I love cats. I have two indoor cats I have mentioned before, Tobermory and The Road Warrior, and I put out food for several alley cats. Well, the best of the strays, one that’s been outside for an unusually long time, that I liked and that even let me pet him, came up with a badly gashed leg this afternoon. Couldn’t use the leg at all, was limping awkwardly. So I called the emergency vet clinic here in town and asked about options. Based on fees and such I finally, very reluctantly decided to have the cat put down. You see, I hope you all believe me that I had little choice. We are full up with cats in my family, and the local shelter is having problems. This way, instead of dying by inches later, or being hit by a car or something, he had an easy, painless death. I stayed with him and felt his body relax under my hands when the vet had administered the injection. I will miss him, and will wish things could have been different. As the vet gave him the shot I leaned over him and whispered to him that he was going to a better place. I hope it’s true.
I believe you had little choice, Baker, and bless you for having the resolve to help that cat and for being with him through to the end.
One of the hardest things I’ve had to do is have my dogs put down. I held them as they died, to be with them as they had been always there for me. Your alley cat could have died a cold, painful, and lonely death (very likely with a severe leg injury, I’d think). You prevented that by accepting to make a very hard decision. Too many would have turned their back.