My cat, Shadow, died on Sunday. He was acting strange for a few days before that. He kept trying to urinate and defecate for the past few day and I think only a little came out or none. I told my mom to take him to the hospital, but she didn’t want to because he had a $600 vet bill in March after he disappeared for 3 days and was probably beat by someone or hit by a car. I never had a pet die before and I feel so hopeless. I’ve been crying since Sunday and now it’s Tuesday night. My eyes are so swollen and bloodshot. He was only a 4 year old cat. He died when I was at Petsmart trying to get him urinary tract pills. I bought him cranberry cat treats too. I had another thread on this board asking what’s wrong with my cat. I thought he was horny because he was meowing a lot, but everyone who posted to that thread said he probably ahd a UTI and get him to a vert ASAP. When he died he was laid in a cat bed and after 30 minutes he had green ooze coming from his mouth. The vet tech said someone might have poisoned him. Maybe he got under a teneted house (there were no tented houses around here), maybe he drank antifreeze, maybe he ate snail poison, or fertilizer. Shadow was a cat that was out and about a lot. My father saw people trying to take him when he was outside. I took him to a 24 hour emergency clinic to have his body disposed and it was $50 dollars. I didn’t want to bury him in the backyard because I would be so depressed everytime I would walk out there. I didn’t get any ashes because I can’t look at ashes either without crying. I’ve been having heart pains, and a feeling of numbness in my body, my neck has a tight swollen feeling. When I tried eating I can’t even enjoy the taste of food anymore. I stay up all night and have trouble sleeping. I have bad dreams about my other cats dying. I have 2 cats and a dog and they are all older so now I will have to deal with this soon again and I’m dreading it. I’m thinking of going into thearpy and getting some anti-depressants. I just can’t deal with this. My other cat is 9, the other cat is 10, and my dog is 11. So they are all one year apart and I don’t know how long Pomeranians live until so I dread my dogs death. My dog had a surgery at the same emergency vet clinic for blockage of kidney stones and the bill was $3,000. My mom barely paid that, and that was the reason she didn’t want to pay for the cat if I took him. Do you think my other cats and dog wonder where Shadow is? I have this feeling of death now. I think any minute my other cats will die or I’ll find my dog dead tomorrow. I can’t stop this anxiety of dying. I have bad feelings about myself dying. I wonder what it’s like and I can’t stop thinking about it. I feel like if I go to sleep I won’t wake up tomorrow. I’ve never seen a cat or animal die that belonged to me. I burst into tears just thinking about Shadow. I have a strong hatred towars my neighbors. I suspect anyone and everyone in the death of my cat. I have this strong urge to protect my other animals now. My animals used to go outside and still do, but now I go outside every minute to check on them. I try to get the cats in the house so I can watch them every minute. I can’t take it if anything else happens to my animals. I need someone to talk to and I need advice what to do to get through this. Please help me.
I forgot to add that I have a haunting thought about what the emergency vet office is going to do with my cat’s body. I took a class in Anatomy and the class had a room full of cat’s in plastic bags. Where did the school get these cat bodies for us to dissect? I hope the vet office doesn’t sell my cat’s body to a college for dissecting in an Anatomy class because that’s devastating.
Sweetie, I am so sorry about your cat. I have a soft spot for cats and I have lost cats I loved, so I really understand. You need to go find a person to talk to right now. You are grieving, and you will be ok, but you need to talk to someone in person. Do you have a friend or somebody to hug you and let you cry? I think the net is great, but sometimes we need to talk to someone in person and I think that is what you need now.
If you can’t find a person, think about calling your local crisis line. You sound pretty upset, and having someone to talk to will help.
You are also welcome to email me. My email is in my profile.
They won’t do that. I collected the ashes when my cats died. Don’t worry about that. The clinic would get in terrible trouble if they did that. They would never do something like that.
I’m very sorry to hear of your cat’s death. Take care, try to do something about your anxious thoughts by reaching out to others and talking it out. At least know this - Shadow is at rest now. You did the best you could.
Give your other pets a hug. There’s one for you too.
I’m really sorry about your poor kitty. He was beautiful.
I second what Brynda said. You really need someone who’s physically present to talk to.
I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but you will be okay. Pretty soon you’ll think back to good memories of your kitty and smile. I’ve had many pets, and lost a few. I still think about them, because each was unique in his own way. They still bring a smile to my face even though they can’t be here with me now.
It is very sad, there’s no way around it. My cat Dorothy died in Jan. (she had cancer, I had her euthanized here at home) and her sister Lillian is 16 and fading fast.
Now, I am not one of those people who would use the term “fur baby,” and anyone mentioning the Rainbow Bridge gets the razzberries. But jeez, it is upsetting and depressing whe a pet dies . . . I still miss Dorothy, the little sonofabitch, nearly a year later.
