Just... ugh...

[Tigger]

We've had to put two of our animals down: a dog I had for about 10 years and a cat I had for 18. I didn't get to be there when my parents had my cat put down - it was an emergency situation and there wasn't time. For my dog...I held her head as the vet put her to sleep while my parents petted her. I talked to her and as she died, she licked my hand...it was as if she understood why we were doing what we were doing and was letting us know it was ok. I also got to be the one to drive home, because my mother was sobbing too hard to drive and even my stoic father was in tears. Be prepared for that.

Our vet was wonderful. He'd talked to my parents about putting Shaz down about a year earlier, but they weren't ready. He kept doing surgeries on her and giving her medication (she had mammarian cancer) until they were ready. He made it as easy as possible for us. Find a good vet.

As for being selfish, I don't think you are. You've given her a good life. It's time to let her go. Don't force her to make the move to a place she doesn't know - let her die where it's familiar to her. It's a hard decision to make and I don't envy you - I refuse to think about the day I may have to put my kitties down. **HUGS** as you go through this.

[PVTHillbilly]

I do agree with everyone at this point. We had my 15 year old cat put down a couple of years ago, and we wasn't really ready. We still talk about missing him sometimes, he was a real part of this family, even my dad who was quoted as saying "I'm gonna kill that ol' cat" and "I hate that ol' cat" was crying when he went to bury him.

I know Oreo was in alot of pain, he was going to kidney failure, and the Dr. said he could probably prolong it with medication, but he was losing alot of weight, we had to bring his food and water, and litter pan to him, and it just wasn't fair to make him live like that any longer, I really hope he understood why we had him put down, I couldn't be in the room with him when we let him go, I really regret that now, because I hate to think that he didn't know what was going on, and why he was being took away from us.

I remember taking him to the vet once and he had to stay for a few days, and we actually came over every day to sit with him until he got to come home. That is just how hard it was for us to let him go.