How do you...?

Question

How do you keep you mind off losing a pet you just had to get put down? My family & I had to get our cat of 19 years put down a few days ago & I try to think positive about her life being good & all but it hurts so much & I'm forcing myself not to cry cause I cried like a baby at the vets when my sister & I took her to get put down. How do I keep my mind off this & move on ect..?

The one thing that made me feel really bad is when the vet was telling me how sick my cat was ect & that she should be put down & I kept asking is there anything that can help her, she had liver failure & the vet said nothing with actually cure her & she was about to cry as well after like 20 mins of talking with us over the entire process. Because she had to see a 19 & 21 year old girl cry so much & see thier pet of 19 years go & I felt so bad for the vet as well. But out vet was great & I thank them & all of you for you kindness & information on this matter.

The hardest part of my loss is within the past 4 years we have had to put down 3 cats including her, the other 2 my ex neighbor poisened with antifreeze. We also had another cat that got poisened but we found him after he died & suffered without even getting a chance to be put down easily & gently.

Answer 1

I am so sorry. I know exactly how you feel. I had to put down two cats within the past year and a half- one with kidney failure and one who had a stroke and was paralyzed from the waist down, as a result of the stroke. It is so difficult to not think about your cat and how much you miss her. Don't feel bad about crying over losing your pet either- it is a big part of the healing process, and your cat knew how much you loved her. You get very attached to them when they are around, and when they go it is as if you've lost a human member of your family.

The thing that worked for me, after I lost my cat 4 months ago, was to get a new cat. I actually got two- a two-year-old stray and a 3-month-old kitten. The kitten's antics made me laugh, and though I don't forget my previous two cats, I miss them occasionally now, but not nearly as much as I did the first couple of weeks after they were put down.

I would go to a local shelter or pound first, if you do want to start looking for a new cat- these are the cats who have had the toughest lives, and they need attention and affection very badly.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Oh, I am so sorry for your loss. I'm nearly crying too. I have a 14 year old cat and that will be coming up for us in the not too distant future *cringe*, I'm afraid.

Well, I just finished reading this book called "Shattered Love" by Richard Chamberlain. He had to put his beloved dog down when it got old and sickly too. He said he sat there holding the dog while the needle went in and felt him die.

He said he was never more aware of how all that he now held in his arms was the empty shell of what had once housed the precious life force that was his dog, but that now that life force had been freed to become part of all the life and energy that he could see and feel around him.

I thought that was a wonderful way to look at it, not just for our pets, but for our human loved ones as well. We don't actually lose them. They just escape their "packaging", as it were. :)

I hope this brings you some comfort, as it did for me. May all that is good be yours.

Answer 3

That just happened to me yesterday! I had to put my dog Daisy of 7 yrs down! I also cried at the vets office and especially when I was driving on my way home! At least I got to say goodbye to her and she looked very sick but I know now shes better and yes it hurts a lot! I feel empty without her cause she used to be always next to me! I have other dogs but its not the same she was the loyal one! So I share the feeling with you just remember that you did the best thing for your cat! And its ok to cry your heart out, I did and I feel much better! Cheer up and pray for your cat like I did for my dog!

Answer 4

I know it hurts, but it's a part of life. Think about it in another way. You loved your cat enough to end her suffering rather than letting her go on living in pain. Cats and other animals (and people) know when it's time to leave this life. Your cat is very fortunate to have you there when she needed you most of all. It is a very brave thing you did and your cat is looking at you right now and smiling, saying "Thank you." She has given you many years of love and enjoyment and this is the kindest thing you have ever done for her. She knows. And if there is an afterlife, she will be there waiting for you, wagging her tail.

Answer 5

I know your pain. I went through it exactly the same way. Sometimes I think I actually loved my tom cat more than my own life; the cat definitely liked me. But after He died in 1992 at the age of 17, I managed to get a life, and my wife and I are still together.

Answer 6

I won't compare any pain I have felt to yours. I think you should just sit down and cry. Have a good cry, the whole thing, tears, snot and sobbing. Not to be cruel but it needs to be done. It will make you feel better and you probably will have a nice dream about your friend.! I hope you feel better and stronger as soon as your mind and body are ready. Best Wishes!

Answer 7

SWEETY,I'm truely sorry for your lose...The best thing for healing is to cry all you want and remember all the good times you had with your pet...As soon as you go through this,Your pet will always be with you in your heart...I have gone through this a couple of times and it never gets any easier...

Clowmy

Answer 8

Let yourself cry. It is alright to grieve for a family member. Your cat sounds like she had a GREAT life with you guys. after sometime has passed and wounds heal, go to the shelter and rescue another.

Answer 9

i lost my 13 year old cat a new year through kidney failure.it still hurts alot and i suppose it always will.i miss him every day.but i know he was loved and very well cared for his whole life.i was with him at the end and i'm glad for that.i know he is at peace now and in no pain.i'm sure he knew in his own way that i loved him.i have a new kitten now,he isn't a replacement for jules,but he definitely made my house a bit noisier!!take care,you did the right thing.think of the happy times,allow yourself to grieve.she was part of your family.

Answer 10

I know it's very hard to lose a pet hopefully you do have pics of your cat? What I've learned is to take pics of your pets & loved ones. This way you'll always remember them & what they looked like.