Loving cats <> taking care of cats

Cheryl wrote:
On Thu 19 May 2005 09:55:09p, Brian Link wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav
):

I dunno. Do you guys know what I'm talking about? I want these
kitties to be extremely happy - and have trouble looking past
the short-term problems toward the benefit over the long haul.

Cats have short memories. When they're happy and healthy again (if
they were sick that is) they won't remember what they went through to
get well. Then again, if its something that goes on for a long time
(being attacked by another cat for example, over and over again, for
a long time before the human steps in) it can cause long term trauma
that may never be overcome.

Oh yeah, right. When your cat's only experiences in a car are going to the
vet ... cats don't forget the horrors at the end of the "leaving home" ride.

-L. wrote:

Your animal's last memory will be of being scared and alone
at the hands of a stranger. Who deserves to carry the burden - you
or
your beloved pet? I know I want my animals to know they were loved
by
ME right until the last breath.

This was the hardest part of having Nic euthanized. The vet had taken
him away to place a cath but his veins were shot and she couldn't get
one in. They came back and asked if they could sedate him to make
things easier. Because I was upset and not thinking straight, I
agreed. Which meant that the next time I saw him, he was asleep...I
never really got to tell him goodbye. I mean, I held him while they
gave the final shot, but that's not the same. I should have insisted on
going back with him. My cat's last memory was of stranger's touching
him and hurting him and I wasn't there. I will NEVER forgive myself
for that. It haunts me. That was over a year ago and I'm sobbing just
thinking about, because I can't believe I let that happen. I honestly
did want to be there with him, to let him know I was doing this because
I loved him so damned much, but I just...I wasn't thinking. It breaks
my heart when people just drop off their pets and they're all alone.
But if it helps anyone out there, we really do treat such animals with
love and respect. We try to make things gentle and peaceful. Grief
makes people do things they regret sometimes. I had time to prepare
for Nic's death and I still lost my head and did something terrible.
How much worst must it be for someone who wasn't expecting it, as in
the case of an accident or sudden illness? I guess I'm just saying
that I do think owners should stay with their pets...but I don't want
to judge too harshly anyone who does not because I've been there and it
rips me apart inside.

Sethran

Dom wrote:
This was the hardest part of having Nic euthanized. The vet had
taken
him away to place a cath but his veins were shot and she couldn't get
one in. They came back and asked if they could sedate him to make
things easier. Because I was upset and not thinking straight, I
agreed. Which meant that the next time I saw him, he was
asleep...I
never really got to tell him goodbye. I mean, I held him while they
gave the final shot, but that's not the same. I should have insisted
on
going back with him. My cat's last memory was of stranger's touching
him and hurting him and I wasn't there. I will NEVER forgive myself
for that. It haunts me. That was over a year ago and I'm sobbing
just
thinking about, because I can't believe I let that happen. I
honestly
did want to be there with him, to let him know I was doing this
because
I loved him so damned much, but I just...I wasn't thinking.


He knows you loved him. You can bet on that.

It breaks
my heart when people just drop off their pets and they're all alone.
But if it helps anyone out there, we really do treat such animals
with
love and respect. We try to make things gentle and peaceful.

Are you a vet tech too? I was for awhile - I took the job for fun,
just to learn more about vet medicine. I lved that job in so many
ways. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I, too, always tried to make
the transition easy for the animals, to let them know they are loved.

Grief
makes people do things they regret sometimes. I had time to prepare
for Nic's death and I still lost my head and did something terrible.
How much worst must it be for someone who wasn't expecting it, as in
the case of an accident or sudden illness? I guess I'm just saying
that I do think owners should stay with their pets...but I don't want
to judge too harshly anyone who does not because I've been there and
it
rips me apart inside.

Oh absolutely. I have BTDT when myu Mom died unexpectedly. It kills
me still.

-L.

In article . net, 1chip-
enlightened us with...

