The FastDay Forum

We have just had to have our lovely Casper cat put to sleep. The vet believed it was cancer, so we brought him home for a few days to pamper and love him. He wasn't in any pain as such, just uncomfortable. He stopped eating 4 days ago and stopped drinking yesterday. From last night he was showing signs that he was shutting down. This morning his breathing started to become faster and more laboured. So we called the vet to come out.

It was a very quick cancer, 3 weeks ago he was climbing over our 8 foot fence with dead rats in his mouth. We have had Casper from birth, he was born on our bed in fact as we still have his mother with us. We honestly were expecting him to live another 5 to 8 years as he was only 11.

Todays scheduled fast is totally screwed, tonight we are having a curry night in honor of Casper, as he loved curries. We have been out and bought a willow tree to plant over him. So that we can see the Catkins every spring. My autistic son is holding it together quite well, it will hit him tonight as Casper always went to bed with Martyn, sleeping at the bottom of his bed. Even my solid, dependable hubby had a blubber earlier on.

He was very much loved, he gave us all so much pleasure and laughter through the years, easing his going was the kindest service we could do him.

Thanks for reading, he may not have been human, so our reaction may seem weird, but he was a true member of our family. He walked on four legs, unless he was standing on his back legs to allow my hubby to reach down and stroke him. He was covered in fur (never learnt to shave), never bathed and didn't learn to speak English. But he was a true, loved and loving member of the family and will be missed by us all.

I'm so sorry for you and anyone here who has lost a pet knows that it is just like losing a family member. You were with him when he went to sleep and you had 11 happy years together. I have lost cats either doing a disappearing act or having to be put down. It never ever gets easier and hurts like crazy. Cry your eyes out, eat your curry, hug your family.

Ah, Julie, I'm blubbing with you! We had to do the same for one of our cats, although he was 19 and we'd had him for 17 of those years.

Take your time, remember him with love and you'll find it will get easier. If your son was around when the vet was there today you'll probably find he understands a lot more than he'll be able to articulate.

Take care, you did the best for him. He's now chasing rats through the sunny meadows of cat heaven.

Aaaawwwwww Julie, I am so very sorry.
I've lost my fair share of pets but the thing that I'm dreading the most is having to make this decision.
I can't even begin to think of how you must be feeling but try to think of the happy life he had, all the love you gave him, all the rats he brought you and the fact that at least he didn't suffer.
Take it easy, honey. I wish there was something I can do to ease the pain.

[Moogie]

My heart goes out to you and your family Julie, as a fellow cat lady I can only imagine how you must be feeling, I well up at the mere thought of losing my Phoebe. Such a sad loss, and so young - but how lovely that you had a few days to say goodbye and remind him just how loved he was.

And God asked the feline spirit
Are you ready to come home?
Oh, yes, quite so, replied the precious soul
And, as a cat, you know I am most able
To decide anything for myself.

Are you coming then? asked God.
Soon, replied the whiskered angel
But I must come slowly
For my human friends are troubled
For you see, they need me, quite certainly.

But don't they understand? asked God
That you'll never leave them?
That your souls are intertwined. For all eternity?
That nothing is created or destroyed?
It just is....forever and ever and ever.

Eventually they will understand,
Replied the glorious cat
For I will whisper into their hearts
That I am always with them
I just am....forever and ever and ever.

Author Unknown

May you take comfort in the company of his furry mother and may your tears of sadness one day turn to tears of laughter as you remember his antics and the happiness he brought you.

Hugs and words can't bring him back, but for what it's worth I'm sending hugs anyway xx

So very very sorry Julie. It is so very hard to lose a family member. I think best thing over the next few weeks is to take your son to a shelter and have him pick out another kitty. I am sure he needs the comfort of a pet.

Totally feel for you. My dog has a slower cancer, although she has less than a month now and it's so sad. Pets bring so much happines to their owners, and so all we can do is make sure that their life is full of happiness. Your cat was clearly very loved, especally treating it to curries!

Hopefully posting on here helped you, the act of talking about your loss is soothing in itself. Don't worry about the fasting, noone would bemoan you missing it out in these circumstances.

Ohhh Julie, I'm so sorry! Each and every one of our pets has been a very precious personality in their own right and losing one never gets any easier. I wouldn't be without the memories they bring to our lives though.

Be kind to yourself today. Fasting will wait a day or so. that at least is the benefit of this WOE. You wont undo weeks of work just by being kind to yourself for a week. Big hug from another crazy cat woman!

Oh Julie,

What can I say, I'm so sorry, I know what this feels like and it is why my pet owning days are over, I just can't go through the pain and misery again.

Your son s really going to miss his sleeping partner so perhaps a new kitten might help you all.

The little cat on my avatar is not mine, she is next doors cat but lives with us when they go on holiday and she pops in here every morning, I'd like to say she does this to see us but I feel sure the reality is the dish of biscuits which is always on our kitchen floor.

Be kind to yourself, I'm all soggy eyed now,

Ballerina x

Not weird at all. I lost our dog in November 2011 to cancer, something similar to you. I am still tearing up sometimes and I don't feel ashamed of it.

Your cat just like my Lucky was part of the family and so it just normal that we greeve for them.

Thinking of you and sending you a hug

I am so sorry Julie....

I had 2 of my beloved cats which died in my arms these past few years, and my sweet dog as well so I do understand what you are going through now.

They are part of our family, giving true and unconditionnal love without asking anything in return, are here through thick and thin. My dog saved my life in 1993 and I don't care if people look at me like if I was mad when I call my cats "my girls"
Big big big big big hug to you and your family

I'm weeping for you. nothing will replace Casper, but you can give another kitty a happy life.We have done that with our dogs and it has helped.

Big hugs to you all.

Lesley

[carieoates]

Oh so sorry Julie, know just how you feel. Even though we share our lives with them for many many years it still hurts like hell. I am also sharing a tear for you and yours. Five years ago one of our teenage cats died whilst we were on holiday and my neighbour (poor thing) had to ring is up to tell us, then the other died a year later, we think he missed her so so much. Time is a great healer. Let it all out it feels better to have a good cry.

Ooohh Julie as I read your post I started with you truthfully because most of us have been there also, I then moved on to everyone's answers now I've totally lost it with jemina. Remembering Sue