My oldest cat...

[DoYouKubuntu]

Hey everybody. My oldest cat died Tuesday. He was one of two that I inherited from my mom when she died. I had family over Sunday and I told them to say their goodbyes to Panther, because this was going to be his last week. I knew he was on his last legs, and I told them I was HOPING he'd die peacefully, here, at home, in the house he's been in for ~11 years, but if he didn't, then by the end of the week I'd take him to my vet...for THAT visit. I called my vet Monday and made an appointment for Thursday afternoon

Tuesday morning I couldn't find him--and there was this distinct, spooky, SILENCE in the house. The other cats were very subdued. After a lot of crawling around on the floor throughout the house, I found him somewhere he never goes, under my bed. He was huddled down there, but still alive. I pulled him out and put him on a soft blanket on my bed. He was cold, so I snuggled him up. I used a syringe to put a drop or two of water at a time in his mouth, because I knew he was thirsty. Throughout the day I'd go back in there to check on him. I'd stroke him, give him a few drops of water, and tell him "it's okay to go to sleep now...Grandma's waiting for you!" Finally, around 7:30pm at my final check, he was gone.

Although I wasn't ridiculously attached to him, as I am and have always been with my own pets, I loved him and cared about him, and I'm really grateful he died peacefully and quietly in my room, and not in the sterile, cold environment of the vet, with people and needles and all that stuff.

It's sad around here with him gone. He was a VERY nurturing cat--really quite unusual for a male. When I first trapped two feral kittens and brought them inside, Panther took them under his wing, so to speak. He groomed them, showed them the ropes around here, taught them where the food and water and litter boxes are, and really bonded with them, one in particular. That one is totally lost right now.

When I get his ashes back from my vet I'm going to bury them in the same area we put some of Mom's ashes, and planted a memorial rose bush over them. It comforts me to think of them reunited.

[claydoh]

{{{hugs}}}
Been there a few times.
They do leave holes in our lives when they are gone.

It is wonderful that he had you there for him!

[Qqmike]

My condolences, DYK. Been through four pet deaths here, and can relate. When they leave, they leave the distinct presence of a certain silence.

[Rod J]

Oh, so sorry for your loss. Been there, done that myself several times.

I'm a real cat lover myself (all animals in general, but particularly cats). My two elderly cats died within two years of each other, one was nearly 20 and the other about 19. They both had kidney failure (very common in old cats). I had to take both of them to the vets to put them to sleep, not an easy thing to do at all. I was hoping they would die at home too, like you, but in the end I think I did the right thing.

I think my old boy was like your Panther, he was a lot more accepting of other cats than my girl was, he introduced a young feral kitten to my place during his life with me. He was always befriending other cats.

I still miss them even though I have a replacement now.

They do leave a hole in your life when they go. So glad you were able to comfort Panther in his last hours.

[MoonRise]

I had to go through that with my wife's and my cat we bought when we got married. She was a great cat and lived a long time. It was hard and I understand how you must feel. My condolences.

[life0riley]

I'm sorry for your loss.

I went through it with my cat in 2006 and my dog in 2008. I would have preferred they died peacefully at home. My cat had kidney failure and my dog had cancer. I kept postponing the trip to the vet and hung on to them as long as I could. We got them at the same time when they were 8 weeks old. My cat lived 12 yrs and my dog lived 14 yrs. We adopted another cat that was a year old in 2007. My old dog would not accept her. They could only be free together under supervision.

I took it hard after my dog died in 2008 and waited a year before getting another dog. My wife convinced me to adopt a 2 year old Golden Retriever in the summer of 2009. It was the best thing I could have done. She is a good TV buddy and she picked me! In addition to this, she is good with our cat. I take her with me whenever possible.

Our dog and cat are 7+ years old now. I hope to have a few more years with them before I have to let them go. I'm so glad you were able to be there for Panther and comfort him.

[DoYouKubuntu]

{{{hugs}}}
Been there a few times.
They do leave holes in our lives when they are gone.

It is wonderful that he had you there for him!

Thanks.

[DoYouKubuntu]

My condolences, DYK. Been through four pet deaths here, and can relate. When they leave, they leave the distinct presence of a certain silence.

Thank you.

Yes, the silence is palpable...and very distinct. I've seen/felt it before, always after a death in the house, either human or otherwise.

[DoYouKubuntu]

Oh, so sorry for your loss. Been there, done that myself several times.

I'm a real cat lover myself (all animals in general, but particularly cats). My two elderly cats died within two years of each other, one was nearly 20 and the other about 19. They both had kidney failure (very common in old cats). I had to take both of them to the vets to put them to sleep, not an easy thing to do at all. I was hoping they would die at home too, like you, but in the end I think I did the right thing.

I think my old boy was like your Panther, he was a lot more accepting of other cats than my girl was, he introduced a young feral kitten to my place during his life with me. He was always befriending other cats.

I still miss them even though I have a replacement now.

They do leave a hole in your life when they go. So glad you were able to comfort Panther in his last hours.

Thanks.

We don't know for sure how old Panther was, but when my Mom and brother first found him, the vet said he was a mature adult, at least 5 years old. So, at minimum, he was 16, but I believe he was closer to 20.

[DoYouKubuntu]

I had to go through that with my wife's and my cat we bought when we got married. She was a great cat and lived a long time. It was hard and I understand how you must feel. My condolences.

