Comments on: How to Prepare for The Final Appointment http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/how-to-prepare-for-the-final-appointment/3740 understand their nature Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:45:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Susan http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/how-to-prepare-for-the-final-appointment/3740/comment-page-1#comment-5470 Susan Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:56:36 +0000 http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/?p=3740#comment-5470 I just wanted to leave a message for all who may be losing their pet, as Julia did above, as I lost my cat of 14 years a year ago after a 3+yr. struggle with kidney disease. I'd never had a cat that long before nor had one die on me, so it was devastating, and running to the vet for the last time...I wasn't really aware that he wasn't coming back home with us, so I felt doubly bad that I never thought to let our other cat touch noses with him before we raced out the door in an emergency state. We came home with an empty cage and to our other, now confused, cat who never got to say goodbye. She spent her entire life (14 yrs.) growing up together with her 'pal' and by not giving her the chance to say bye I felt I robbed her of that, and him too. She spent the next 6 weeks sleeping in his bedding inside the now empty carrier..the last place he was. He had a peaceful death, with us both there loving him, and the vet gave us plenty of time to say our goodbyes in private. I also had his head resting in my hand and the vet gave a sedative first, that put him to sleep, and then injected him, and it was instant with no struggle and no pain...very peaceful, he just went to sleep and then his heart stopped in a matter of seconds. My husband took his death terribly hard, as he didn't grow up with pets, and had no clue that one could become so attached. He was a mess for days. As awful as it was to lose my little boy (as he was the baby of our family and he was closest to me, always following me around), I found a great deal of comfort when I went to Amazon.com and just started reading 'see inside this book' excerpts of various 'is there life after death for animals' books. Reading all this 'after life' stuff made me feel like he wasn't really gone, and lessened my grief by about 80%. While my husband kept falling apart over the next few days (he didn't care to read anything), whenever I felt like I was going to lose it again, I just did some more reading and it put my head in a 'positive place' and gave me the peace of knowing my little guy was now in a happier (non-painful) life and someday we will meet again. If you are a spiritual person, this might help you get thru the toughest first days after your loss. I wish you peace.... I just wanted to leave a message for all who may be losing their pet, as Julia did above, as I lost my cat of 14 years a year ago after a 3+yr. struggle with kidney disease. I’d never had a cat that long before nor had one die on me, so it was devastating, and running to the vet for the last time…I wasn’t really aware that he wasn’t coming back home with us, so I felt doubly bad that I never thought to let our other cat touch noses with him before we raced out the door in an emergency state. We came home with an empty cage and to our other, now confused, cat who never got to say goodbye. She spent her entire life (14 yrs.) growing up together with her ‘pal’ and by not giving her the chance to say bye I felt I robbed her of that, and him too. She spent the next 6 weeks sleeping in his bedding inside the now empty carrier..the last place he was. He had a peaceful death, with us both there loving him, and the vet gave us plenty of time to say our goodbyes in private. I also had his head resting in my hand and the vet gave a sedative first, that put him to sleep, and then injected him, and it was instant with no struggle and no pain…very peaceful, he just went to sleep and then his heart stopped in a matter of seconds. My husband took his death terribly hard, as he didn’t grow up with pets, and had no clue that one could become so attached. He was a mess for days. As awful as it was to lose my little boy (as he was the baby of our family and he was closest to me, always following me around), I found a great deal of comfort when I went to Amazon.com and just started reading ‘see inside this book’ excerpts of various ‘is there life after death for animals’ books. Reading all this ‘after life’ stuff made me feel like he wasn’t really gone, and lessened my grief by about 80%. While my husband kept falling apart over the next few days (he didn’t care to read anything), whenever I felt like I was going to lose it again, I just did some more reading and it put my head in a ‘positive place’ and gave me the peace of knowing my little guy was now in a happier (non-painful) life and someday we will meet again. If you are a spiritual person, this might help you get thru the toughest first days after your loss. I wish you peace….

]]> By: WereBear http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/how-to-prepare-for-the-final-appointment/3740/comment-page-1#comment-5411 WereBear Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:29:59 +0000 http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/?p=3740#comment-5411 I'm so sorry, Julia. It is a very difficult task to say goodbye. I’m so sorry, Julia. It is a very difficult task to say goodbye.