Do you wish to cherish the memory of your pet's last moments as having its
eyes open ... or closed? This I believe is what separates those who watch
their pet's euthanisation from those who won't.

For some, that is possibly true.

For others, it's about ourselves as well as our pets. I had to be present for
my cats who were PTS because all I could think about was how I didn't want
them to feel frightened and abandoned at their time of death. And I wanted to
be assured that they *didn't* suffer at that time. I wanted their last memory
to be of me holding them and petting them, not some stranger putting them on
a cold table and sticking them with a needle. It sure made me feel better
(later -- I was a wreck at the time) and I truly hope it made a difference
for my kitties.
My last memories of my cats who have been PTS is them looking peaceful, lying
on a towel, like they were sleeping. This is not a bad memory to have. It
makes me feel good that I know they were indeed at peace when they died.

--
--
~kaeli~
A plateau is a high form of flattery.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

kaeli wrote:
In article . net,
1chip- enlightened us with...

Do you wish to cherish the memory of your pet's last moments as
having its eyes open ... or closed? This I believe is what
separates those who watch their pet's euthanisation from those who
won't.

For some, that is possibly true.

Hi Kaeli. Did you notice how literal one member here became ... stating
that a euthanasized cat dies with its eyes still open? Talk about missing
the big picture. Sheesh.


For others, it's about ourselves as well as our pets. I had to be
present for my cats who were PTS because all I could think about was
how I didn't want them to feel frightened and abandoned at their time
of death. And I wanted to be assured that they *didn't* suffer at
that time. I wanted their last memory...

It's actually YOUR last memory. Memories disappear with brain death.

... to be of me holding them and
petting them, not some stranger putting them on a cold table and
sticking them with a needle. It sure made me feel better (later -- I
was a wreck at the time) and I truly hope it made a difference for my
kitties.

Of course. You still have the rest of your life to process the grief and
loss.


My last memories of my cats who have been PTS is them looking
peaceful, lying on a towel, like they were sleeping. This is not a
bad memory to have. It makes me feel good that I know they were
indeed at peace when they died.

That final image is a powerful one. Choose it wisely. It will be with you
for a long time.

"Philip" wrote
Hi Kaeli. Did you notice how literal one member here became ... stating
that a euthanasized cat dies with its eyes still open? Talk about missing
the big picture. Sheesh.


Right. The fact is you have never been with an animal that you had
euthanized, or you would have known that.

In article . net, 1chip-
enlightened us with...

For others, it's about ourselves as well as our pets. I had to be
present for my cats who were PTS because all I could think about was
how I didn't want them to feel frightened and abandoned at their time
of death. And I wanted to be assured that they *didn't* suffer at
that time. I wanted their last memory...

It's actually YOUR last memory. Memories disappear with brain death.

Yes and no.
It is my last memory of them, true.
But I meant it's the last thing they experience -- now who's being too
literal? LOL
Also, I don't rule out the possibility of life after death in some form or
another, so I can't rule out the possibility that we do actually remember
things after we die somehow. I have seen no true proof either way (nor do I
expect to), and it's against my scientific mind, yet my spiritual mind wants
to think it is true...so I figure I might as well err on the side of caution.
It doesn't hurt anything for me to be there, and there is a chance that it
hurts my beloved pet for me to NOT be there. Actually, for those few minutes
before death, it's nearly a guarantee that it hurts them if I'm not there.
So, I have to be there.

My last memories of my cats who have been PTS is them looking
peaceful, lying on a towel, like they were sleeping. This is not a
bad memory to have. It makes me feel good that I know they were
indeed at peace when they died.

That final image is a powerful one. Choose it wisely. It will be with you
for a long time.


So very true.
Choose wisely whether to acompany your pet to be PTS also because it's not
like you can ever change your mind. If you choose to not go, then later you
feel guilty, you're pretty much feeling guilty over that for the rest of your
life, to some extent. I didn't go with my dog when I was a kid and it bothers
me to this day. Whether the feelings are rational or anthropomorphizing or
not is subjective and debatable. The fact is, I feel them and they suck.

