- Joined
- Mar 9, 2014
- Messages
- 17
- Purraise
- 4
RIP Jerry. We had to put him down one week ago (3/24/14). We had a very hard couple of weeks. Thanks to those who shared their advice and support.
Lessons learned:
- If you feel that your loved one is in need, please get a second opinion. This goes for pets and beyond. We were very concerned for our little guy, and a local vet who will go unnamed assured us that everything was OK. We took him in multiple times in the following week after his condition worsened, and they still assured us he was fine. It wasn't until we took him into the emergency clinic at our local university that it became apparent that something was seriously wrong. If you can afford it, do get a second opinion. Trust your instinct. We regret not trusting ours. Life is full of what-ifs and we aren't holding grudges or beating ourselves up, but the fact is he would have had a better chance of making it had we known of his condition a few days earlier.
- Don't take anything for granted. I grew up with cats with absolutely no sense of caution. Tool sheds full of noxious chemicals were accessible, sharp/hot/dangerous objects all over the place, and all of our cats were indoor/outdoor creatures in the middle of the woods (think foxes, coyotes, bobcats, predatory birds, snakes, etc.), but they all lived happy lives into their teens. The thought of letting Jerry go never even crossed my mind when we adopted him... we dumped all our money into the best food and toys, and poured our hearts into making his home as happy as possible. He became a huge part of our universe very quickly. We regret not having given him more love. Love your little critter(s) as if today were their last day with you, because take it from us, it might very well be.
We are thankful for our vet.at the university for her passion, emotion, and talent. She was there with us as we held Jerry as we let him cross the bridge. We are forever grateful for her making him coherent enough to enjoy his last few days. It was nice to hear him purr, and it was priceless having him healthy enough to be able to go peacefully.
We are also thankful for having Jerry. We are a young couple, and it was a huge life decision to have him. We dove head first into raising him, and expected a decade to give him our love. We both quickly took him for granted, and have learned from it. Life is precious and fragile. Take an extra second to pet your pet or smile at your neighbor, because absolutely nothing is permanent. It's funny how a tiny little guy like Jerry can teach a couple so much! We hope that maybe he can pass on some wisdom to you, too. RIP.
Lessons learned:
- If you feel that your loved one is in need, please get a second opinion. This goes for pets and beyond. We were very concerned for our little guy, and a local vet who will go unnamed assured us that everything was OK. We took him in multiple times in the following week after his condition worsened, and they still assured us he was fine. It wasn't until we took him into the emergency clinic at our local university that it became apparent that something was seriously wrong. If you can afford it, do get a second opinion. Trust your instinct. We regret not trusting ours. Life is full of what-ifs and we aren't holding grudges or beating ourselves up, but the fact is he would have had a better chance of making it had we known of his condition a few days earlier.
- Don't take anything for granted. I grew up with cats with absolutely no sense of caution. Tool sheds full of noxious chemicals were accessible, sharp/hot/dangerous objects all over the place, and all of our cats were indoor/outdoor creatures in the middle of the woods (think foxes, coyotes, bobcats, predatory birds, snakes, etc.), but they all lived happy lives into their teens. The thought of letting Jerry go never even crossed my mind when we adopted him... we dumped all our money into the best food and toys, and poured our hearts into making his home as happy as possible. He became a huge part of our universe very quickly. We regret not having given him more love. Love your little critter(s) as if today were their last day with you, because take it from us, it might very well be.
We are thankful for our vet.at the university for her passion, emotion, and talent. She was there with us as we held Jerry as we let him cross the bridge. We are forever grateful for her making him coherent enough to enjoy his last few days. It was nice to hear him purr, and it was priceless having him healthy enough to be able to go peacefully.
We are also thankful for having Jerry. We are a young couple, and it was a huge life decision to have him. We dove head first into raising him, and expected a decade to give him our love. We both quickly took him for granted, and have learned from it. Life is precious and fragile. Take an extra second to pet your pet or smile at your neighbor, because absolutely nothing is permanent. It's funny how a tiny little guy like Jerry can teach a couple so much! We hope that maybe he can pass on some wisdom to you, too. RIP.
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