted to do a bunch of tests on her and that but I didn’t want to put my baby through all of that considering her age and condition.

I know my mother pressed to put her down and I agreed because she was in decline.

I feel like I still don’t know if it was the right decision and I feel guilty for it. Could we have had plenty of more time with her? Was it unfair? Did I do the wrong thing?

It tears me apart sometimes and I just really needed to get this off my chest.

Content warning: Animal abuse, euthanasia, child neglect/trauma.

This... is a heavy and long one. So I want to put the most important thing first: If you have children who're close to a pet and said pet passes away, especially if it's traumatic? Please, please talk to them about it. Help them process and understand it. The grief, the pain, teach them how to preserve the happy memories.

My parents couldn't do that, and now, 20+ years later, I'm still mourning the loss of my childhood cat.

I'll start at the beginning. I'm 32 and when my mum was pregnant with me, my parents got a kitten. Said kitten was named Morris and she slept and purred on my mum's baby bump. So I was sworn to the cats' side since before I was born.

Morris was my best friend. She slept with me in my cot, then in my childhood bed. I shared my lemon lollipop with her on long car rides (less good, I know) and she let me carry her everywhere. Mum's told me of when I was a babe, with a death-grip on Morris' fur, and she just looked up at mum all 'help'. But she never hurt me. She was a fierce little hunter. Curious. Independent.

Then the Disney movie Dinosaurs came out in 2000. My family struggled financially because of my dad (alcohol, child support to two other women, likely gambling) and I rarely got to visit the cinema. But some friends of the family invited me along.

I'll never forget that day, the warm sunlight through green leaves in summer, the police car outside the apartment... Finding my mum sitting on the kitchen floor, sobbing over Morris who was wrapped in a blanket in her arms. Morris who could only walk in circles and was fed honey water in a syringe.

Someone had broken into the basement. I'm not sure if a door was left unlocked or they forced their way in and left the door open. Morris wasn't allowed in the basement, 'cause we didn't want her accidentally getting stuck in there. So of course she was curious and wanted to explore it when she found an open door. (As vague a description of animal abuse as possible is beneath this spoiler-thingy.)

!The burglar put her in the neighbour's freezer.!<

We don't know why. I think they panicked? But someone found her before she passed away and I can't help but wish they hadn't. Maybe then she wouldn't have suffered as much with the damages she sustained.

I've been told by my mum that I was asked if we should let Morris go, and I'm very grateful for being asked. Apparently I said "this is no way to live". I don't know how long it took before we euthanasied her. I don't think it was long, but it was long enough to traumatize all three of us. I didn't come with them to the vet, and I'm unsure if that was by choice or my parents' decision. I stayed with childhood friends and their nanny, marbling paper. I can still remember the smell of the ink.

My life can be divided into before and after Morris' passing. All my dad's issues got worse. Mum's too. I think mum got some blame for the door to the basement? I'm not sure. Some memories are crystal clear, others are hazy.

I couldn't ask anyone about Morris. We didn't get another cat for almost a decade. The pain is still raw and nauseating because I cannot comprehend how someone could do that to an innocent cat. You can also add in that I'm autistic but only got diagnosed at 25, so yeah, I just can't understand. I don't think anyone ever will be able to.

Once, in 2004 at the latest when police were visiting my school to talk about whatever, I mustered up courage. I asked after the talk if they'd heard about this burglary. I think they probably lied when telling me yes. Yes they'd heard of it and they'd also heard that the burglar was sorry for what they'd done. I'm not sure I can believe that, but part of me wants to.

I want to believe it was a panicked mistake that person regretted for the rest of their life, because it has defined mine. Something broke in me that summer day.

A few years ago I adopted my first cat, Beelzy. This summer, my partner and I brought home a second one, Bella. Both of them are happy, silly little goobers who's purrs and soft fur and warm snuggles heal me every day. I'm not sure they will ever be able to mend what's broken, though. There are days I cry just thinking about having to say goodbye to them, too.

I will always love cats. I will always grieve Morris. And I will never understand why she was taken from me the way she was. I can only hope therapy and processing everything that happened to me will help ease my pain.

Thank you, to anyone reading this far. I will kiss my fur-babies on their fuzzy foreheads for Morris' sake and give them pets. I pray we will all find healing in talking about our losses, because while our friends are gone, they will never be forgotten. And as long as they are remembered, are they truly dead?

