I've lost my 2nd boy in 4 months

[StrawberryFizz27]

I got a call from the vet on Wednesday to say my big beautiful beast Bobs, had been taken into them and was in a really bad way.

I was in total shock, as only an hour & half earlier, he'd had some chicken and headed back out.

The vet said he was the prognosis wasn't good, they could try and work on him but it wasn't looking good. He was in an oxygen tent and struggling to breathe. I made the heart wrenching decision to not prolong his suffering.

I am absolutely devastated, I brought him home yesterday & put his ashes in the cupboard with my dog Daisy & his bro Ginger.
I received the same call about Ginger in May, when I was away and am in shock that it's happened again and so soon.

I adopted them 4 and a half years ago, they got me through the depression of losing my dog, helped me survive Covid, I live alone, and I just cannot fathom that I don't have either of them here anymore.

Ginger was killed by an electric van in May, and people helped him but Bobs was found at the side of the road by a vet nurse, whoever hit him just left him.

It's less than 200m from my house and outside a school.
They both should have been safe so I'm going to channel my heartbreak into trying to get some road calming measures in place.

I miss him so much, he was so nervous when he came to me but soon settled in, he ate squirrels, caught pigeons and would do anything for wet food.

My last memory is of him scratching to be let in & me giving him chicken and a good scratch.

RIP my beautiful Bobs

Some pics of my love

I am so sorry for your loss, he looks like a lovely boy, such big paws.
I hope you're okay, someone said this to me once and it brought me confort, they are we us for a short time in our lives, but we are with them for all.of theirs. I'm sure he knows you loved him.

Oh i am so sorry to read your post and for your loss. He looks like a lovely cat. Take care of yourself.

@Mama_bear

Oh, that is beautiful, it made me cry but it's so true. He was only 5 and a half and his life should have been longer.

He was polydactral, hence the big paws.

I'm so happy that on Friday, he spent about 2 hours on my lap, kneading me those big paws.

So sorry. He was a beautiful boy.

I’m so sorry for your losses. Bobs was such a beautiful boy. It’s great you’re thinking to champion traffic calming measures in his and Ginger’s memories xx

I am sorry that you are experiencing such heartache, your photos show three beautiful, well cared for and beloved animals. They were lucky to have such a wonderful owner. Many commiserations

I am so sorry! Such a gorgeous boy, love him and his big paws!!

Sadly this is the risk in allowing them freedom of the outdoors... it's something I am torn on.

We adopted two beautiful kittens way back in 1991 - sisters, tortie and white and dilute tortie and white. We acquired our Ginger in 1994 when he appeared on our windowsill with the biggest set of knackers I've ever seen on a tomcat (LOL, soon sorted that)! Our furry family was complete when a shitty family left a blue tabby, Oscar, behind when they moved house. When we moved, he came too.

We lost Ging in 2003 to FIV, then lost the other three to sudden death/cancer in the space of 11 months. I understand your heartbreak - I thought then I could never go through it again, but a little stray boy found us soon after and claimed his place in our hearts too. We lost him to old age last year and we were all devastated.

Long story short, I couldn't cope with a home without a cat, and only 8 weeks later, we adopted two rescue girls. Give yourself a little time, and open your home and your heart to more furbabies.

New kitties don't replace your lost babies. They all have their own place in your heart, and always will. What they do though is heal the hurt.

Our two girls were basically strays on the streets but since they have come to live with us, they've shown no interest in going outside, and I am so happy about that. Maybe it's something to consider going forward.

Grieve for your gorgeous boy, because you will, for a very long time - but don't rule out opening your heart to more furries who need love too. There are so many stuck in rescue. Our girls were 5 and 2 when we adopted them.

Love & hugs xx

Big beautiful boy cat, he looks like a lynx. Sorry you lost him so young, very upsetting

@Runnerinthenight

It's heartbreaking isn't it.

I am very lucky in the fact that I have another boy, Ozzie who I've had for 18 months, he was rescued from the same place as Bobs & Ginger and I have the cutest little terrorist, Sonny.
A ginger girl who was born in the day my Ginger was killed and I took her in at 8 weeks old.

It's absolutely the risk with outdoor cats but it is quiet where I live, I guess people are still dickheads though.

Oz is currently an outdoor cat but I think he favours the fields, Sonny isn't allowed out yet anyway and I think I'm going to have to keep her as an indoor cat as I cannot go through this again.

Thank you all, he really was the best lad. The fact it was hard won with him, made it all the sweeter.

Can you cat proof your garden? Its so sad to lose them so close together and in the same circumstances, Id really look into a catio or something. Beautiful boys.

Oh @StrawberryFizz27that is such a coincidence! Not only did I have a Ginger too, my dilute tortie and white girl was called Ozzy!!

I grew up in the country and so many of our cats were killed on the roads, in spite of having acres of fields to safely explore! Two of them were heavily pregnant when they were run over, and nobody ever stopped!

I'm glad you still have furballs to love in your life, and take comfort from. If you can keep Sonny in, I would. I just said to my DD, my heart would be in my mouth if our two girls were out and we didn't know where they were! Even though where we are is pretty safe for cats, and lots of the neighbours' cats roam free, one was poisoned a few years ago.

There's just some horrible people out there. Take care of you and your furbabies xx

Coincidence indeed, my Ozzie is white & tortie. I'm going to try and transition him into being an indoor cat, it does have to be taken slow & at the minute, he likes to get away from the kitten because she's wild. I'm hoping once she's neutered she'll calm down. I'm 100% keeping her in, she's too nosy and cocky for me to take the chance.

I am thinking of all options, a catio being one of them.

I'm going to wait until spring and then put them in pots with some lovely plants, that way their energy is going back into the earth and I can take them with me if I move house.

Yes, I'm going to look into what I can do to keep them safe.

It mightn't be easy to persuade them to stay in when they have had a taste of outdoors. Having said that, we've had our two for a year and a half and they haven't looked to go outside, so you never know. It will be easier in the colder weather at least.

Our last boy moved indoors too, but he was quite old at that point.

Take care x

Thanks @Runnerinthenight

I'm not going to change anything up for Oz at the moment, he's already going to be feeling out of sorts & missing his 2 big bros.
The kitten will be fine, she's never been outside, she is very curious but she won't miss what she has never had.

I'm also looking at cat proofing the garden so it's the best of both worlds.

I can't believe its been a week without him already, the house is so quiet.

Oh no words just a very unMumsnetty hug, so sorry for all the sadness this last year 💐

I hope you succeed with the traffic calming measures too

Thank you @Pudmyboy
I decided to have him privately cremated and it was so personal compared to having it done via the vet.

I still can't believe I don't have either of my big lads anymore. I'm still in shock I think.

Giving lots of TLC to my other boy & the kitten is keeping me smiling.

A pic of them getting closer.

🥲🥲🥲