Nicolette Vaughn 294340 Report post Posted May 7, 2011 I got a call from a family member today saying the family cat had died last night after 19 years. While I was sad, I knew she was going to die from old age eventually. I have 2 cats from one of her litters and they are 14 years old and are still going strong and very active like their mother. Sorry, I don't mean to be doom and gloom, just reflecting on what a great cat she was and how she lived a good long life. R.I.P mon petit chat. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capital Hunter 18263 Report post Posted May 7, 2011 It can be very painful. When my canary died I was 12 years old. I remember my heart broke so bad. I cried for days.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
E.D. man 691 Report post Posted May 7, 2011 my dog died unexpectedly(sic) after 2 years, andthe tears i shed were enormous. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drlove 37204 Report post Posted May 7, 2011 Our family cat died at 13. We'd had her since she was two... the sad thing is we didn't really know it was coming. She'd been to the vet and had been given a clean bill of health, save for a slow growing tumor in her stomach. A few days later we went sailing for the day, came home and went to bed. Unbenownst to us, our family pet passed away that night. We didn't find out until the next morning. It was sad, since I wish I had gotten to spend more time with her in her last hours. I know what you're going through. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Meg O'Ryan 266444 Report post Posted May 7, 2011 It is devastating! My baby died at the age of 9. He was with me 24/7, I brought him to work with me, everywhere...my constant companion. I miss him everyday and even went so far as to have him cremated. The most wonderful dog in the world has not been replaced! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cleo Catra 178382 Report post Posted May 7, 2011 RIP kitty. I hate knowing that my feline family will leave me one day. I don't think I'll be able to handle it. My baby sister just had to put her bunny down and she's destroyed, its so hard knowing there's nothing to do that can make it better. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest s****i* Report post Posted May 7, 2011 (edited) I had two lop eared bunnies when I was seven and I loved the living daylights out of them. My parents made me keep them outside and one day the neighbors akita jumped the fence and smashed the cage and tore one of them apart the other got away and hid under the deck. She died later because it was sad, she wouldn't eat and just died. It really hurt me back then and I didn't want another pet for years. 19 years later I finally got another bunny, a dwarf rabbit and he is so loving and cuddly I don't want to even think about his passing. I keep him inside though, and he's potty trained so I don't have to worry about him getting hurt. It's been almost five years now and he's doing great. Edited May 7, 2011 by s****i* added some more Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nicolette Vaughn 294340 Report post Posted May 7, 2011 I had two lop eared bunnies when I was seven and I loved the living daylights out of them. My parents made me keep them outside and one day the neighbors akita jumped the fence and smashed the cage and tore one of them apart the other got away and hid under the deck. She died later because it was sad, she wouldn't eat and just died. It really hurt me back then and I didn't want another pet for years. 19 years later I finally got another bunny, a dwarf rabbit and he is so loving and cuddly I don't want to even think about his passing. I keep him inside though, and he's potty trained so I don't have to worry about him getting hurt. It's been almost five years now and he's doing great. I feel your pain. I used to have a lop bunny named Thumper when I was younger and we had him trained like a cat to go outside and come and wait at the door when he wanted to get back in. One night he got in a fight with a skunk and he ended up dying several days later. I was torn to pieces. My parents felt bad and then surprised us a week later with a new Cocker Spaniel puppy. That dog lived a good 14 years until he got cancer and had to be put down. :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest s****i* Report post Posted May 7, 2011 I feel your pain. I used to have a lop bunny named Thumper when I was younger and we had him trained like a cat to go outside and come and wait at the door when he wanted to get back in. One night he got in a fight with a skunk and he ended up dying several days later. I was torn to pieces. My parents felt bad and then surprised us a week later with a new Cocker Spaniel puppy. That dog lived a good 14 years until he got cancer and had to be put down. :( Mine that died were named Cosmo and Thumper, I guess the Thumper name is pretty popular. We had little funerals for both of them and I made popsicle stick coffins for both. I still get sad just thinking about them which just goes to show the level of attachment people, especially kids can have with their pets. They really do seem like little people who don't talk. But they can definitely understand and even quiet little bunnies can communicate pretty well if you spend enough time with them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roamingguy 300292 Report post Posted May 7, 2011 A lot of people don't understand or don't realize, but it's like losing a member of the family. My cat died on my lap a year ago January at 11 years old...still miss him. Took me a year before I was ready to get another cat. The hardest part was the first few months expecting him to run to the door when I got home. Now when I get home I find my socks in the living room, my shoes seem to keep changing location, and I find cat toys in my bed when I go to sleep at nights RG Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
