My almost 19 year old Bradshaw was so healthy the vet said "he might be one of those cats who lives into his 20s". He could still jump from the floor to the counter and had lost almost no muscle mass. He got regular checkups and the only thing that we treated him for was hard stool once in a while. My husband called me at work and said Bradshaw was acting funny--he was going into the basement, on the porch--this was a cat who spent 23 hours a day in our bedroom. When I got home he acted "funny" his eyes seemed a little wild and he didn't want to sit on my lap as he usually did. We took him to the vet the next day and his labs were all good. Took him back later that day for more blood tests. This time his red blood cell count was low and his white blood cell count was high--neither off the charts. He got an antibiotic shot and came home. By the next morning he was nearly comatose. We took him to the evet to be put to sleep and he died in my arms. I am kicking myself for not getting an autopsy but we decided it wouldn't change anything. I had 10 cats at one point and all but two are gone now and the one thing I have learned is that cats can really go downhill fast. I miss him so much. Anyone else have this kind of experience?
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My cat just died
- Thread starter palikakitty
- Start Date
I have had a similar experience with Hector she had been off her food for a few days then she started to have accidents so took her to the vet. They did a test on her blood and her urine and found she had a full bladder infection as well as advanced ckd they gave her a shot of antibiotics and an apatite stimulant and the vet said she should recover from the bladder infection and still live for another year or two.
After bringing her home Hector already started to show improvement the next day (Wednesday) she was full of life but the day after she was off her food again. Her condition went downhill from there until Saturday when she only wanted to sleep we were going to have her put down that night after work but instead she passed away at home.
I was sitting on the couch when she got off her blanket and dragged her body towards me. I picked her up in my arms and knew it was for the last time she passed away in my arms and I told her "stop fighting it, I'm ready. Thank you Hector for everything. If I could do it again I wouldn't change a thing" then as her conscious slipped I heard the death rattle and lay her down she was gone.
We called the vet and told her what happened and she was shocked Hector had died. The vet believed Hector had a heart event.
this happened over the course of a week and from Christmas day to New years.
Here is Kabby saying goodbye this was taken a day before Hector died.
After bringing her home Hector already started to show improvement the next day (Wednesday) she was full of life but the day after she was off her food again. Her condition went downhill from there until Saturday when she only wanted to sleep we were going to have her put down that night after work but instead she passed away at home.
I was sitting on the couch when she got off her blanket and dragged her body towards me. I picked her up in my arms and knew it was for the last time she passed away in my arms and I told her "stop fighting it, I'm ready. Thank you Hector for everything. If I could do it again I wouldn't change a thing" then as her conscious slipped I heard the death rattle and lay her down she was gone.
We called the vet and told her what happened and she was shocked Hector had died. The vet believed Hector had a heart event.
this happened over the course of a week and from Christmas day to New years.
Here is Kabby saying goodbye this was taken a day before Hector died.
I'm sorry for your loss and I mean it.
My cat Pretty Kitty died 11 days ago after a short battle with lung cancer, she was 16. She looks a lot like that Hector on the previous post, just with longer hair. I'm in deep mourning, I've never felt so sad in my whole life. So bad that we are expected to just carry on and function normally when our pets just died.
I know I will recover and eventually my heart and home will be ready to love another cat. Right now I still have Thomas (Kitty's twin brother) and Baby.
My cat Pretty Kitty died 11 days ago after a short battle with lung cancer, she was 16. She looks a lot like that Hector on the previous post, just with longer hair. I'm in deep mourning, I've never felt so sad in my whole life. So bad that we are expected to just carry on and function normally when our pets just died.
I know I will recover and eventually my heart and home will be ready to love another cat. Right now I still have Thomas (Kitty's twin brother) and Baby.
