My 21 year old lady cat was PTS this morning ...(poss TMI)

[donutrehomer]

My lovely little elderly cat was PTS this morning at the vets.

She had gone rapidly downhill in the last week, starting with refusing food, hiding and was not really moving around as freely. This week she had also had a bit of an upset stomach. So, this morning we took in on an emergency appointment.

When the vet weighed her she had lost 3kg in weight. I couldn't believe she had lost so much weight. She was weighed at the vets in December and was over 5kg. Even the vet and vet nurse were shocked. The vet said that weight loss can be slow to start with but then extremely rapid at the very end. It was renal failure...

The vet could feel also feel a large mass in her stomach and felt the kindest option was to PTS. He left us alone with her for a few minutes before returning to sedate her before PTS.

The sedative took a about five to ten minutes to work, and I was talking to her the entire time. Thanking her for being such an amazing cat, telling her she would never be forgotten by any of us, how much we all love her. I was fussing and rubbing her ears until she fell asleep.

Then the vet returned to the room, and he asked me to leave whilst the actual PTS took place. I understand why as I was sobbing at this point. But now I feel awful that I wasn't with her when she finally went. The last person with her was the vet and not me.

We brought her home and had cuddles before burying her under her favourite bush, but I made the mistake of googling cat euthanasia and what to expect and realise that she may have still been "aware" and now feel that I should have stayed in the room.

I feel utterly wretched....

Thanks for reading.....

My cat was pts yesterday, he was 16 and also had kidney failure. He was also sedated, I am not an expert but once sedated he seemed completely unaware of what was going on. Please be kind to yourself, it must seem really raw. I have been crying on and off ever since.

I’m so sorry to read about the loss of your little cat. You sound like a lovely person, and I’m sure she enjoyed a wonderful life with you. PTS is so upsetting, but it’s also an act of love for a furry companion that has given so much love. It takes courage and devotion to make that decision, and I’m sure your girl knew she was loved at the very end. Please be kind to yourself today 💐

So sorry for your loss.

My 17 year old girl with kidney failure was also PTS yesterday. I was with her until the very end. If it is any consolation, the final injection works almost immediately and after the sedation I felt she wasn't really aware of what was going on, she was in very, very deep sleep. The vet and nurse who were in with us were very respectful and gentle with her, the nurse was quite tearful afterwards and gave me a hug before I left and the vet looked very sad too although composed as she was about to go into consults with other patients.

The vet and nurse sound lovely viccat. Mine was too, it must be a hard part of the job.

Sorry for your loss. Are cats usually sedated? Mine wasn't and she had the most beautiful and peaceful death.

Please don’t feel bad, sometimes it’s for both of our own and their good we’re out for the last moment. We stayed for the full thing with our elderly dog (I know a greyhound and a cat are different) but had never stayed for a pet before, she reacted unexpectedly to the first anaesthetic and the second, it was bloody horrific and I can only hope that wasn’t her last memory of us. It was horrible for us and we knew what was happening. Something I’ll never forget and not sure if I’ll ever manage to sit in again. Once the sedation takes hold they really do drift off

Sending hugs to you.... my 15 yo cat was PTS last Friday due to illness.
I was very unprepared for how upset I would be at the vets. I’m sure they are used to it, the vets assistant was particularly kind.
I would say after my cat was fully sedated there was virtually no difference between that and the actual final injection. The vet just listened to his heart for maybe 30 secs then nodded at me. I did feel that he was almost gone as the sedation took hold. Your cat would know how much you loved them and I’m sure your reassurance helped xx

If it's like human sedation you really arnt aware until it wears off

I honestly don't think you should worry.
It sounds like she fell asleep while you were there, showing her your love, and didn't know any more about it.
I know the vet and the nurse would have been kind to her too.
From a personal point of view, I know how difficult it must have been for you to make that decision and fwiw, I think it was the right one.

So sorry for your loss of your lovely pet.

My 18 yo cat was PTS last Saturday in a similar way he stopped eating and declined rapidly. I stayed with him for the full injection and he went very quickly. I’m sure she was just asleep as you said you had stroked her to sleep already. Please don’t berate yourself you know you loved her and looked after her all the way.
Be kind to yourself for the near future.

Oh please don't feel that way. She knew you were there while the sedatives took place. She heard all those lovely things you told her. The final injection is so, so fast it happens so quick. Please try not to worry about this. I am so sorry for the loss of your girl but what a lovely long and happy life you gave her.

Thank you all for such lovely kind words. My heart goes out to those of you who have also lost their cats recently.

It is the weirdest thing this evening, I keep looking over the side of the chair I am sitting on, or over towards the space on the carpet where she used to sit.

She was the type of little cat who would sit at your feet and just wait for you to notice her. She just loved us all so much, the tiniest bit of fuss and she would be purring for hours. She had the pinkest little nose you have ever seen and was the most daintiest cat I have ever owned.

Someone on my FB commented earlier today that they never leave you, they simply wait for you to join them. I am sure this is the case, we will be together again one day and I will enjoy her headbumps, purrsing and chirping once more. In return I will give her all the fusses and loves she could ever hope for.

Once again, thank you all so very much xx Much love to all xxx

Cats are amazing. You looked after her so well, she lived until 21. She had a wonderful life.

Gosh. 21 is amazing (ok maybe not to others, but all my family cats when I was a kid died about 12, so amazing to me). You must have given her a great life.

This is the last picture I have of my old fella, enjoying a snuggle with me.
He was PTS in November, and I still find myself thinking 'I must feed the cat' or even 'where is he'?
I never really realised how much I loved him until he went. I hope my MOG (miserable old git) is running around somewhere having the time of his life trying (and failing, probably) to catch birds.

P.S. My other cat would do head bumps, he never did - except once with dd2. She was very honoured indeed.

Lovely picture mineofuselessinformation. I hope he is indeed chasing the birds.

I'm so sorry OP and to the rest of you. Losing a much loved pet is horrible.
Don't be hard on yourself. You were there and said your goodbyes. She would have gone very quickly.
I felt awful for not being with a cat who had to be PTS during the night following surgery that day. The vet we had seen regularly happened to be the on at the 24 hour practise that night so I did feel better she was with him at the end rather than a stranger.