Thank you.

[DoYouKubuntu]

I'm sorry for your loss.

I went through it with my cat in 2006 and my dog in 2008. I would have preferred they died peacefully at home. My cat had kidney failure and my dog had cancer. I kept postponing the trip to the vet and hung on to them as long as I could. We got them at the same time when they were 8 weeks old. My cat lived 12 yrs and my dog lived 14 yrs. We adopted another cat that was a year old in 2007. My old dog would not accept her. They could only be free together under supervision.

I took it hard after my dog died in 2008 and waited a year before getting another dog. My wife convinced me to adopt a 2 year old Golden Retriever in the summer of 2009. It was the best thing I could have done. She is a good TV buddy and she picked me! In addition to this, she is good with our cat. I take her with me whenever possible.

Our dog and cat are 7+ years old now. I hope to have a few more years with them before I have to let them go. I'm so glad you were able to be there for Panther and comfort him.

Thank you.

I understand completely about losing your dog. My beautiful Freddie Mercury, a black Great Dane, died in his sleep in my bedroom--the same bedroom Panther died in--on 10/16/08. I was inconsolable. He was 9-1/2 years old--very old for a Dane--and I'd had him since he was 6 weeks old. Ironically, his sister, Queen, died on 10/17/05--how weird is that that they died on consecutive days? Freddie was my sidekick, he went EVERYWHERE with me, including work. I was absolutely lost without him.

The funny thing about this is that, throughout my ENTIRE life, every time I've experienced losing a pet I've stated, "That's it! I'm *NEVER* doing this to myself again!" Bwwwaaaaahhhhh! Next thing you know, there's another cat or dog who needs a loving, forever home, and I'm the sucker who gives it to them.

[Snowhog]

I know what it is like to loose a loved pet. I too, inherited my moms cat.
I had to have a vet end her suffering eventually. It tore me apart. I buried
her in the back yard.

[DoYouKubuntu]

I know what it is like to loose a loved pet. I too, inherited my moms cat.
I had to have a vet end her suffering eventually. It tore me apart. I buried
her in the back yard.

I understand. I hate losing pets, but somehow I can't stop adopting/rescuing them. Oh well.

Anyway, last summer when we had the whole family together, we went to Mom's [and my] favorite spot in Malibu and scattered some of her ashes in the ocean. We had previously put some of her ashes in the backyard and, as I noted above, planted a 'memorial' rose bush over them. (The rose bush is THRIVING! Oh my goodness, its roses are a good 6"-8" across!) So when I get Panther's ashes back they're going to go right there, under the rose bush. This property has been in my family since 1971--my grandmother bought it, then passed it down to my mom, and Mom to me--and will NOT be sold for at least several more generations (I'm making sure of that, legally), so I know their remains will be here, and honored, for a long time to come.

[lcorken]

Last September my wife and I went out of town for a week. Our cat was very old and frail. Cathy was afraid we would come back with a dead leaky cat on the carpet. We couldn't change our vacation so we put her in the garage with bedding, food, water, etc. She was used to being in the garage at times so she was OK with that.

When we came home we mediately checked on her. She was still alive. When she saw us she wobbled over to us and laid down on the floor where we petted her and talked to her. About 15 minutes later she was dead.

It was interesting that she waited till we got back home before she passed.

Ken.

[GreyGeek]

I know how you feel.

Red, Midge, Sam, Daisy, Reba and Rascal.... Huge holes that never fill. My wife can't look at ads showing dogs or cats in horrible conditions. Reba and Rascal were miniature toy poodles. Reba bonded to my wife and Rascal to me. They slept on our bed and went everywhere we went.

Daisy made the biggest hole. A mix of a winner and a Welch corgi with a brown coat, big ears and beautiful eyes. We were buds. He favorite sport was squirrel hunting (with our eyes, not guns). She knew it was a game and when we went to Roper Park she scanned the trees for squirrels with the eye of an eagle. I kept count of how many we saw. She usually won. She was 17 years old when she began having trouble eating because of her teeth. I took her to the vet for dental work. He said there was a possibility she might not survive surgery. She stopped breathing on the table twice and was revived. When I took her home she was a different dog. She was fearful and no longer recognized anyone. She hid under a chair and growled at everyone who approached. My mother in-law had been living with us for nearly twenty years. She had been bed bound for months. A week before I took Daisy to the vet she stopped eating and drinking water, symptoms that Hospice said indicated that her time was coming. Hazel hadn't responded to anyone for that entire week. Suddenly, on Sunday afternoon, Daisy snapped out of it and ran to me with a grin and a tail wag. I picked her up and took her in to see Hazel. because Daisy liked Hazel as well. When I said "Look, Hazel, here is Daisy!", Hazel rolled her head around, opened her eyes and smiled at Daisy. Daisy responded with a lick. Then Hazel closed her eyes and rolled her head back. A half an hour later Daisy was fearful again. Later than evening Hazel began fish-breathing and died that night. Daisy soon followed. I had Daisy cremated and placed the vial containing her ashes in the crook of Hazel's elbow as she laid in her casket. On Hazel's tombstone is carved "Remembering Daisy ...". That was 1998. It took five years before we could rescue two poodles from a puppy mill.