I Can't Beleive I Did What I Did.... And Didn't Do. Guilt And Options

[girl8211]

It's been 1 month, but it's still hard. I feel the strong need to put out there to the world my story and what I'm feeling. I'll try to keep this short, I hope some people will take the time to read this.

About 8 years ago I had a family move out of a house I was renting out. After being vacant for about 3 months I started working on it to re-rent it. While working upstairs I discovered 5 kittens and mother cat living in the attic (inner city and surely street cats). I gathered them up to bring them to the humane society, but they would not take them. So they came home with me, as I tried to figure out what to do with them.

Within a week the mother was very ill, hardly standing on her own, I took her to the vet... Feline Lukemia, brought all the kittens in and only 2 tested not infected. So I had to put down the mother and 3 kittens. I got the 2nd test on the other 2 and they where in the clear. I decided to keep them and committed to myself I would not separate the brother and sister little mates.

They were well cared for indoor cats with lots of attention and love. I named the girl 'Girl' She was the runt of the litter and just a rag doll to carry around and often would fall asleep in my lap. Always sleep on the foot of the bed... She was with me when I had some hard times and lived alone in a big house, these cats helped me keep my sanity at times. When I got married the cats then became family pets... and we all enjoyed their companionship.

Girl was special to me, I nursed her through several illnesses that where close calls for her.. she seemed to be prone to health troubles. Well, here I am today, 8 years latter.. I made the choice to put her down, I can't believe I did it and I feel horrible and guilt like crazy... at 8 years she always cuddled up and slept in my lap, played like a kitten chasing toys around and throwing them around.... never asking for anything, always giving.

I took her to the vet cause she was doing 'what I was told was.. abdomin breathing'. The vet painted a very grim picture and said $300-500 to diagnos her, plus treatment if possible and that was if she survived the testing and x ray time. So I can't believe what I did, put her down without testing My wife was there and she agreed based on what the vet told us. I feel so guilty, indoor well looked after cats can live 14-16 years.... I had alot of time I might have been able to buy her. And the vet pushed us for a decision, we where emotional, lost our sence of logic, afterwords felt that we didn't ask the right questions.

After getting home, after my wife and I spent hours crying on each others shoulder... I spent hours researching the situation, I found that there where several things it could have been that would have been easily fixed (as long as she could make it for the initial treatment) I confirmed this with another vet the next day. So I miss her horribly, the house seems so much emptier for missing such a small 9 lbs cat ...and a part of me is missing as well. I wish I had that hour in the vet hospital to re-live. And I keep questioning if I would have seen signs of a problem sooner, how could I miss something leading up to this. This situation is one of my biggest regrets, what was I thinking?... I wasn't, and now I can never undo whats been done... I'm so sorry to her, her brother (Otto), myself, and our family. And it still hurts like h.....

"I memory of Girl, I miss you like crazy"