That's why this decision is such a difficult one for many people -- you can't
take it back. My Mom almost didn't go with our Tom when it was his time. She
said she just couldn't do it, that it hurt too much. She was going to have me
take him. We all loved him, and he loved us, but Mom was his favorite person.
I told her I would take him, but explained that she might feel guilty over it
later if she didn't go. She decided to go. She thanked me later and told me
how much it eased her mind to know that his last moments were indeed
peaceful.
It's as much, if not more so, for our own peace of mind as for our pet's,
when you really think about it. All I know is that I have only NOT gone once,
and I regret that a lot. I have never regretted being there. So, that's why I
have to go.

--
--
~kaeli~
Local Area Network in Australia:... the LAN down under.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

kaeli wrote:
In article . net,
1chip- enlightened us with...

For others, it's about ourselves as well as our pets. I had to be
present for my cats who were PTS because all I could think about was
how I didn't want them to feel frightened and abandoned at their
time
of death. And I wanted to be assured that they *didn't* suffer at
that time. I wanted their last memory...

It's actually YOUR last memory. Memories disappear with brain death.

Yes and no.
It is my last memory of them, true.
But I meant it's the last thing they experience -- now who's being too
literal? LOL
Also, I don't rule out the possibility of life after death in some
form or another, so I can't rule out the possibility that we do
actually remember things after we die somehow. I have seen no true
proof either way (nor do I expect to), and it's against my scientific
mind, yet my spiritual mind wants to think it is true...so I figure I
might as well err on the side of caution. It doesn't hurt anything
for me to be there, and there is a chance that it hurts my beloved
pet for me to NOT be there. Actually, for those few minutes before
death, it's nearly a guarantee that it hurts them if I'm not there.
So, I have to be there.

You do have an unusual level of wisdom for your years, Kaeli.

"Better to conduct your life as if there is a Heaven but then find out there
isn't one .... than to conduct yourself as if there is no Heaven and then
find out there is."


My last memories of my cats who have been PTS is them looking
peaceful, lying on a towel, like they were sleeping. This is not a
bad memory to have. It makes me feel good that I know they were
indeed at peace when they died.

That final image is a powerful one. Choose it wisely. It will be
with you for a long time.


So very true.
Choose wisely whether to acompany your pet to be PTS also because
it's not like you can ever change your mind. If you choose to not go,
then later you feel guilty, you're pretty much feeling guilty over
that for the rest of your life, to some extent. I didn't go with my
dog when I was a kid and it bothers me to this day. Whether the
feelings are rational or anthropomorphizing or not is subjective and
debatable. The fact is, I feel them and they suck.

You were a kid. Gathering wisdom requires life experiences.

That's why this decision is such a difficult one for many people --
you can't take it back. My Mom almost didn't go with our Tom when it
was his time. She said she just couldn't do it, that it hurt too
much. She was going to have me take him. We all loved him, and he
loved us, but Mom was his favorite person. I told her I would take
him, but explained that she might feel guilty over it later if she
didn't go. She decided to go. She thanked me later and told me how
much it eased her mind to know that his last moments were indeed
peaceful.
It's as much, if not more so, for our own peace of mind as for our
pet's, when you really think about it. All I know is that I have only
NOT gone once, and I regret that a lot. I have never regretted being
there. So, that's why I have to go.

--

"kaeli"

This is not a bad memory to have. It
makes me feel good that I know they were indeed at peace when they died.

--
--
~kaeli~
A plateau is a high form of flattery.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace


I'm jumping in middle of thread, want to say, my Aunt had her cat "Bentley"
cremated, now Bentley sits on the fireplace mantle.

--
Barry

.... Women and cats are both black at night. - Bosnia ...