Lost my cat today.

[throwaway]

I lost Mistletoe today. She was a black and white indoor cat who spent half of her time in a chickenwire outside enclourse looking at plants, and half her time sitting on my bed. I’ve had her for 12 years. Every night when I went to bed she’d come in immediatly and jump to the bed herself. She sometime went to sleep with me, but most of the time she’d stay for cuddles for about 20 mins and go back to what she was doing. She had a bed habit of drooling when she was younger, but it lessened as she aged. She was very affectionate and loved kneading hair – I think it reminder her of het kittenhood where my step dad used to carry her on his shoulder.

When I came home from work yesterday she was meowing like crazy and couldn’t move her back legs. Even though she was in pain she didn’t scratch or bite. We took her to the emergency vet, but at 3am I got a call saying that she wasn’t getting better, and was unlikely to last the night.

We drove out at 3am and euthanized her.

Topic

[vrmaggie]

Dear @throwaway,

It is heartbreaking to hear about your loss of Mistletoe.

It is very obvious from your post that she was deeply loved, kept safe indoors but also given safe outdoor space.

You did your very best for her and noticed immediately when she was in discomfort, although cats can be good at hiding that. That tells me immediately that she loved and trusted you and you were ‘her human’.

There was nothing more you could do than have her euthanized and she would have been grateful, that’s why she showed you.

I know a lovely lady that runs a long-time cat shelter and one of her caveats when she allows cat adoptions is that the owners must be there for the eventual death. You did that for Mistletoe at 3am, so much love and compassion there.

Although your grief is very painful at this time, I hope that you will go on to preserve the beautiful memories that you and Mistletoe shared. You gave her a beautiful life.

I was touched to read about her giving you cuddles for 20 minutes and stomping on your hair:) Cats, they’re so beautiful but don’t ask for more than 20 minutes! But the 20 minutes they do give is so very precious and special and they’re very selective about who they give it to.

Please reach out to us anytime. Maggie.

[VM-Loki23]

Dear @throwaway. I too am saddened to hear about the loss of your beautiful Mistletoe. It sounds like she was a wise, independent cat who still loved to be cuddled. It is always a shock when our beloved pets die suddenly. I lost two beautiful kittens tragically when I was a teenager and to this day I wonder if I could have done things differently. I now have a 2-year-old tabby who keeps me in the present moment with his antics! It sounds like you have many memories of the 12 years you had with Mistletoe. Please feel free to share them on this forum as I would love to hear more about her. I can already visualise her kneading and purring as my tabby does that too!
I also heard your dedication to Mistletoe when you rushed her to the vet after a long day at work and drove back at 3 am. Please know that whatever you are experiencing is normal for what you have gone through. Connecting with people with similar experiences on this forum such as @ghostkitty and the volunteer team by phone will support you as you process your grief. The grief we have is a reflection of the love we have for our beloved pets and all the joy they gave us.
Remember that you are not alone even though it may feel like that. We are here to listen to you and to walk your path with you.
Whilst the resource on ‘losing a pet’ as mentioned by @VMLyncha will be of use, please check out another article https://griefline.org.au/resources/mindfulness-for-grief/ that describes compassionately processing grief.
Be gentle with yourself as you remember Mistletoe.

[VMPatch]

Hello @throwaway
I am so sorry to hear that you have lost your beloved Mistletoe. Losing a pet leaves a big hole in our lives especially when she has been a part of your life for so long.
I am pleased that you have reached out for support through this forum. You can also call our Ggriefline helpline on 1300 845 745 ( 8am to 8pm) if you would like to talk with a trained volunteer. There is also a fact shoot on our website about losing a pet that you may want to read.
file:///C:/Users/lynch/Downloads/GL-Losing-a-pet%20(1).pdf
Please do not hesitate to seek more support as you grieve your Mistletoe.

[Author]

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