I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my Maine Coon Tama recently on Feb. 17th to cancer. It seemed to happen really quick. I had noticed that he seemed to be sleeping more and moving slower but I just attributed to him getting old. He was 15 and 8 months. I has started taking him on walks and year or so ago just trying to get him to get some exercise. The walks started being 30 mins to an hour. They gradually got shorter and some days he would go half way down the driveway which is only about 50ft and stop and just look around. Maybe walk over and eat a little grass. I would ask him what he was doing and he would just look at me. Then I would ask him if he wanted to go back inside and he would turn and walk back to the door. Some days I would let him out on his own and he never went more than about 20 or 30 ft from the door. I would watch him out the windows and he would just go out and lay right out side the carport on the driveway or on the front stoop or back deck. Occasionally he would go out and lay by the pool and drink out of the pool. Looking back on it I think he knew and he was just taking everything in and savoring the moment. We had some really good weather this winter and he was enjoying it. Just 2 weeks before he past he seemed to feel really good and was talking a lot and poking me on my upper lip getting me up in the morning when the alarm clock went off. I noticed it didn't seem he was eating as much dry food but didn't think a lot of it but then one night he didn't eat his wet food I would give him as a treat. He usually would lick the shine off the bowl. I knew something was up then. I spent 3 days going to the vet trying to figure out what was wrong. Went to two different vets. Blood test, thyroid test, x-rays and then finally ultra sound where he was diagnosed with terminal cancer that spread out through his body. Two days later he was gone. He never seemed to be in pain just tired. He was alert and responding to touch all along. He was eating and drinking just not like normal. I think he was doing it more for me to be honest. I was going to take him Fri morning to put him down. He went into respiratory failure 15 mins after midnight. I grabbed him up and was gonna rush him to the Emergency Vet. I was telling him not to fight it. It was ok, he could go. I think he passed about the time I laid him in the seat. It's a pain like I've never felt. I had never had an animal live that long that was so easy to love. He was lying on the couch beside me one night, I was rubbing him under his chin and neck and he was just looking up at me and I told him when he was ready to go to find my dad and he would take care of him and send me a sign that he was ok. Two days after he passed I had just finished cleaning my pool, it was over cast and the sun was setting. I noticed the clouds were breaking in the west and it was drizzling rain. I went inside and shut the door. For some reason something told me to walk back out. When I did I turned around and there was the most beautiful, vivid rainbow I had ever seen and it was arching over my house. Exactly a week later I logged onto my computer. Microsoft sends pics to my comp. and they rotate out. One came up that was a rainbow and a brick road fading into the distance. When I logged in the screen locked and the picture I have of Tama on my comp. bled through behind it and all I seen was his head under the rainbow like a ghost. It freaked me out. He acted like he understood what I was saying when I said for him to send me a sign. Maybe I'm just crazy!? lol
My heart goes out to you and I know just how you feel! It gets easier with time but I still find myself getting choked up from time to time. I wish you the best. I never thought I could love an animal so much. Maybe more than any human. I totally relate to what you going through.
My heart goes out to you and I know just how you feel! It gets easier with time but I still find myself getting choked up from time to time. I wish you the best. I never thought I could love an animal so much. Maybe more than any human. I totally relate to what you going through.
After reading your post again I'll add. I look back and think. I should have seen this, I should have caught that. What if I would have done this. Could I have saved him and maybe gave him a few more years. If I had caught the cancer early and decided to try and fight it I may well have lost him sooner from the treatment. If it happens again with another cat I may be smarter about it knowing what I know now. He lived a good life and never wanted for anything and we brought each other a lot of joy and happiness. I wouldn't beat your self up about it.
Most of the time there is just no delaying the inevitable. You gave Bradshaw 19 years of love and a wonderful home, that is all he ever wanted. Try to not dwell on the end, but celebrate the 19 years of love you shared, he shared your life's path and now has come to that crossing we all must face. He will continue to follow you for the rest of your life, a love that strong builds a bond so strong it can never be taken away. And because it is spiritual, not held to this earth by earthly chains, it is eternal. The 'essence' of Bradshaw is there, embrace it and continue to give him the love and comfort he will always crave from those he loves so much. My heart goes out to you, I know how much this hurts, but remember that same heart holds that sweet boy now, and he would never want such pain to flood it because of him. Take care........RIP sweet Bradshaw, you will never be forgotten and will always be held in a loving heart! Sleep tight, sweet Prince!