]]> By: Julia http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/how-to-prepare-for-the-final-appointment/3740/comment-page-1#comment-5410 Julia Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:32:55 +0000 http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/?p=3740#comment-5410 An hour from now I will no longer have my friend of 18 years. My heart is broken. When you look at the blue sky above, your will see her eyes. An hour from now I will no longer have my friend of 18 years. My heart is broken. When you look at the blue sky above, your will see her eyes.

]]> By: catlindy http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/how-to-prepare-for-the-final-appointment/3740/comment-page-1#comment-3113 catlindy Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:40:58 +0000 http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/?p=3740#comment-3113 it is always hard.....and yet so soft for our loved ones..humans should have loving cats who could do the same for us \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ it is always hard…..and yet so soft for our loved ones..humans should have loving cats who could do the same for us

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]]> By: WereBear http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/how-to-prepare-for-the-final-appointment/3740/comment-page-1#comment-3094 WereBear Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:22:38 +0000 http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/?p=3740#comment-3094 When I had my cat rescue, I had a holistic vet who worked out of his car and came to the house; a great help when you have a bunch all coming up for checkups. It's well worth asking about. Next week, it's the hardest thing of all; the actual appointment. But I have a way of handling it that I hope will help others. When I had my cat rescue, I had a holistic vet who worked out of his car and came to the house; a great help when you have a bunch all coming up for checkups.

It’s well worth asking about.

Next week, it’s the hardest thing of all; the actual appointment. But I have a way of handling it that I hope will help others.

]]> By: Bill the Splut http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/how-to-prepare-for-the-final-appointment/3740/comment-page-1#comment-3093 Bill the Splut Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:56:33 +0000 http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/?p=3740#comment-3093 Thank you, Pammy, for again writing about The Hardest Thing To Do. Someone in a previous post asked if there were vets who would do this at your home. If the vet already recommended it, I don't see why they couldn't. But does this happen? I'll ask the next time I bring one of the kids in, but none of them are due until the fall. I ask because both of my current cats are terrified of the vet, and no matter how quickly it's over, I don't want them to be terrified at the end. Thank you, Pammy, for again writing about The Hardest Thing To Do.

Someone in a previous post asked if there were vets who would do this at your home. If the vet already recommended it, I don’t see why they couldn’t. But does this happen? I’ll ask the next time I bring one of the kids in, but none of them are due until the fall.

I ask because both of my current cats are terrified of the vet, and no matter how quickly it’s over, I don’t want them to be terrified at the end.

]]> By: Margaret Elmendorf http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/how-to-prepare-for-the-final-appointment/3740/comment-page-1#comment-3091 Margaret Elmendorf Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:03:28 +0000 http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/?p=3740#comment-3091 I do think it is very helpful to the pet for that final appointment. They don't know what is happening to them, so it would be a terrible time to desert them. It is very sad though but my vets have always been wonderful support for me and the pet. I do think it is very helpful to the pet for that final appointment. They don’t know what is happening to them, so it would be a terrible time to desert them. It is very sad though but my vets have always been wonderful support for me and the pet.

]]> By: michael http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/how-to-prepare-for-the-final-appointment/3740/comment-page-1#comment-3085 michael Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:31:24 +0000 http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/?p=3740#comment-3085 am sad. this brings back a lot of sad memories for me! am sad. this brings back a lot of sad memories for me!

]]> By: Naamah http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/how-to-prepare-for-the-final-appointment/3740/comment-page-1#comment-3083 Naamah Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:43:24 +0000 http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/?p=3740#comment-3083 Absolutely. Going in with my babies will be one of the last things I do for them, and you can bet I will do it no matter how it hurts ME. A lot of people are afraid, too, that the animal suffers. I have heard that one a lot. But as terrible as it is to say, my god, it's so quick. It's over almost before it happens, and your pet won't suffer. It is far, far harder for the humans involved. Thank you for writing about this. *hugs* Absolutely. Going in with my babies will be one of the last things I do for them, and you can bet I will do it no matter how it hurts ME.

A lot of people are afraid, too, that the animal suffers. I have heard that one a lot. But as terrible as it is to say, my god, it’s so quick. It’s over almost before it happens, and your pet won’t suffer. It is far, far harder for the humans involved.

Thank you for writing about this. *hugs*

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