I’m so sorry. I know this is a very sad day for you but remember the good times. He is a handsome boy all right. I had to go through this with a kitty about a year ago. (And several time before that.) It isn’t easy, but sometimes it’s just what you have to do for a beloved pet.
I’m so sorry you have to go through this. You were a good servant to your Feline Overlord. Don’t doubt that for one second.
We’ve had to say goodbye to dogs over the years and all you do is know the next day it gets a little easier. I’m glad Garby got to spend some time with you. He had a good happy life.
I love the picture…he’s a cutie.
Cat guy here, feeling for ya. I love my kitty and it’ll tear me up when it’s her time, but the love, man, the love. Get another cat when you can and give that one a good life. Prince will thank you for it.
It’s clear from what you’ve said here that your love and your grief are real. It’s totally okay to feel however you feel, and to cope however you cope.
I’m so sorry for your loss, but glad for all the love you and Garby have had for one another.
I’m so sorry, MyFootsZZZ. We had to put down our beloved cat of 17 years a couple of years ago and I felt horrible. It still makes me feel sad to think of it. But know that you gave Garby a great cat life, and now the gift of letting him go when it is time, even though it is so hard to do.
People mourn in different ways, so try not to feel guilty and be good to yourself.
It is a children’s book but I still felt comforted by the lovely book Cat Heaven by Cynthia Rylant.
MyFootsZZZ, I feel sad with you. It is very hard. We have rescued many cats, and most of them need euthanasia at the ends of their lives, and we always do it. For them, even though it is painful for us.
How you deal with it after is almost entirely up to you. Whatever works for you. If it’s crying your eyes out for days, if it’s watching comedy and forgetting, if it’s moving on to the Happy Memories stage without grieving – I don’t know what works for you. Sometimes I don’t even know what works for me.
I say “almost entirely” because there is one little detail. They need us. The next cat needs us. If you can love more cats and give them safe comfortable loved lives, you should do it. Do you have to wait? That’s fine. But if you can, you have to love more of them.
I still get upset about Luke and Guenevere and Kashka and Demon and Mosquito and Mudflap and Guttercat and Seal and and and…
But I have Ermine behind me right now and am reaching around to pet him. It’s all good.
Take care of yourself!
MyFootsZZZ - I know how hard it is, and it really doesn’t matter how long you have with them, it’s still hard. I’m sitting right now perched on the edge of my computer chair because my 17 year old Siamese is using most of it. In the past year I’ve lost 3 dogs. It just breaks your heart. But that heart is open because of the pets, so it’s right to feel the pain at the end.
I know you probably think it’s too soon, or that no other cat can replace Garby, but think about visiting the pound in the next week or two. You can’t replace Garby, but you can open your heart to another pet.
BTW - Is Garby short for something?
StG
These are the hardest times for pet lovers, but it must come when it comes. Be glad Garby had a good, if brief life, and loved you so much.
Allow yourself to grieve as much as you need to, when you need to. My dad burst into tears while eating spaghetti once because he always used to share bits of it with our Libby, a cat who had just passed away, a couple of months before. It was the first time my dad had eaten spaghetti after Libby’s death.
I can say nothing else except I’m sorry you lost him.
I think there’s dust in the air, my eyes are watering as I read this thread.
Poor Garby, and poor MyFootsZZZ. This decision is arguably the hardest one that can be made. I am so sorry. He was a handsome devil! I’ll give my Atilla extra scritches tonight.
What a handsome kitty he was! Our animals, whether dogs cats rats, whatever, are so very precious… they teach us unconditional love, and there’s no more important life lesson… I hope you find comfort in knowing that you were loved by this beautiful boy and that you loved him enough to let go… saying a prayer for you **((((MyFootsZZZ)))) **
I’m so sorry. I lost a dear cat to liver disease and she was miserable at the end. The vet never suggested putting her down but I wish someone had, and I think you did the right thing.
As far as coping, it’s important to stay busy and be with other people. Have little daily goals for things you need to do. But don’t be in too big a hurry to get over it. Let your emotions go where they want to and you will find your way in your own time. I cried for days at unpredictable times (I guess I’m a “typical” male and the only other time I’ve cried in the last 20 years was when my dad died), and much of those tears were from remembering her so helpless at the end.
Hey.
I chose not to be around when it happened.
Went to my brother’s place to have a good time, and to my surprise, I did. ‘Brooklyn 99’ and pizza turn’s out to be a good way escape.
Righ as I left his place, there was a weight on me. As I drove home in the rain, my emotions almost overcame me. I walked into my apparent, where he didn’t greet me at the door and his stuff all over, yet I still held it together.
I get on the computer and this thread has me balling.
Thanks for all the great support. I genuinely appreciate it and I think I sort of needed it. I feel for all the people who know this pain, but it just tells me that your all most likely careing animal owners. That’s great because it’s there’s a need for that.
I’m still not really ‘out’ about it IRL, but I’ll have to wait until I wake up.
I need to sleep.
My favorite kitty Kiko died a couple years ago at 16. He lived in Cat Heaven his entire life, ranking at least as high as Angelcat Gabriel. My Vet loved him, she made him a nest on a heating pad and we gave him his final shots, we were devastated, I just teared up again. I buried him on a little patch of native prairie that was his favorite place in the world, my Vet had a tree planted with a plaque bearing his name. It’s a sad thing but now we see something that reminds us of that damned cat and chuckle, it’s so absurd the way we love animals…it gets better!
Remember that you are doing your duty.
He gave you 5+ years of love & companionship; it’s your responsibility to see that he goes peacefully before he starts to suffer – even if it’s hard for you, it’s the right thing to do…
You did a wonderful thing for him by taking him off the streets. Now this is the last thing you can do for him.
After a while, respect his memory by rescuing another cat.
Either off the streets, or go to a shelter for one. Consider an older cat or a semi-feral one – they might be at risk of euthanasia. Everybody wants the cute kittens, but the others can be hard to find homes for.
Goodnight, Garby. You were a fine cat prince. Pick out a good one for MyFootzzz next friend.
Everybody grieves differently, but they say that not trying to hold back the tears is better for you in the end.
The year after Monster Baby died was very hard, but eventually the clouds begin to lift, and good memories begin to replace the grief.
I’m sorry you’re going through this right now.
I’m so sorry, ZZZ. What a terrible thing to go through. We haven’t gotten to that point with our 3 dogs, but we know it’s getting closer, and we can’t imagine having to deal with it either.
It’s very apparent that this is a promise you’ve kept from Day 1 - Garby seems like a really lucky cat.
Nonsense. This is the stuff in a terrible world that IS worth talking about. It’s crazy how meaningful pets become in our lives - and that’s not something to be ashamed of. Their lives have meaning in ours, and their passing isn’t something trivial.
We all cope in our own ways. You’ll find yours.
I’m so sorry. One of the worst things about being a long-lived species is that we have to say goodbye to those with shorter lives. It’s so difficult. And the guilt, no matter what, there’s always guilt.
I hope you’re managing ok today.
You’re so right about the guilt. I can’t really avoid it, though it’s not a rational feeling.
I haven’t gotten more than teary-eyed today… Not holding back anything. I just think I’ve accepted it for the most part. The worst feeling is that “guilty” feeling… I just wish he wasn’t so frightened in his last moments. But considering I’m almost always an emotional wreck when tragic shit happens, I think I’m coping ok.
Damn it, do I miss him.
I can thank you guys and gals for that. This thread I started has more of an impact in helping than you would think.
My cat loved me. We chilled all the time. I’m lucky. 
This. They are called companion animals for a reason and part of the deal is that we are their stewards; it is our duty to see that they do not suffer unduly at the end of their allotted span. Owning one of the larger dog breeds we have had to shove one over the Rainbow Bridge more often than we’d like. Last one was about a year ago and we paid extra to have the vet come to the house rather than have his last moments be spent on a stainless-steel table under harsh examining room lights. The new puppy was acquired Sunday.