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He was a beauty!
You will miss him, but he will be right there where he's always been, around your head at night, and I'm sure you'll be dreaming of him every night.
RIP Bradshaw!
You will miss him, but he will be right there where he's always been, around your head at night, and I'm sure you'll be dreaming of him every night.
RIP Bradshaw!
Hector will always have a special place in my heart. I got her as a gift from my mom when I was 11. She was always there for me through my teenage years when I struggled with depression. I believe Hector saved my life on more than one account if it wasn't for her I may have actually killed myself.
Last Summer our 7 year-old Skipper just started crying out of the blue, had been fine or so we thought before that, so that night we took him to the vets, same thing as you, bloodwork was fine, gave him an antibiotic shot thinking it might be a urinary infection, took him home, he cried the next morning a bit, when we came home from work we found him dead on the floor. Sometimes, I guess these bad things just happen, and it is their time to go, whether short or long like Bradshaw, you were lucky to have had him that long and vice-versa, but it still hurts like crazy, we know.
May your heart heal a bit each day, God Bless.....
May your heart heal a bit each day, God Bless.....
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I am So SO sorry for your loss. All of your losses. <3 <3
I haven't had a similar experience but I did have a kitten pass away in the past. I'm so sorry for your loss and how you may be feeling at this time. Your little man is so fortunate to have had such a wonderful mommy.
@palikakitty So sorry. Be strong. Strong, not in the way we normally think, like in the cliches of "don't cry," "chin up," but in realizing it is alright to cry, to mourn, to miss them so, that it feels like your heart is tearing out. There is strength in realizing and accepting that not only is tomorrow not promised to us as humankind, but also to these gorgeous little creatures that latch onto our hearts, moving into our lives to the point we often accept them as our little children. At times they are remarkably like little kids, with our humor, our sensitivities, humility, full of love and joy for life itself. Be brave...embracing the ebb and flow of tides, in their wistful dreamy lives. Be of good cheer.
Bradshaw was such a beautiful boy, I am truly sorry for your loss. I wish there were words to help ease your pain but sadly when we lose a special little soul and dear friend words fail. RIP sweet boy, know that you will always be loved
I've never experienced this kind of loss before this past week. I'm so sorry that so many of you are going through this. Our beautiful ginger Tomcat Maine passed away five days ago. He was only 2 and a half and sick for one day which I thought was a stomach bug of some kind. He disappeared when I got back from work ready to take him to the vet and after a day and night of searching and handing out leaflets, our neighbour three doors down and across from us called me to say he had found our beautiful boy in the garden under the biggest tree and among the flowers peacefully sleeping forever.
I could beat myself up and wonder what would have happened if I had rushed him to the vets the minute he was sick or what would have happened if I had climbed over our neighbours fences in search for him but I know I did everything I could to give him the most loving, caring and safest home.
I'll miss him burying his nose under my armpit as he slept in my bed and having his paws on either side of my neck to give me little cuddles. And I'll miss his wet little beard every time he had a drink. This has definitely taught me to value those around me more. Family friends and pets are never promised to us forever and we should enjoy them while we can.
I could beat myself up and wonder what would have happened if I had rushed him to the vets the minute he was sick or what would have happened if I had climbed over our neighbours fences in search for him but I know I did everything I could to give him the most loving, caring and safest home.
I'll miss him burying his nose under my armpit as he slept in my bed and having his paws on either side of my neck to give me little cuddles. And I'll miss his wet little beard every time he had a drink. This has definitely taught me to value those around me more. Family friends and pets are never promised to us forever and we should enjoy them while we can.
