I grew up with dogs as pets and never cared much for cats, but for most of these past fifteen years my wife and I have cared for an orphaned cat. Her feral mother had apparently delivered a litter under a machine in a lumber mill and then been scared away (leaving two kittens behind) when workers began arriving for work. My son-in-law found the two kittens in the sawdust under that machine at the end of that shift...and then about a year later my wife and I accepted the responsibility of caring for her. She never made a sound during the first few years of her life, and we have always suspected she might have suffered some kind of trauma or maybe even some kind of brain damage after having spent that first day underneath an extremely-loud machine.
Yesterday she drank a little water and eventually ate just a little after going a few days without eating or drinking anything at all, and we have a veterinarian coming to our home this evening to euthanize her. She does not appear to be in any great pain, but she does seem to be in a state of discomfort and my wife and I have no reason to believe there is any hope for her recovery from what appears to be kidney failure.
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Originally Posted by Quarter life
Pets get us out of our own heads....are made of Love & Warm...and teach us what is important in life.
Importance of a pet |
When we first got this cat we have variously called "Cat", "Kitty" or "Little Kitty", she almost immediately attached to me and would sleep on my chest as she had first done with one of my daughters before my wife and I had assumed responsibility for her. As a child I had always felt like an orphan, so it seemed to me that this cat and I had some things in common...and over the years I have learned to care for her with that in mind.
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Originally Posted by ruthful
The bond we have with our pets releases a hormone called oxytocin in our brains. Oxytocin is often called 'the love hormone,' which elevates our mood.
Importance of a pet |
That has often been the case for me even though this cat has always seemed to be far more of a needer than a giver. There have been many times when it felt consoling for me to console her, and then it has also been great to watch as my cheery wife looked for ways to try to entertain her and play with her.
Today's duties and their emotional challenges for the sake of our old cat are going to be a bit (or maybe even quite) difficult for me. I have to go out and prepare a burial site, my wife would like to take a few pictures and then I will likely be the one holding our "Little Kitty" this evening as the veterinarian does his part.
My grieving has began, and I thank you for listening.