r100rs 859 Report post Posted May 7, 2011 Sorry for you loss, pets are family. Pets set the bar for unconditional love. When someone doesn't like pets - that sure raises my flags. One of the worst things someone ever said to me was after my dog of 9 nines years died and I was at work all sad and tearful ... she said "get over it, it was just a f'in dog" ... needless to say for me that was unforgivable. r100rs Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nicolette Vaughn 294340 Report post Posted May 8, 2011 My 2 tropical fish Tiffany and Gibby died last week. Don't know what happened after having them for almost 8 weeks and was vigilant in making sure tank was clean and everything.. Even those fish made me cry when i saw that they were not moving. :( I'm a sucker for all kinds of pets. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Old Dog 179138 Report post Posted May 8, 2011 I can totally relate. My kids had a puppy for 14 years... they were 2 and 6 when we got him. The younger one could never remember life without the dog in the house, the older one was his best friend. When my eldest called me to tell me that the old pup had cancer and had to go for the long walk, both of us were in tears. Goldfish and hamsters may be cute, but nothing compares to a pup or a kitten to tug at the old heartstrings.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NotchJohnson 214123 Report post Posted May 8, 2011 I also lost a dear friend, my dog was a bernese mountain dog and was the friendliest ever, I even took him to work at the fire hall. When we had kids come over and visit he would always keep an eye on them to make sure they would not get hurt, you could say that he was our mascot. He was a big enough dog but no one was afraid of him because he never gave the impression of being cross, is name was Teddy(cause he looked like a small teddy bear when I got him). Sadly after 14 wonderful years we had to put him down due to cancer, I was by his side the whole time and one of the toughest thing I ever had to do and don't think I could ever do it again. It made a void in many peoples lives(not just mine). Many of the kids that visited the fire hall who are grownups now tell me how nice of a dog I had. I get tears in my eyes when I hear them. That dog will never be replaced. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rickoshadows 937 Report post Posted May 8, 2011 Pets give us many things and ask little in return. One of the most valuable lessons they teach us, especially to the young, is that all things come to an end. Animals die, people die and nothing lasts forever. Children learn to cope, and to remember what was. It is kind of fate's way of inocculating against grief. A pet hamster is far cry from a parent, but the process is the same. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nicolette Vaughn 294340 Report post Posted May 8, 2011 I think it's hit me a bit harder today but I've got my 3 cats here ( one always sits next to me on the couch when i'm on my laptop) to make me feel better. One thing is for sure... all good things come to an end. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sensual Erin 33928 Report post Posted May 8, 2011 I lost my the most important friend as well last Sept. He was my life companion and peacefully past at 19 years old. He was so much more than my cat, he was my best friend and my rock. I still think of him almost every day..... "If there is a heaven, it's certain our animals are to be there. Their lives become so interwoven with our own, it would take more than an archangel to detangle them." (Pam Brown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Krayzie 151 Report post Posted May 9, 2011 I lost a cat when I was a kid and 2 dogs that weren't mine, but knew and saw often enough that it still hurt deeply. A few years ago I came across this while looking for something totally unrelated. It's certainly a pleasant thought. http://www.petloss.com/rainbowbridge.htm 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest O** S**l Report post Posted May 9, 2011 A friend of mine sent me that link a couple years ago when my sweet little tabby had to be euthanized due to cancer. We were together for 15 years and she was my best friend. She was cat number four in my life. I have another best friend cat now and likely she will outlive me. I never met a cat I didn't like and for some reason or other they like me (because I spoil them as they should be). I lost a cat when I was a kid and 2 dogs that weren't mine, but knew and saw often enough that it still hurt deeply. A few years ago I came across this while looking for something totally unrelated. It's certainly a pleasant thought. http://www.petloss.com/rainbowbridge.htm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lowdark 5613 Report post Posted May 9, 2011 Growing up in the country helps you get a thick skin to the loss of cheriched animal friends, but even as an adult, I find it still stings deeply when you lose a friend who personified innocence and offered unconditional love. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rileydaniels 1901 Report post Posted June 5, 2011 my cat died in October 2010 I was completely devistated he wzs 2 years old. The vet suggested he had renal failure and said it wasn't my fault. I had no idea that I would be so attached to an animal growing up never had them, and wasn't really sure that could happen when I got them. I have his biological sister and another male cat they are doing fantastic for about 6 months I was really depressed. but what helped was seeking pet lost support groups. I got alot of support in the strangest places people who comment on my blog about my cats and twitter account. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites