My husband and I have had to make the heart wrenching decision to have our beloved cat Arlo euthanized. Today is Tuesday and the appt is for Friday moring. Arlo is not even 3 years old; he was a stray off the street when we got him about a year and a half ago. In December 2005 he was diagnosed with FELV after getting very sick very fast. With the help of our wonderful vet, steroids, antibiotics and tons of TLC, we brought him back to his old self.

Then 2 weeks ago, he went off his food, and lost almost 2 pounds in that time. Last Saturday we brought him back to the vet. I could not bear to have it done then, and because he has bounced back before, I wanted to give him one more chance. Unfortunately nothing is working this time around, and as much as it is hurting us, it is only fair to him as he doesn't have any quality of life. He is not in pain, just very lethargic, no energy and a great difficulty walking (due to not eating).

So this morning I made the final call to the vet.

Arlo will be at peace and free of any discomfort, and as much as it is hurting us, he is the important one.

I'm reallly sorry about Arlo. I know what you are going through. The past month of my life has been a real test. Losing my little guy has torn me apart. Arlo is a real cutie. I'm truly sorry that all of you have to go through this. At least he had a good chance for life for a while. I for one was glad to be with Sidney at the end. I was hugging and kissing him as they put him to sleep. He was purring right before it happened. I think that it was really hard on me but it made him a little more comfortable knowing that I was there.

Good luck, and sorry once again.

I am so very sorry. Arlo is such a beautiful creature. I will say a prayer for you and Arlo on Friday morning. May he be at peace and so may you.
Steve

I am so very sorry about your Arlo. I can tell you--I know exactly what you are feeling. When I read your post, it was like reading about our Jake all over again--Jake was a stray also. There were no signs of FeLV until it was too late, within 3 days Jake went from being our big, burly tomcat to just laying around, not eating or drinking, and his head wagging back and forth. I wish that we could've been able to bring him back home and have final days with him--there is so many htings that I would've done if I had known, but that wasn't to be. He was 2 1/2 years old.

Arlo is a beautiful cat--and, as Sidney's Buddy posted--he had the chance to have a good life for awhile. Like Jake, Arlo's final months, days, etc..are spent with a loving family. I can hear the love from your post. I know the decision you have to make is hard. It tore my heart out. I am so very sorry that you have to make that decision. But, like you stated about your baby's importance--we had to put Jake's needs before our wants--and he is not in any more pain. Also like Sidney's Buddy, I was with Jake, and I held him and told him that I loved him.

I also will be praying for you Friday morning. I recently posted the two following poems/stories that were given to me after Jake passed on. They were a great comfort to me, as well as others. I hope you don't mind that I pass them to you:
And please, pat Arlo on the head from me. Take care.

Sandi

"If I Should Grow Frail"

If it should be that I grow frail and weak
And pain does keep me from my sleep,
Then will you do what must be done?
For this, the last battle, cannot be won.

You will be sad, I understand,
But don't let grief then stay your hand.
For on this day, more than the rest,
Your love and friendship must stand the test.

We've had so many happy years,
You wouldn't want me to suffer, so,
When the time comes, please, let me go.

Take me to where my needs they'll tend,
Only, please stay with me until the end,
And hold me close and speak to me,
Until my eyes no longer see.

I know in time you will agree
It is a kindness you do to me.

Although my tail its last has waived,
From pain and suffering I have been saved.

Don't grieve now that it must now be you
Who has to decide this thing to do.

We've been so close, we two, these years,
Don't let your heart hold any tears.
_________________________________________________________________

The Story Of Little Orange Boy

The little orange boy woke up on the edge of a pond. Behind him, kitties and puppies were playing, chasing each other and wrestling in the warm sunshine. It looked like so much fun, but in front of him, through the clear stillness of the pond's water, he could see his Mommy.

His Mommy was crying.

He pawed at the water, trying to get at her, and when that didn't work, he jumped into the shallow water. All that got him was wet and Mommy's image danced away in the ripples. "Mommy!" he cried.

"Is something wrong?"

The little orange boy turned around. A beautiful lady was standing at the edge of the pond, her eyes sad but filled with love. The little orange boy whined and walked out of the water.

"There's been a mistake," he said. "I'm not supposed to be here." He looked back at the water. It was starting to still again and his mommy's image was coming back. "I'm just a baby. Mommy said it had to be a mistake. She said I wasn't supposed to come here yet."

The kind lady sighed and sat down on the grass. The little orange boy climbed into her lap. It wasn't Mommy's lap, but it was almost as good. When she started to pet him and skritch under his chin where he liked, he started to purr. He hadn't wanted to, but he couldn't help it.

"I'm afraid there is no mistake. You are supposed to be here and your Mommy knows it deep down in her heart," the lady said.

The little orange boy sighed and laid his head on the lady's leg. "But she's so sad. It hurts me to see her cry. And Daddy too."

"But they knew right from the beginning this would happen."

"That I was sick?" That surprised the little orange boy. No one had ever said anything and he had listened when they thought he was sleeping. All he had heard them talk about was how cute he wa or how fast he was or how big he was getting.

"No, not that you were sick," the lady said. "But you see, they chose tears."

"No they didn't," the little orange boy argued. Who would choose to cry?

The lady gently brushed the top of his head with a kiss. It made him feel safe and loved and warm - but he still worried about his Mommy

"Let me tell you a story," the lady said.

The little orange boy looked up and saw other animals gathering around. Cats - Big Boy and Snowball and Shamus and Abby and little Cleo and Robin. Merlin and Toby and Iggy and Zachary. Sweetie and Kamatte and OBie. Dogs too - Sally and Baby and Morgan and Rocky and Belle. Even a lizard named Clyde and some rats named Saffron and Becky, a rabbit named Dot and a hamster named Odo. They all lay down near the kind lady and looked up at her, waiting.

She smiled at them and began:

A long long time ago, the Loving Ones went to the Angel in Charge. They were lonesome and asked the angel to help them.

The angel took them to a wall of windows and let them look out the first window at all sorts of things - dolls and stuffed animals and cars and toys and sporting events.

"Here are things you can love," the angel said. "They will keep you from being lonesome."

"Oh, thank you," the Loving Ones said. "These are just what we need."

"You have chosen Pleasure," the angel told them.

But after a time the Loving Ones came back to the Angel in Charge. "Things are okay to love," they said. "But they don't care that we love them."

The Angel in Charge led them over to the second window. It looked out at all sorts of wild animals. "Here are animals to love," he said. "They will know you love them."

So the Loving Ones hurried out to care for the wild animals. "You have chosen Satisfaction," the angel said.

Some of the Loving Ones worked at zoos and wild animal preserves, some just had bird feeders in their yards, but after a time they all came back to the Angel in Charge. "They know we love them," they told the angel. "But they don't love us back. We want to be loved in return."

So the angel took them to the third window and showed them lots of people walking around, hurrying places. "Here are other people for you to love," the angel told them.

So the Loving Ones hurried off to find other people to love. "You have chosen Commitment," the angel said.

But after a time a lot of Loving Ones came back to the Angel in Charge. "People were okay to love," they said. "But sometimes they stopped loving us and left. They broke our hearts."

The angel just shook his head. "I cannot help you," he said. "You will have to be satisfied with the choices I gave you."

As the Loving Ones were leaving, one saw a window off to one side and hurried to look out. Through it, they could see puppies and kittens and dogs and cats and lizards and hamsters and ferrets. The other Loving Ones hurried over. "What about these?" they asked.

But the angel just tried to shoo them away. "Those are Personal Empathy Trainers," he said. "But there's a problem with their system operations."

"Would they know that we love them?" someone asked.

"Yes," the angel said.

"Will they stop lovng us?" someone else asked.

"No," the angel admitted. "They will love you forever."

"Then these are what we want," the Loving Ones said.

But the angel was very upset. "You don't understand," he told them. "you will have to feed these animals."

"That's all right," the Loving Ones said.

"You will have to clean up after them and take care of them forever."

"We don't care."

The Loving Ones did not listen. They went down to where the PETS were and picked them up, seeing the love in their own hearts reflected in the animals' eyes.

"They were not programmed right," the angel said. "We can't offer a warranty. We don't know how durable they are. Some of their systems malfunction very quickly, others last a long time."

But the Loving Ones did not care. They were holding the warm little bodies and finding their hearts so filled with love that they thought they would burst. "We will take our chances," they said.

"You do not understand." The angel tried one more time. "They are so dependent on you that even the most well-made of them is not designed to outlive you. You are destined to suffer their loss."

The Loving Ones looked at the sweetness in their arms and nodded. "That is how it should be. It is a fair trade for the love they offer."

The angel just watched them all go, shaking his head. "You have chosen Tears," he whispered.
___________________________________________

"So it is," the kind lady told the little ones. "And so each Mommy and Daddy knows. When they take a baby into their heart, they know that one day it will leave them and they will cry."

The little orange boy sat up. "So why do they take us in?" he asked.

"Because even a moment of your love is worth years of pain."

"Oh." The little orange boy got off the lady's lap and went back to the edge of the pond. His Mommy was still there, and still crying. "Will she ever stop crying?" he asked the kind lady.

She nodded. "You see, the Angel felt sorry for the Loving Ones, knowing how much they would suffer. He couldn't take the tears away but he made them special."

She dipped her hand into the pond and let the water trickle off her fingers. "He made them healing tears, formed from the special water here. Each tear holds bits of all the happy times of purring and petting and shared love. And the promise of love once again. As your Mommy cries, she is healing."

"It may take a long while, but the tears will help her feel better. In time she will be less sad and she will smile when she thinks of you. And then she will open her heart again to another little baby."

