Your first pet you had to put to sleep.

[Autumnflame]

I recently had to put my Cat of 14 years to sleep.
My little woman who was there for me always

as my first emotional attachment to an animal.
It was surprisingly hard to let her go.
IT hurt so much to have to say goodbye and it will probably still hurt for a long time to come.

Who has been there for you?
What was your experience with the loss of your pet.
How did you cope.

[http://www.is-the.biz/view/58784_image.jpg]

 

[Zontar]

In my time I've had several animals put to sleep. It's hard at first, and there's no real way of making it easier. If I was to give advice, I'd say this: don't let it get you down too much and remember some of the better times you had with them.

My most recent case (I live in the country, we a few dozen cats living on our property, though the ones we are attached to are the few which live inside). Cat my brother took in as a kitten 12 years ago died. Guy was going threw some hard times, but we hoped he would bounce back (he came on the verge of death about 8 times in 2 years, always getting pretty dirty and inactive, only to bounce back and make a full recovery within a few days). He just went to sleep and didn't wake up. It's sad, but at lease I can take comfort in the fact he lived 12 long years with us instead of growing up in the barn we got him from where he most likely would have died within a few years. (unrelated: we took him in because my brother dropped him on his head and made him retarded. The cat was an idiot, but he was a happy one who loved attention)

 

[Vault101]

it wasn't a pet but several years ago we had a sheepdog that had to get put down because his back was done....unlike others he actually got put to sleep by a vet...

I remember the date because it was the anniversary of when Australia switched to Dollars (14 feb 2006)

 

[Eleuthera]

I only ever had one pet we had to have put down. A 16 y.o. Shih Tzu, about ten years ago now. We had her from when I was 10 or 11. I know I cried more that day than I did when my grandparents died...

As to how I coped, time, it went away eventually.

Spoiler: large and crappy quality picture

 

[Artina89]

On my 13th birthday our cat had to be put to sleep after she had cancer which started on her back legs and had spread to her throat. We haven't had any pets since after we got the vet bills back and we worked out it was far cheaper to not have a pet. I now work as a microbiologist in a veterinary laboratory, so any sort of idea of getting a pet in the near future was swiftly knocked on the head when I told my parents the prices of the various tests that are performed and that is without the markup that the vet will place on the bill.

 

[Heronblade]

I've lost several pets over the years, and I can tell you that it never really gets easier, whether or not they die by your hands.

-An old dog that had been my protector and companion since I was an infant quietly laid down and died at my feet one evening.

-I found an abandoned 3-4 week old kitten infected with what's known as the feline common cold. I had been carefully nursing her back to health over the course of two weeks when she relapsed and died in my hands within a matter of hours. The odds were unfortunately against her from the start. Kittens at that age have jack all for an immune system.

-I've also had to personally put down two dogs, both in response to age related problems. Both had been with us for over 15 years. One picked up some kind of neurological degeneration that affected his ability to walk or even eat. The other simply became weak enough that the day came when she could not stand, was half blind and deaf, and confused and in pain as a result.

-My cat simply disappeared. She was quite old, almost 17, and in fading health. She also had not left the environs of the house in years. Our best guess is she went somewhere on her own to die.

 

[Frankster]

Had to go rather suddenly to the vet to put my 10 year old gorgeous orange half persian cat Diego to sleep.

He had caught felines AIDs through a scrape with another cat during his rounds patrolling his turf.
His state gradually deteriorated, didn't realize why he was losing his energy and barely moving until it was far too late (if anything could have been done), then his skin was turning yellow as liver broke down amongst other symptoms.

He started mewing in pain a lot repeatedly and it became obvious we really had no choice but to put the cat out of its misery though none of us wanted to accept it, what followed was a drive that felt forever and well, felt like losing a close family member, I had no shame in shedding a tear.

I remember my immediate reaction was first to take the long way home via bus and walking instead of waiting for my parents who were inside the vet still, needed the fresh air and power walk to vent..

