Cat Trouble 2
By Friday lunchtime we had made the decision. The cat had been unwilling/unable to eat much for a couple of days before (despite happily slurping away on regular cat treats) and she had spent most of each day stretched out on the floor. She wasn't grooming herself, she had episodes of diarrhoea and at one point was trying to vomit.
An appointment was made in the afternoon and we took her down to the vet to have her put to sleep. After an agonising 40 minute wait we we were seen, the vet took her away to get a cannula fitted, then brought her back in with a massive fluffy blanket. The cannula stopped her from standing, but she tried anyway. As the first few millilitres of drug went into her she immediately slumped and then she was gone.
It was difficult carrying an empty cat carrier back to the car. It was difficult washing up her food bowl which had held all that unwanted food. It was difficult getting up in the morning and not have her trot behind me, meowing loudly for her breakfast.
The last time we lost a pair of cats the house seemed unpleasantly empty, but thankfully this time we had still a cat in the house. He's been getting extra fuss and attention, most of which he grudgingly tolerates.
Still the thought of "did we do the right thing" intrudes. She was sick, she was frail, she wasn't obviously suffering, but she wasn't right. Did we let her go too soon? Did we keep her going for our own sake (when we said we weren't going to do that)? It's hard to say. She has gone and we will miss her.
Pets teach us to love and to grieve.