Sudden Decision To Euthanize Cat Today Options

[NeverForgotten22]

Last Friday night I was visiting my parent's house and noticed one of our family pets, a 10 year old cat, seemed very lethargic. While I was at work the next morning, my dad took him to the vet and found out he had Feline AIDS, Leukemia and kidney failure. He spent the next four days at the animal hospital being treated. Today the vet called and said there had been no signs of improvement after running the tests. My dad told the vet to go ahead and put him to sleep.

I never had a chance to say goodbye and am now feeling extreme guilt that his life was ended too soon. The past few days I have been doing a lot of research online and I know the diseases were fatal, but I had read about many cases where the health could be managed to where the cat still had a good quality of life.

I also feel extremely guilty that no one was there with him or to say goodbye to him. I feel like he was probably confused at why he was taken there Saturday and then never saw another familiar face before he passed. If I had known they planned to put him to sleep, I would have gone to see him before it was time.

I just feel like this all came about so suddenly and I can't help but thinking a hasty decision was made. I know my dad would have taken the advice of the vet, but I still can't believe he made this decision and did not tell me until it was too late to see him. If I had known of the decision earlier, I would have fought to bring him home and at least try some of the methods I had learned from the success stories online.

My family has always cared for our pets until we knew it was time for them to go. I just feel like he wasn't given as much of a chance.

How do I get over the feeling of guilt that we didn't try enough options to help him? How do I cope with feelings of guilt about never telling him how much we loved him and not being able to tell him goodbye and be there with him before he passed? I can't help but feeling that he passed without knowing how much we still truly loved him.

[Gretta's Mom]

Dear NeverForgotten (what a wonderful name!),

Please let me add to the condolences that others have given you for the passing of your kittie. The pictures are so beautiful. Truly he was a giant soul in a little body. I can understand the sadness you feel about Kittie having to spend his last days alone. My Gretta (the kindest chocolate lab who ever lived) spent the last night of her life on earth in a vet school hospital - every time I think of her there I cry. But we did the best we could, both you and I. And that's what counts. I believe that animals who pass into the Perfect World know our hearts and our thoughts - and the know the truth. So they have complete peace and love us exactly as they did when we could see them. Your Kittie is up there, happy, well and bragging to all the other furries there about her mom - the greatest mom in the world. For a while maybe longer every thought of Kittie is going to cause tears to flow. These are good tears although they hurt SO much. We hurt in proportion as we love and someday we will be reunited never to be parted again.

Try to rest a little tonight, my friend. All you LS family is here for you - any time of the day or night.

Until tomorrow,

Gretta's mom