Was really sad for a time but accepted the death eventually...Even got a new cat once we agreed none could ever replace Diego, and indeed the new cat charmed us for different reasons.

 

[Krustosaurus]

I'm allergic to animals so I only ever had gerbils, since they mostly stayed in their cage and it meant their fur wouldn't go everywhere. When I was about 12 we adopted two greyhounds. Poppy was a nervous wreck when we got her, so she was constantly on guard. However, she calmed down over the years and eventually relaxed around us. Sasha was the complete opposite, she was the most mellow dog ever, so I felt a lot safer around her. Once I was standing in the garden and Poppy suddenly started barking at me and Sasha jumped in between us and got her to back off. Hero dog.

First to go was Poppy

Spoiler

.
We got to say goodbye then they took her to the vets. I was sad, but it didn't take me too long to recover.

Last year Sasha got put down.

Spoiler

I was getting ready to move to a different country for the year so I was out getting some last minute things to take with me. She'd been having trouble breathing and wasn't moving as much but I thought that just meant she was getting older and she'd be with us for another year or two. I didn't go home to see her that day and I regret it so much. My mum texted and said she'd been put down (because she couldn't bear to call me and say it). I was ok at first then it hit me and I started crying. Then when I moved abroad I was in someone's house and their dog looked at me and I just bawled my eyes out. It was so embarrassing. I still miss her.

 

[shootthebandit]

I vaguely remember a rabbit or a hamster from a long time ago. Obviously as a kid i was upset

Its always hard to lose a pet or a relative but you get on with life. The more you dwell on it the more itll get you down

I find it weird how we wont let a pet suffer with a terminal illness yet euthanasia is still illegal in most countries

 

[DANEgerous]

I had to do it to a dog I had, the only way I could cope... hell the only thin that keeps me from crying now almost a decade later is the fact that if he fell or jumped more than 6 inches he was racked with pain. Death may be cruel but it is not that cruel. Also I hate thread like this, not because I actually hate them but rather they make me want to go to Petco on adoption day and just yell "ALL OF THEM! GIVE ME ALL OF THEM!" and take home like 50 dogs and 20 cats.

 

[Hero of Lime]

Last year we had to put our cat to sleep after her cancer had spread very quickly after she went into remission. We had her going to a great cancer treatment place which really did a great job keeping the cancer down. However, after we took her in less because everything was looking good, her cancer came back and it spread so quickly. That whole period really effected me, I know I should want another cat(or pet in general) but I scared to do it again, at least for a long time anyway. I still really miss her.

 

[Kanova]

I had a cat I picked out from the pet store myself when I was 6 or so. Black with some white patches on her. Explains why I named her Patches. As a socially awkward ****** who is also afraid of girls, I was really attached to this cat who was always there when I went to bed, got up or when I came home from school. Followed me around on walks and barely left my side. Then she had cancer and I went with my dad to have her sleep forever. I was pretty young still, she didn't have a long life. I remember her mewing at me in the kennel when we got to the vet, sitting on my lap in the room. I remember hiding my tears behind me baseball hat. I was probably 14 or so.

Now I'm 21 and I still shed a few tears as I wrote that damn paragraph.

 

[CpT_x_Killsteal]

Last year I think it was, we finally let go of the dog I had since I was 4, he was 14-15 years old. He had lost his strength, his leg was dislocated, he couldn't be operated on because his heart was too weak to withstand sedatives.

By that time I had already come to terms with the death of animals. I've definitely lost in the double digits by now, but none through a needle. It's always been drowning, snakes, cars, and ticks. I only really remembered the good memories I had with him when we let him go, although it was still a sad occasion. He was old and in pain, so his time had come.

 

[Cecilo]

Two and a half years ago we had to put down the Dog I have had since I was seven, I am now Twenty-Four. Her name was Xandy. She had hip problems to the point she could no longer get up and go outside, she also had some kind of problem with her eyes, I can't remember what it was exactly. She would whimper and cry every night, and we finally just let her rest.