!No.!<

My almost 15 year old yorkie, Jerry, had a seizure 2 days ago and lost the ability to walk. We have a vet appointment for Monday morning and I have essentially been crying since his seizure.

We got him when I was 13 and I'm 28 now and I've said goodbye to him many times in my life (when I left for college and when my parents moved) but I'm back living with my parents now so this goodbye is particularly hard.

There's a physical stabbing pain in my chest and I'm just not sure how I'll move on from this. This is also my first pet death (and probably last, I don't think I can go through this again).

Yesterday I had to put my baby to sleep and dont know how i am going to go on. Im a single 33F, live alone, and have had my baby since he was 2 months old. He was my entire world.

Sherman was 9 ½ and we were in the process of figuring out if he had Cushing disease. I had taken him to the vet on Thursday for 2 vaccines, full panel of bloodwork and to pick up some heart worm flea/tick preventative. 2 days before the appointment I noticed that he was a tad bit more quiet then usual, but he was still doing all of the things normally. I told the vet and we thought it was possible he was slowing down due to his age. He was otherwise presenting normally!

After the appointment I gave him a dose of Nexgard ( this was his first time giving it because the vet office switched brands and were no longer selling simparica). A few hours later, i noticed he was a little less active but thats to be expected after the vaccines and I read that Nexgards most common side effect was lethargy. Friday he seemed quiet but was still doing everything normally. Saturday morning he ate, but I had to hand feed him. Saturday around 5pm is when I noticed his labored breathing and refusal to eat, he then started panting and I knew I had to take him in. Side note: I called my primary vet Saturday afternoon to express my concerns but was told that if I was worried to go to urgent care.

Saturday night, went to the ER ~9pm and by 1am I had to make the most difficult decision of my life. Come to find out, he was highly anemic, extremely large lymph modes, a mass on his liver, likely had bone marrow cancer and required multiple blood transfusions that ultimately would not help his prognosis.

I woke up this morning an absolute wreck. Sherman was my first pet that I have ever had.

Maybe I’m overreacting, I don’t know. I have a cat I love very dearly and she gave birth last night to two tiny kittens. I’m pretty sure I was there when it happened but she was under my bed. When I got to finally see under the bed one of the kittens was still and my heart sank. I picked it up and it was cold ish n stiff. I can’t stop thinking about it. She only had two babies and one died. I’m so worried this other one is with her right now also under the bed but idk I’m freaking out. I also can’t just move on from losing a kitten? My parents are telling me to stop crying but I can’t. It was a little white baby so small like a little mouse I feel so shit like I should’ve done something different or helped in some way

Long story short: when I was in high school I got a cat because at the time I was a cat person and really wanted my own pet. When I went off to college, my cat stayed with my parents. And when I got to grad school, I found my soul dog.

My pets didn’t get along so my cat ended up living with my parents for the last ten years. They live close (about an hour and a half away) so I see her a couple times a month but we haven’t lived together in a decade (though I tried multiple times).

My soul dog passed away almost a month ago and I’m really missing the caretaking aspect of my life that has completely disappeared. My parents have suggested I take my cat back to fill that hole and I keep going back and forth on whether or not that’s the right move.

My cat is almost 14 now and I selfishly worry that she’ll die on me too but at the same time I think it’s important to spend her remaining years together especially bc I feel so much guilt for basically abandoning her as a teen. I also worry that becoming a cat mom again would be disrespectful to my soul dog (even though she came first) because it’s only been a month since he passed.

The other thing is that my parents have a new dog who is constantly bothering my cat (chasing her around the house/trying to play with her) so I do think bringing her here and allowing her some peace would be best. But I also worry that going from having my soul dog to having my cat will make the grieving process harder because they’re so different in terms of personality/levels of affection.

Idk I’m just very confused about what to do and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Yesterday we had to put my dog, Percy, to sleep. I adopted him from the shelter when he was 2. He had been in the shelter for a year because they found him on the streets, he bit the handler, and he was heartworm positive. I had him for almost 12 amazing, short years. I tried to give him the best life I possibly could. The last two years he has been living with diabetes, so some aspects have been challenging, but it was so worth it. Every morning we’d wake up at the same time, I’d let him outside, give him his breakfast, then give him his insulin. That’s been our routine for the last two years until this morning. I feel so broken and incomplete without him. He was there with me through everything. Bad breakups. New job. Buying my 1st house. My marriage to my wife. Having our first baby 8 months ago. I’m so lucky to have had him. I haven’t stopped crying for 24 hours. I hope he knew how much I loved him. I miss him so much.

