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My lovely, wonderful, funny cat Biscuit is no longer with us.
We got him from a rescue centre and he was the cat with the loudest purr. He was a one off individual who loved to show how big and butch he was. Mind you, he ran away at the slightest sign of trouble and so was a bit of a fake in the matcho stakes.
He liked mice and loved bringing home the spoils of his hunting expeditions. Once he brought in a baby frog, deposited on the rug and then waited for the applause. The frog lived to see another day but we made sure that it was half a mile away before we released it back into the wild.
Biscuit loved being outside and it was often a devil of a job getting him inside of an evening. He was funny, loved being stroked on his own terms, just for a bit and that was it and then he was off upstairs to find a nice spot for an extended snooze.
He was the little boy who scraped his knees and we spent a lot of time in the vets with various ailments like losing an eyelid and bites from other cats who had the temerity to poach on his territory.
About 18 months ago, he went off his food. The vet diagnosed gingivitis and then his problems began. He had lots of different treatments that didn’t work and then at horrendous expense, he had most of his teeth taken out.
We had to inject him daily with pain killers and although he picked up after the injections, it could only be a short term solution.
Today we went to the vets and decided, with the vets, that his quality of life was now not very good and so our baby was put to sleep and he went peacefully.
At the moment it hurts so much to think about it, but I had to put this down in words in the hope that it might help ease the pain somehow.
People who have never had pets may find it difficult to understand the feelings of grief and loss when a beloved pet has gone and the guilt that you have when it is up to you to decide to end a life. We have had to make this decision before and it is never easy and I know, we will get over it and remember the lovely times we had with Biscuit. But now all I feel is pain and I am crying as I write this.
If there is a cat heaven out there somewhere, I hope that Biscuit is having a lovely time and chasing butterflies in the never-ending Summer.
Comments
My heart...
My heart goes out to you! We've had two family pets that we had to let the vet put down when their life got to the point where it was no longer remotely good. It hurts. They become so much a part of the family.
Best wishes to you AND the rest of your family.
Annette
Been there, done that...
several times and it doesn't get any easier. If you have a loving relationship with a pet, it's like losing a family member - for some people, it might even be worse.
If it's any consolation, Sue, you have the satisfaction of knowing that Biscuit had a good life and that you did all you could for him. You also know that he is now safe.
My condolences on your loss.
Hugs,
Angharad.
Angharad
There are
never enough words to describe the relationship we have with our pets, Sadly as i have found out myself when they do depart for the cat heaven it does leave a gaping hole in your life. I remember when we lost our first cat we were adamant that there was no way could we replace such a character, And as such we agreed that was it, No more cats..... That resolve lasted for just under a week before we found another cat at a local shelter.... Oscar proved to be the most loving affectionate and affectionate cat that we had ever had and we enjoyed eleven happy years together, When sadly he too passed on we did not make the mistake of trying to do without, Which is why we now have Bruce... Greedy and lazy he might be, But we would not be without him for the world...
I share the deep sadness you must feel Sue, But as i found out when i lost Oscar and wrote about it in my blog, Putting down a few words does seem to help the healing process.... My condolences to you and your family, Hopefully Biscuit will have found Oscar and i am sure knowing my Oscar he will have put a friendly paw around Biscuit's shoulder and shown him where all the best butterflies are....
Kirri
Dear Sue, I know that is such
Dear Sue, I know that is such a difficult experience. We do all we can for the furry members of our families, and in the end we must often do for them one last thing which is peaceful for them but oh so painful for us.
I'm sitting here bawling my eyes out; I can hardly see to type.
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
You have my complete sympathy, Sue
It was just a week ago that we had to put one of the 2 best cats I've ever had as a companion, to sleep. When the picture at the bottom of this page was taken,
http://www.freewebs.com/scottyspot/holly.htm
Bleu weighed over 20 pounds. After several health problems, ending in near complete kidney failure, he was down to 7 1/7 pounds when I held him as he drifted off. But he lived to over 17, 11 or so of which graced my life, and the first two of which he was the devoted almost constant companion of my wife as she was losing her battle with cancer. To the very end he would come up, cuddle and start purring without even insisting on or getting any petting.
Like your Biscuit, he had the loudest roaring purr of any of the 22 cats that have graced my life over the years. All but 3 were rescue cats, or the offspring of cats my wife and daughter rescued.
I am in total agreement with your last two paragraphs, and want to send you a tight virtual HUG!
P.s. I don't know who that is in the other pictures, giggle. They were taken in 2006, and 2010.
