RJ, I'm glad you had your friend Chelsea for as long as you did. We had 2 cats a couple of years ago that we let pass at home. When you have a "family" member that long, it's just that, family. It's hard to lay family to rest, whether it's our human family or our pet family. You guys know both events, as we do too. I'm sorry for your loss.

Our "family" is our pets. 3 dogs and a cat. Every cat and dog has their own personality, just as we do. If they were all the same life would be boring.

 

RJ, one of the most unselfish yet most gutwrenching things you can do is have them PTS when they are suffering. I am glad you did that for her. I know it's hard but at least you didn't let her suffer a long time till she died in pain slowly. That was your last gift to her.

IF IT SHOULD BE
If it should be that I grow weak
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then you must do what must be done,
For this last battle cannot be won.
You will be sad, I understand.
Don't let your grief then stay your hand.
For this day, more than all the rest,
Your love for me must stand the test.
We've had so many happy years.
What is to come can hold no fears.
You'd not want me to suffer so;
The time has come -- please let me go.
Take me where my need they'll tend,
And please stay with me till the end.
Hold me firm and speak to me,
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time that you will see
The kindness that you did for me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I've been saved.
Please do not grieve -- it must be you
Who had this painful thing to do.
We've been so close, we two, these years;
Don't let your heart hold back its tears.
--- Anonymous ---



Cat Poem


They will not go quietly,
the cats who've shared our lives.
In suptle ways they let us know
their spirit still survives.
Old habits still make us think
we hear a meow at the door.
Or step back when we drop
a tasty morsel on the floor.
Our feet still go around the place
the food dish used to be,
And, sometimes, coming home at night,
we miss them terribly.
And although time may bring new friends
and a new food dish to fill,
That one place in our hearts
belongs to them. . . and always will.

by Linda Barnes

 

So sorry to hear about your loss... We have a Lab & two cats ourselves, and they truly are part of the family... Losing anyone of them would be like losing a family member... 21.5 yrs of memories is really a blessing...

 

I'm so sorry about Chelsea. My three kittens were born here (in my bed!) and lived with us till they were all over 21. Your Chelsea lived a very long time and I bet she had a wonderful happy life. Be thankful you could be with her when she went to Heaven - and know for sure that she's there waiting for you.

 

Hey RJ, you have my sympathy as well. I have had to do that a couple of times with dogs and I'm facing it once more with my Sheltie ( Brodie ).
It's never easy
This too will pass.....

 

I'm soooo sorry about your loss RJ. Chelsea was a special cat that will always live on in your memory.

 

Thank you guys so much for the support. I'm having a hard time with this cause we were together for so long.

 

I too send my sympathies. I have another friend who's dog (similiar age) just passed away Friday/Saturday. It's tought and I completely understand.
We have two minature pinschers. The one before being a year old had to get some knee surgery (or gimp the rest of her life), I am so glad we did that, she's a great little dog and here we are 3-4 years later and she runs and jumps with no problem.

Her brother, who is from the same litter (but we aquired months later through a long sorted story), 2 day's before his sister went in for knee surgery, he had developed a problem of vomitting a lot.
My now wife took him to our vet and long story short it was:
- Take him to a vet that specializes in small dog problems and look at about $3000 in bills
- Gamble that my vet can cut open, find and correct the problem for about $1000.
I never realised how attached I was to the little guy (we had not had him that long at that point, and I left work early to meet with my wife at the vet office and and decide what to do). After I discussed things with the vet, I gambled and had our vet operate.
Turns out the little guy swallowed large chunks of a dog toy and that was stuck in his intestines.
Again, best decision I made and it stunk that both dogs needed serious life/death/quality-of-life decisions in such tight time frames. Both those dogs are great. But I learned, it's tough to be faced with these choices. I feel for ya, but I think it sounds like you did what was best.
Sorry for the long post.

Remember, it's all about the good times!

 

In 1996 Chlesea was drinking excess water and acting like she couldn't breath right. Took her to the vet. The vet says her intestines were shoved up through her chest cavity. The vet won't operate cause she doesn't have the experience. But a group of vets from the Columbus area who come to Dayton every day say they will operate on Chelsea. For $1100.

It was very hard to decide what to do back then. But we let them operate and they said she came through fine. Which it turned out she did cause she lived another 14 years.

Man you could just tell she was in so much pain. But it helped her live longer.

The day I took her there these two women setting beside me couldn't believe Chelsea was so calm in a room full of dogs. This one very large dog even came up and sniffed her nose. She never moved. The women thought Chelsea was drugged. Because of her being so calm. I told them I believed she knew I wouldn't let anything harm her.

 

Sorry to hear about Chelsea, RJ. I know how hard that decision was. I had to make the same choice a few years ago with my 16 year old dog, Shadow. She layed in my lap as the med's took effect. Toughest thing I've done in a very long time.