CUunderH2O
Contributor
OK, so last week my beloved cat who's been with me for over 12 years (he was nearly 15) suddenly stopped eating, then went blind & showed signs of brain-damage, eventually losing the use of his hind legs & just lay there on his blanket, all in the space of 30 hours. I took it very hard, as this cat was more than 'just a cat' to me. He's been my constant companion through so many things, and he's been more like a dog anyway. He followed me from room to room, he fetched, and he was always waiting for me by the front door when I came home from work, his little face looking through the window at me. He'd come to me when I called him, and he'd always respond to me by making some sort of cat-noise. He was a very interactive, vocal cat and his personality could not be beaten. Of course he had to be put down, and it was just horrible. The vets think he had a stroke, an aneurism or a brain tumour.
I've never had to put down a pet before, and none of my cats when I was a kid lived very long, all being outdoor cats that were lost during a snowstorm. So it's not like I've been through this sort of thing before, it was very hard for me, and it still is. I have another cat, but she's not the same kind of cat, she's like a 'real' cat, who does her own thing & pretty much ignores me unless she wants to eat, play or go outside. It's only been 6 days since I lost my 'baby', and, while I'm starting to feel better, it's still really hard.
I ended up taking the day off when I took him in for his last trip to the vet, and I know some people are annoyed about that at work. But these are the same people who take days off because their kids are sick! Just because I don't have kids doesn't mean I don't have the right to grieve for a loved one, no matter that it's not human.
Another thing, none of the men I know, even though they are pet owners & spoil their pets rotten, have even said one thing to me about it! Don't they realize that it's nice to hear from friends when you're feeling depressed about things like this? It's not making me feel any better, that's for sure. One of my friends who lost her beloved dog a few years ago found out about my cat and immediately contacted me; she knew exactly how I was feeling, and it was comforting to know that and to hear from her. Others were checking up on me constantly through email, which was nice, too. OK, so I'm wallowing about in self-pity right now, but have a heart, is it too much to ask to give me a week to mourn for my 'baby'. I don't mean a week off work, I mean a week of feeling blue. After that, I guess I'll just have to go on.
Diving will certainly help, as soon as the weather clears up again.
Thanks for understanding.
I've never had to put down a pet before, and none of my cats when I was a kid lived very long, all being outdoor cats that were lost during a snowstorm. So it's not like I've been through this sort of thing before, it was very hard for me, and it still is. I have another cat, but she's not the same kind of cat, she's like a 'real' cat, who does her own thing & pretty much ignores me unless she wants to eat, play or go outside. It's only been 6 days since I lost my 'baby', and, while I'm starting to feel better, it's still really hard.
I ended up taking the day off when I took him in for his last trip to the vet, and I know some people are annoyed about that at work. But these are the same people who take days off because their kids are sick! Just because I don't have kids doesn't mean I don't have the right to grieve for a loved one, no matter that it's not human.
Another thing, none of the men I know, even though they are pet owners & spoil their pets rotten, have even said one thing to me about it! Don't they realize that it's nice to hear from friends when you're feeling depressed about things like this? It's not making me feel any better, that's for sure. One of my friends who lost her beloved dog a few years ago found out about my cat and immediately contacted me; she knew exactly how I was feeling, and it was comforting to know that and to hear from her. Others were checking up on me constantly through email, which was nice, too. OK, so I'm wallowing about in self-pity right now, but have a heart, is it too much to ask to give me a week to mourn for my 'baby'. I don't mean a week off work, I mean a week of feeling blue. After that, I guess I'll just have to go on.
Diving will certainly help, as soon as the weather clears up again.
Thanks for understanding.