"But then she will cry again one day," the little orange boy said.

The lady just smiled at him as she got to her feet. "No, she will love again. That is all she will think about. That is all that truly matters." She picked up Big Boy and Snowball and gave them hugs, then scratched Morgan's ear just how she liked.

"Look," she said. "The butterflies have come. Shall we go over to play?"

The other animals all ran ahead, but the little orange boy wasn't ready to leave his Mommy. "Will I ever get to be with her again?"

The kind lady nodded. "You'll be in the eyes of every kitty she looks at. You'll be in the purr of every cat she pets. And late at night, when she's fast asleep, your spirit will snuggle up close to her and you both will feel at peace. One day soon, you can even send her a rainbow to tell her you're safe and waiting here for when it's her turn to come. And a long, long time from now - you'll find her standing at the side of the pond waiting for you when you finish playing."

"I would like that," the little orange boy said and took one long look at his Mommy. He saw her smile slightly through her tears and he knew she had remembered the time he almost fell into the bathtub.

"I love you Mommy, he whispered. "It's okay if you cry." He glanced over at the others running and playing and laughing with the butterflies. "Uh, Mommy? I gotta go play now, okay? But I'll be around, I promise."

Then Jake turned and raced after the others.

Thank you so much for your kinds words and lovely poems. I am at work right now, and it is a little difficult to read, my eyes are misting over.

Unfortuantely, we had to bring Arlo in Wednesday morning (yesterday). When I saw him on Tuesday after I got home from work, I realized there was no way in the world this could wait until Friday.

So he's now at peace, and we are coming to grips with it. It is very hard, expecting to see him come bounding around the corner, or waiting for him to jump on and lay down on my chest when I go to bed. He was purring, and I know he knew what was coming, and he was okay with it.

We will be getting his ashes,s and the vet provides a really nice little urn, so no matter where we go, he will always be with us.

I am really sorry once again. I hope that you manage to find a way to cope with your loss. I don't know what I would do without my other cat Nelson.

People find this picture of Nelson really funny. I hope it cheers you up, if only temporarily.

I am so very sorry. I know how you feel. Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. I also hope that you are able to find some comfort at this time. Take care,

Sandi

Oh what a lovely picture of Fergus!

It has now been 2 days, and I think I am getting better. I had a really good cry last night (yet again), and am sure I will once more when we get his ashes. I know Arlo is up there romping with Sidney and Jake, and loving every minute of it. A friend asked me if I wanted a kitten, and I said no, it is just too soon, maybe in many months' time. My husband and I are worried about "comparing" a new cat to Arlo.

Thank you all so much for your support. We don't have kids, so Arlo was like our son. Unfortunately there are many mean and ignorant people out there who will say "well it's only a cat". How do you cope with comments such as that?

Here's a pic of Arlo in another one of his favour spots; he just loves boxes, open drawers, etc.

SUPER CUTIE!!! absolutely adorable. I'm such a sucker for cats.

I'm so sorry about Arlo. There's no pain in the world that can compare to this. Pets love us so unconditionally and ask for so little in return. And the worst part is knowing that even though we're doing the "right thing", that's its only reward. The pain for us is just beginning, and can be pretty overwhelming. What you're doing is an act of love. Nobody wants to see a friend in pain, and you're compassionate enough to spare him that pain. You and Arlo were obviously meant for each other, and you were lucky enough to let him adopt you. (We think we're adopting them. It really is the other way around) He couldn't have been better anywhere else, and was lucky enough to have been in such a loving home, even if it wasn't for a very long time. Giving strays a good home is definitely an act of love. I've been in a similar situation several years ago. I found a stray cat, and brought her home, and never regretted doing that for a second. She only lived a few very short years after that, but it was worth every moment. I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. 0f all the things I've done in my life, bringing her into my home is still the thing I'm proudest of. And I know you feel the same about Arlo. You two were meant for each other, and you loved each other dearly. I know what you're going through, and if you're anything like me you're going to be on an emotional roller-coaster ride for a while. Just know that this too shall pass. Arlo will always be a part of you, and nothing can change that. Just know you're not alone. You'll be in the hearts and prayers of all of us on this site, and we're here for you.
PS: I love the pictures of Arlo. What a sweetheart.

I just made a big mistake! Here I thought, maybe I am getting better. Then I looked at the picture of Arlo in the laundry basket and realized just how much I am NOT getting better

Oh the tears will flow tonight when we bring him home

Hi,
Just wanted you to know I'm thinking about you. I am so sorry that it had to happen and happen early. That beautiful creature will always hold a very special place in your heart.
Steve

I am so sorry about your Arlo , he will live on in your memory forever. Sandi, I read the story of the little orange boy it touched my heart. I lost my little orange boy 2 months ago today. When i saw the picture of your Jake it brought me to tears, he looks so much like my Louie did.