Can you think about how lucky Shadow was to have you? Did you adopt him from a shelter or off the street? I know that it is sad that he died young, but you gave him love while he lived, right? And like Ice Wolf said, he is at rest now and can’t be hurt.
Sweetheart, I know it’s hard. I lost a cat on 10/15 of this year and I still get teary. It’s natural to feel the way you are feeling. If you can swing it, it will make you feel reassured to keep your other cats indoors. Try and get the family to go along with it. It might be easier to do than you think.
I am sure the clinic is not going to sell Shadow’s body for dissection. But if they did, which I am SURE they won’t, he would be helping to teach people how to save other cats’ lives. A lot of good could come from having him there. I am SURE the clinic will not do this, but don’t think of it as something bad.
Anyway, cry as much as you want. Your vet might have a reference for a grief counselor or support group. I know some people who have been to them, and they were a tremendous help.
I 'm so sorry you lost Shadow. It is a terrible feeling to lose a pet, and it can leave you feeling helpless and hopeless, but those feelings won’t last. After a while, you’ll be able to remember the good times you had with Shadow and think of him without crying. I don’t know how old you are, but if this is your first experience with the death of someone close to you, you ought to find a friend you can talk to in person. Sometimes talking things out can help. Is there a teacher, or maybe a pastor or just a good friend you feel you can sit down with and open up to?
You are in my thoughts, and do let it comfort you that Shadow is in a place where he can’t be hurt anymore, and that he is no longer in pain. My e-mail address is in my profile if you want to talk, but I think a face-to-face conversation would be better for you right now. I’m here if you need me.
Such a hard thing to go through. Such a beautiful little cat. Losing a pet can be just as hard as losing a human relative or friend. You deserve to be able to grieve and you need to grieve for as long as it takes. A counsellor, as mentioned, is a good idea. If you have a friend who has also lost a cat it may also help to talk to them as well.
I lost my rat Lola on Oct. 28th. I know lots of people say “It’s just a rat”, but that means less than nothing to me. She had a take-no-bullshit but marshmallowy-sucky-underneath personality. She gave and showed love, and I loved her and grieved for over a month.
I am sure Shadow is happy and enjoying all her favorite toys and foods up in the clouds. Hang in there.
Awww. I am really sorry to hear about your cat’s passing. I lost my beloved dog back in May, so I know that losing a pet can really hurt.
The cats used in anatomy classes normally come from the unclaimed animals euthanized at animal shelters. I’m quite confident that your cat didn’t end up like that. It wouldn’t make sense for the vet to risk the bad PR from doing such a thing to pets that had owners. If it is any consolation, you can think of it as that by providing Shadow with a loving home, instead of leaving him to wander around outside and get picked up by a shelter, you may have actually saved him from ending up that way.
It is understandable to be angry at the thought that someone might have done this intentionally. However, try to keep in mind that animals can be inquisitive and it is quite possible that this was all just a sad accident, not anyone’s fault.
As for the fear of the other animals dying, well, nobody really knows what the future holds.
My dog developed cancerous tumors several times. Despite my fears she would die of the cancer she made a full recovery from that…but ironically ended up dying suddenly from a heart condition that we DIDN’T expect to kill her so soon. So, there isn’t much use in trying to predict what’s going to happen. The only thing we can do is try to cherish the time we have, however long or short it is.
You might want to talk to your mom about getting health insurance for the other animals. Yes, seriously, they do have insurance for pets now. I don’t know many details about it,. I know that you do have to be careful and research it well to be sure you get on a good plan that provides good coverage. Nonetheless, it might be an option to make it easier to deal with the costs if one of your other animals needs treatment.
Best wishes to you in finding peace and consolation.
I can’t offer anything more than those posting before me, find a physically present person to talk, cry all that you need to, think as much as you can about all your good memories of Shadow. Two wild cats turned domestic that I have known always showed highly unusual levels of affection towards their owners, almost as though they were grateful. It sounds like Shadow was lucky to have a human like you.
I’ve lost two cats in the last year, and though we had far more warning time than you have had - they were old and getting quite sickly - I know it is very hard for you right now.
I hope you are feeling better soon, but also that you take whatever time you need to get through it.
Aw, sweetie, I’m so sorry. Your baby was a beautiful kitty.
hugs
Don’t feel ashamed to cry, or feel depressed. Anyone who says you shouldn’t feel upset over your cat is just a jerk. It SUCKS to lose a pet-I know I still get choked up when I think of my pets that have gone.
I am so sorry. Shadow was beautiful , as are your other pets. It is so hard to say good-bye to them; I lost my 10 year old Gordon Setter to cancer in July.
I am a big animal lover , and whether I get raspberries or not , I do believe we will be reuniuted with well loved pets when we die. That belief keeps me going sometime.
I know this may sound weird, but do animals (especially cats and dogs) know they are going to die? When they are alive do they know they will go someday? I’m here at my computer holding one of my remaining cats, Green Eyes, and I’m trying to cherish the time I have with her.