This is long, I'm sorry.

Last July I found a stray cat. She was starving, skin and bones, drooling. I started feeding her and finally took her in last October. At her first visit to the vet, she was diagnosed with stomatitis and given antibiotics. The antibiotics fixed the saliva smell, but didn't fix the drooling. She was missing half her teeth so we thought the drooling was because of it. Otherwise, the kitty was eating well. She was grooming, playing with toys, and using the litter box correctly. She is almost compeltely deaf and she learned to be an indoor cat with a catio and outside access through a harness.

Fast forward to 10 days ago, or really a month ago, because I should have noticed the subtle changes sooner. She lost interest in playing, didn't keep up with grooming. She started drooling so much more, leaving stains of saliva mixed with blood on the floor. She started gagging and clawing at her mouth while eating, she still ate but with less interest and much more struggle. However, she would ask to go outside with a harness and was active. We thought the stomatitis was back with a vengeance.

I was cleaning her up one evening when I felt a lump under her chin that was hard as bone. It's kind of flat but almost an inch wide, covering the entire left jaw. I still don't know how I missed it.

We took her to the vet, who said there was a swelling under her tongue, plus the bony mass under her chin, which didn't look good at all. She got shots of steroids and antibiotics for major stomatitis, waiting for further exams while sedated. That was Monday.

She stopped grooming completely and started eating less and less. She had x-rays done Friday night, the mass is almost certainly bone cancer and is basically destroying her left jawbone while pressing under her tongue (that's what the swelling was) causing her to blep constantly. It went too far, nothing can be done.

She also had an abdominal ultrasound, which showed that her organs were all fine and healthy.

Then to the point. Yesterday she was given a shot of painkillers for cancer patients (I guess opiods) and once back home it was a night/day change. She ate three 3oz cans of wet food, drank so much, purred sooo much, she looked very spaced out but was as happy to be alive as I've ever seen her.

She was back in hiding this morning. I guess the pain meds wore off and it wasn't even 20 hours. I tried to give her her favorite wet food, Fancy Feast Paté, she licked it once, clawed at her mouth with both paws like a hamster eating a seed, lost her balance and almost fell forward. After that, she ignored the bowl.

I tried giving her food later this morning, but she wouldn't take any, not even the semi-liquid treats she seemed to like.

A once-a-day opiod shot isn't an option. I could give her strong oral pain meds (forcing her, since she's also become picky about her food), but I feel like I'd only be prolonging her suffering, since they would eliminate the pain but not the physical discomfort of struggling to eat. The tumor is growing under her tongue, making it difficult for her to swallow.

And I don't want her to die hungry the way I found her when she was a stray. She's hungry, she just can't eat. I could make her eat with painkillers, but she would look zoned out half the time, stoned on whatever it takes to kill the excruciating pain she must be feeling right now.

So I texted the vet and scheduled the euthanasia for tomorrow morning. My reasoning is that since she is healthy, she will eventually die of hunger and thirst. She has already lost 2 pounds in the last two weeks.

I'm questioning my decision ever since. She is still moving around, loves to go outside with her harness for her morning walks. I waited too long with my other cat with CKD, the memories of his last night still haunt me, and I don't want to go there with this kitty. But I would also like to keep her a few more days to let her enjoy nature, see the outside world, sleep a little more on her favorite stuffed animal on my bed. I keep telling myself that maybe there's still time, maybe she'll accept some oral painkillers until she can't eat anymore.

This type of cancer is frankly more devastating than any major organ disease because she is still there, she is still herself, and she still chooses not to eat or drink because of the pain, and without pain she eats the right amount but still has trouble gagging and swallowing.

Is this the right decision? Should I cancel and give her a few more days, maybe trying with meds?

She came into the house with her 3 of her legs unable to move and the other one just barely. We rushed to the vet and took her in a basket because we couldn't find the carrier and the vet told us some stuff and then we had to say goodbye. It's the morning after now and it's still crazy. Saying goodbye to her while they had her on the table felt like something in a movie to me. I'm just shocked because my other pets are 2 dogs who are almost 10 and a cat that is almost 16, I never thought the youngest would go first, she was barely 5. Just wanted to share my experience and now I understand pet death, I've lost a few pets before but not this way. Gonna hate going back to normal stuff by Monday, February already ain't my month.