The worst part of it was I didn't even get to say goodbye because I was away at college and I lack a car to drive back myself. As for coping, just, I took a day to myself, went to local park and just cried. I wish you strength with your coping, and I am sorry for your loss.

 

[sabercrusader]

Just about 3 weeks ago we had to put down our dog that had been with me for as far back as I can remember. She had a multitude of problems, including the fact that she was at the time completely deaf and had an accident a few years back that I don't think she ever fully recovered from.

She had trouble walking and so many other problems that we couldn't afford to have fixed, but we put it off as long as we could without feeling cruel. I remember being woken up by her whining in pain the morning we were having her put down. I had to go to college that day, so I couldn't be with her at the vet. I...I don't think I could've been in there without completely breaking down. I said my goodbyes and took one last look at her before I walked out the door.

That was the last time I saw her, sitting in my room on her bed, looking so depressed. I came home that day and just tried to occupy myself. I tried not to think about it.

Man, I knew as soon as I saw this thread that I shouldn't have clicked on it, now I'm crying.

 

[Muspelheim]

We had a cat that went mad when I was about five. She was always rather reserved, but she became unmanagable and began harming herself, which didn't leave any real options. She hated my guts even before then, but I was still rather sad, I remember. But, she lived a long, good life, which is what matters in the end.

Cats since have come and gone, and it never really gets easy. But the fact that they've lived well and don't have to suffer does help. Cats don't live very long, but their short times with us are all the more meaningful for it.

 

[Flutterguy]

My hamster Taro when I was 6 or so. My sister said "Look hamsters can fly" and he landed painfully into the wall of the bathroom. My mom did the merciful thing and put the now twitching and quietly shrieking animal out of its misery.

Surprisingly I had no nightmares from it.

 

[Rose and Thorn]

So far I have only known one cat, 2 gerbils and one fish to die on me. I wasn't present for any of them. They always seem to die when I am not looking, like the cat died when I was on a camping trip, and my friend buried the cat in the garden before I got home. She was 18 I think, so she was pretty old.

The gerbils I had when I was really young and ummm I was neglectful and I left them too long without food...I noticed the smell before I noticed that they had stopped moving. Not my proudest moment.

The fish I also just found floating belly up day, I am pretty sure it didn't starve, but who knows.

I am not so good with the small animals, but cats and dogs atleast tell you when they are hungry. I might not seem great with animals from this post, but I actually do have a current cat that I have had for 7 years, it is one of the most precious living things in my life. I am sure seeing a pet sick and dying is a much more difficult situation, so I am sorry for anyone in here who has had to put down an animal, truly.

 

[Zhukov]

Y'know, I've never actually had to do that.

Had a dog when I was younger, but had to give her away when I moved to the city. Gave her to a farmer. Last I heard she was still happily earning her living by chasing sheep, although she'd be getting old by now.

Had a cat. He caught some kind of nasty disease that started eating away his nose, left him with a big, red, weeping hole in his face, but the tough little bastard kept right on trucking. We decided we'd have him killed once he started showing distress or having trouble breathing. But he disappeared before that happened. I presume he went and found somewhere quiet to die, although for all I know he could have been hit by a car or something.

Oh, had my grandma's cat die while I was looking after him. He was real sick with something or other. When it was clear he was on his last legs I sat up overnight with him and he died on my lap. He just sort of slowly shut down until he stopped breathing. It seemed a rather gentle death, as deaths go.

 

[Nokturos]

My sister jokingly got me 2 goldfish for my birthday once. Of course, they were in one of those old fashioned spherical bowls with no air filter, so they started to swim upside down pretty quickly. One of them died after a week or so, but the other one lasted for about a month, until I felt it was just cruel to keep it alive. Fish being cold blooded, I thought the must humane means of killing it would be to put it in a cup of water, and put it outside in the freezing cold, that way it would fall asleep, and then freeze to death.