On love and loss

Lovely cat honeypot. I'm having a rest after a lovely lunch and DDs puss is keeping me company as the others are playing table tennis loudly.

Christmas the third one without husband but I do have two lovely rescue cats. This is Willow she was very nervous when I got her but is now happy, eating a lot and enjoying soft places to sleep. Last month she was very ill but with vets treatment (and horrendous bill) she is better now and such good company for me

I think you did the right thing although it's always a difficult decision we have to make. A few years ago I lost my 18year old cat and missed him terribly. I said I wouldn't have any more but 6 months later there was an ad by the local cats' home. They had a cat who had been with them quite a while but she was old and ill with various things and they wanted here to be able to spend her last months in a home. I couldn't resist and it was so special to make her last year a really happy one. I then had another who was 16 years and it seems she was rejected by her family when she got ill so she then had a happy and comfortable end with me, I loved her dearly. It was difficult when I had to let them both be put to sleep but was the right time when it came. I am now looking after a cat, through the RSPCA, who has been very badly treated in the past. Doing anything such as putting stronghold on is very difficult as she is so wary, I had loads of bad scratches at first as she was so scared and had to defend herself. Now she curls up beside me and purrs and purrs but is still wary of sudden movements or noises. I still have to be careful but it is so rewarding when she is stretched out in the sun and relaxed and happy.

I started a thread at the time I lost my last cat. Of course you did the right thing. You did it because you loved her.

That is the tragedy with cats and dogs, their life span is so short and we must overcome the loss and grieve so many times, that is the price we have to pay.

Last Monday I had to have my beautiful
Cat Zena put down .She had developed over this year breast cancer and had a visible mass on her underside.Even though she had stopped running about and was basically laid on a comfy chair all the time , she had also got a little growth that appeared at her throat, I still feel incredibly guilty for actually ending her life.
The vet said they could have tried to remove it but he was doubtful it was just in skin normally it in lungs too.
I loved her so much and I'm very sad .
We have to think for our pets and judge them by their actions and responses I know in my heart that after having Zena for ten years she was at her end .
I wanted to write this because I know others will question their decision as I have but know that the bond between a pet and you has developed over time and trust your judgement on their behalf to have been what was best for them xx

Hi Grannylyn.
Wot, MiniMouse, and nigglynellie are so right.
Please do try to go to that Cat Shelter. There will be a gorgeous Purr-son there just waiting for someone like you who will love and care for them.
Just imagine yourself at home with a gorgeous Cat on your lap purring with happiness because he/she has been given another chance and finally found a loving home.
Grannylyn, please take the chance and go for it as you will both benefit.
Good Luck x

When our darling Millie died two years ago from a particularly vicious cancer aged 11, I honestly thought I'd never recover, but DH persuaded me a year ago to look at a new baby, and now Cassie has come into our lives, and what a darling she is! I've told her all about Millie and she's been so sympathetic, what a little star she is and what an old fool I am!! All I'm saying, is that it is possible to find, if not a darling, a sweetheart to love again! Cas has just jumped onto my lap for a cuddle!!!!

grannylyn65 I didn't think I could bear to have another cat after mine had to be put to sleep - I only managed to hold out for two weeks and then I was off to Cats Protection!

Go for it grannylyn! There's a pussy cat waiting for you to love and care for!

Reassuring post, lost my 17 yr old cat a few months ago and trying to psych myself up to visit local cat shelter x

Oh Apricot, you are not being stupid at all, you are still grieving for your beloved pets. You have lost 3 pets in a year, no wonder you are scared for the future of your new Dog.
When we have our adored pets, especially when they get to a certain age, we worry about their future. We know that there will be a time when they will leave us. Our much loved Cat had to be put to sleep over a year ago at over 18 years old, we were absolutely distraught. He broke our hearts when he left us.
My Darling Mum used to say "Better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all".
It was hard to understand at the time, but as time went on, it made sense.
We loved our Darling Boy, and he loved us. He spent 18+years in a happy home. We are so very very grateful that we were able to be his guardians for those years despite the pain of losing him.
Your new dog is also very much loved by you. Try not to focus on her expected life span, and focus on the fact that she is with a wonderful and caring new owner who has adopted her and made her very happy.
What more can we give our pets but the gift of happiness?

For the beloved pets that you have so sadly lost, can I suggest a site to visit.
It is called Rainbow Bridge. You can find it online.
It is a memorial site for Pets.
I can highly recommend it. You can post photos too.
It really is worth a look.
Best Wishes to you.

Oh, that's lovely, SunnyB!

Never stupid! When I lost my husband 5 years ago my world collapsed. The loneliness was unbelievable. It was my 2 Daxi dogs who saved me, dragging me out for walks, mopping up tears that streamed, making me laugh, talking to me, with me. I love them utterly, my loyal friends that never walked away from my grief.

Enjoy your pets apricot, and you aren't being stupid. Carry on loving her as you are doing. Every day you have with each other will be a bonus.

If you're being stupid, then so am I! Over the years, I've lost four cats unexpectedly and now, like you, I'm dreading something will happen to my little rescue cat She'd had a horrible life and is very immature at times in terms of repeating the same mistakes constantly (rolling over on the back of a chair tends to be interrupted by the pull of gravity!). She just doesn't learn!