My gray tabby Gretta… I found out she’s in the final stages of liver failure. I’m devastated. This girl has been my ride or die since I brought her home from the rescue. When my dad passed away 2yrs ago she laid in bed with me when I simply couldn’t get out of it. They’re saying she also has an infection in her lungs but they don’t want to give her the treatment because it might kill her because her liver is basically done. They told us not to wait more than 2 weeks. She’s still eating and drinking.. but she’s sleeping a lot she’s not her playful cuddly self and my heart is in pieces. She’s only 3yrs old… you know those moments where you cry over your young cats because you know you’re gonna lose them but you just assume much later down the line … When she was a baby the rescue found her with her neck broken and they helped her. I remember thinking “it’s weird she has no problems if that’s the case” but then she started having seizures in December.. we took her to the vet they said everything was fine she was completely healthy and at this time she wasn’t acting extremely different at all. But then she stopped sleeping in my arms at night and started only staying out in the living room. She started hiding under my bed.. and I knew.. I took her into the vet and my family wanted to wait to tell me the horrible news. I had to drop her off as the tests they were running were gonna take a while especially to get the results back. They called my mom and told her everything and she started to shake. Our tiny baby girl who couldn’t hurt a fly was dying.. she didn’t know how to tell me. The vet is extremely confused and is just as devastated as the rest of us as when she saw her a month ago she was fine and she has no idea how this could have happened so quickly. My baby girl is still kind of acting normal but I can tell her left side is slightly bigger and my heart is shattering and I’m falling apart at my seems. I’ve lost so much in these past few years. My dad passed away in 2023 and then we lost our 2 doggos shortly after they were incredibly old so we were preparing to have to say goodbye but the compounded death really hit us hard. Now our baby Gretta is leaving us far too soon and my heart is in shambles. The anxiety I feel.. the hopelessness.. the helplessness as I watch my girl slowly die before my eyes… I keep wanting to ask for help but there’s nothing anyone can do..

I lost my dog december 2024 due to old age i was sad but numb never cried. I thought it was due to me being mentally prepared he is going to pass soon. I was kinda okay with him passing since he was suffering due to old age. But this morning stray dogs mauled my 8 month old kitten to death in my yard. It was unexpected. Also it is bad to say, but out of my 3 cats i loved this boy the most. But after loosing him even though i am sad but feel numb. I am loving my other cats have no malice towards the stray dogs since it is their instinct to hunt. Can’t blame them. Won’t limit my other cats indoor because i am scared of what might happen. It is just a super weird numb feeling. I just tell myself my was loved and cared for while he lived. But this sense of numbness is weird. I am pretty much cry at the drop of a hat kinda person. But major losses make me feel numb to the core.

Hello everyone.

I'm looking for comfort as I'm not coping well with this news.

The love of my life, my cat, my 5 year old baby has just been diagnosed with chronic renal failure, but also acute. She has kidney stones in one of her kidneys, and the second is much smaller than normal.

Without intervention, her chances of survival are a few weeks at most. With surgery, either her kidney will hold out for a while (a few months, maybe a few years but unlikely...)... but that's not enough. Or his kidney won't hold up and will go anyway in the next few weeks. I'm waiting tomorrow for the surgeons' opinions... and I don't know what to do.

I adopted her from a shelter when she was 3 months old. We've been inseparable ever since. My dog died 3 days ago and was 15 years old, but my cat is still so young, an indoor cat, so full of life in spite of everything... it's unfortunately a genetic deformity and there's nothing we can do except hope to prolong her life by a few weeks or months, which is far too short... I feel like I'm drowning...

I don't know what to do. I know I'll have to face her departure for the rainbow bridge in the next few weeks...

I should pick her up from the vet center tomorrow, if we choose not to operate or if the surgeons feel she has no chance of remission. I'm already in so much pain with my beloved dog who passed away 3 days ago, but she lived a long and beautiful life.

That night without my soul cat was the worst I ever had, only slept 2 hours from exhaustion. And I'm not ready, I just can't cope with the idea of my baby passing away so soon after my dog, and so young...

My sweet girl was put down last Friday - 4 months old.

She has been sick with various infections since we got her home (mainly urinal infection). She has been on numerous antibiotics treatments and also got bloodwork done to see liver and kidney numbers. The bloodwork came back looking fine, but we still had a suspicion that something was not right with her kidneys.

After her last treatment with antibiotics our vet sent us to a special vet who would scan her using ultrasound and just as we had feared- her kidneys were bad, most likely a condition she was born with.

It’s just awful and I miss her so much.

Sleep well, sweetest Ronja.