Holly
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
Holly
Biscuit, my lovely cat
I BELIEVE that our animal friends await us in Heaven.
May Your Light Forever Shine
RIP Biscuit
I'm so sorry for your loss. You did the right thing in stopping the pain, but that doesn't mean you won't feel the pain of your loss.
You were kind and loving towards your pet, and I'm sure he could sense that. Better than that, you just can't do.
Every pet is special and has their own personality, but in general it's nice having a pet. I hope someday, when the grieving abates, you'll offer Biscuit's space in your home to another deserving creature.
Hugs.
Good kitty
I'm sorry for your loss, but you did the right thing to ease his suffering. He looks like a cutie.
Agreed, You did right by your companion
We fear that in the none too distant future we will need to do that with our 17 year old litermates. Both have early to middle stage -- the worst is a 2 on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being failure -- kidney disease.
For now they are fine but we can tell they are slowing down. Heck even I have the occasional *twinge* at 54!
AND my Dad turned 85 this Monday so...
Your cat was very handsome.
Resembled our Rusty, another loud purrer and sometimes scare-d-cat. Here his is with his sister Cally sometime last year.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Sue, I can only say this
You chose tears
Each friend, human or animal, I have had, has helped make my heart a little larger and given me more room to love them. When they leave, the memories stay in there, while a part of them leaves a little hole in my heart, leaving room for another to work its way in there and make it a little larger. My heart is with you and I, too, mourn for your loss.
Diana
VERY sweet poem, made me cry
Thanks for posting the link
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Delayed reaction...
...after my note to you, we took a trip to the local PetSmart Supermarket. They let you bring your pets there, so we walked Harley around. My wife took him over to the dog instruction area while I stopped by the cat rescue adoption area. And sitting there right in the middle of the cages out front was a big creamy/red tabby with just a hint of white on the face. I thought of Biscuit and I started to bawl right there in the store. Our kitties Mama and Buddy truly are blessings in our lives here, and I can only imagine the heartache you must feel over your loss. A member of your family and the best friend in the world, yes? I am so sorry.
Love, Andrea Lena
They are our children
I have had pets for most of my life. I have lived long enough the tally is quite large.
I dreamed the other day of going to heaven, and being surrounded by all those critters, both dogs and cats I have loved. It was a happy dream.
Wow!
I certainly hope your dream comes true, and I really hope it woeks for me, too. It's a great dream!
Wren
Wow!
I certainly hope your dream comes true, and I really hope it woeks for me, too. It's a great dream!
Wren
I Highly recommend readking the following:
http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/fiction/9087/another-cat039s-t...
Grover wrote it at a time when I was grieving the loss of my furball. It helped me get to sleep when I didn't think I would ever sleep peacefully without my little pal at my side, purring me to sleep.
I also highly recommend the Rainbow Bridge, which is posted here at the site. It assures us that there is indeed, a pet heaven, as well as a wonderful waiting area where our lost, loved pets wait for us. You'll see your puddy tat again hon, but wait til your proper time. We need you here with us.
Soft furry huggles,
Catherine Linda Michel
As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script.
Grover's story helped me, too
last week. Thank you again for pointing it out to me, Cathy. I've already thanked Grover.
Bleu was never a scardy cat. He was too mellow for that. He'd never have made a watch cat, as he loved everyone.
Holly
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
Holly
Oh, how I know your feelings!
We have several pets, but each time we lose one, it's like a stake in the heart. I've lost 3 cats in as many years. I'm
still working on getting over the last one. Rest assured, after reading your post, I'm crying with you. Of course, one of my other cats started sneezing, on me (yuk!) as I typed that. Ain't pets wonderful!
Wren
My condolences.
I had a cat named Arthur, who found me when he was a kitten and stayed with me for fifteen years. Along with the attendant visits to the vet for various dings, cuts, or whatever. He was hit by a car, so I wasn't faced with the choice you were. I still miss him after five years.
So I hope biscuit and Arthur are both in Cat Heaven.
Hugs.
Maggie
I am told
that they wait for us across the rainbow bridge, where they no longer hurt or have to wait for food or water bowls to be refilled.
Over my 54 years, I have had many a pet to cross the bridge. I can only imagine the joy for all of us when we are reunited.
Janice
Thanks for all your support
Thank you for all your responses to the loss of my cat Biscuit.
It has given me great comfort and I hope soon to start remembering the good times and not the sad ones of late.
Once again, thank you so much for all your support.
Hugs
Sue