Painful Goodbyes

Today I said my final goodbyes to my baby boy. The appetite stimulant wasn't working anymore. He just decided it was time and so he stopped eating. Except the bugger decided to be strong through a week of not eating. Today though, he could barely get up. So for the afternoon, we treated him to some of his favorite things before he left this world. We let him sleep in the sun in the backyard so he could get a full dose of fresh air. Our vet is very kind and offers the option that someone come out so he could die at home instead of in the cold office of a clinic. He was able to die in peace surrounded by his family.

For those of you that have pets or have lost pets, there is a poem which our vet gave us for our first lost cat. It's called "The Rainbow Bridge". I don't know if other vets have this poem in their clinics, but it's one that my family reads every time we have a pet memorial.

"Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together...."

It's not much, but at least for my family it provides somewhat of a sense of comfort.  I hope for others who have pets or have lost pets that you might find some comfort or happiness from this poem too.

For my sweet Silky, our ten years of friendship will not be forgotten. Nobody: cat, human, or any other creature, deserves cancer. Nobody deserves to have to watch loved ones slowly fade away. You will be buried under an agapanthus with a path leading straight to you. You will be wrapped in the same blanket you were once wrapped in before, albeit to clip your nails, and place in your favorite sleeping place: the napkin basket. I will miss you forever. I love you, baby boy.

Tact

Certain people lack tact. And quite frankly, it bothers me that this had to be an issue. So let's discuss the Do's and Do Not's of asking a cat lover if they've thought about euthanasia for their dying cat.

Do NOT ask, "Have you thought about ending his suffering?"

 For so, SO many reasons:

1. You don't know if the cat is suffering. Unless the owner has specifically told you that the cat is in pain or some other thing that would be considered suffering, do NOT just assume.
2. The question is basically asking, "Have you thought about killing you child/friend/other family member?" It's a very blunt and rude way of asking that question.
3. What do you think the answer is going to be? It's NOT going to be like this:

"Have you thought about it?"

"Oh no, I hadn't thought about it, but that's a great idea! I'll definitely do that"

Seriously. Any cat lover or really any other animal lover who is going through the pain of losing their pet has thought about whether or not they should be and if they decide they should, what the timing should be. Which brings me to the point of timing. Your animal dying doesn't mean that you should get it over as quickly as possible like ripping off a Band-Aid. No. Just no. A lot of animals are fighters and will stay as long as they can. The animal usually knows when the right time is and when they're ready. As an outsider, you don't get to make that call for the family. Not cool.

So here's what you should do:

Nothing. Avoid the question, because quite frankly, it's none of your beeswax. If someone is opening up about the fact that they are going through something like this, your advice about putting the animal down is completely unwarranted, unless asked specifically, "What do you think" by the owner themselves. You give them sympathy and support until they ask for something specific. This is especially true if you yourself have never in your life had to deal with the loss of a pet or the decision to put the animal down. If you don't have experience with that kind of loss, what new perspective do you really think you have? None. The answer is none. You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about and you need to stop. Now.

*screams in frustration*

Rant over. Sorry about that, readers. Someone just asked me that question and in case you couldn't tell, it really ticked me off. Anyways, I hope you had a good week last week. And hopefully, none of you will make the mistake of asking someone this question while they're in the middle of dealing with taking care of their beloved animal.

With love,
PolarBearMoose <3

Quick Updates

I'm going to make this short and sweet since there's not much to say and I don't have a normal post ready for you guys.

Just an FYI for all you lovely readers, I'm cleaning up some social media and cutting back. I realize I only just announced the deviant art thing. I'll still have it, but I'll only have cosplay photos up. Sorry. If you still want to see my other photos though, they're on 500px. The link is in the sidebar.

Also, while I realize my blogging is already somewhat random and not often, I will not be blogging as much for the next few weeks due to Silky's health and my desire to spend as much time as I can with him before he goes.

Thank you for those of you who take the time to check my blog and read. I do appreciate it.

With Love,
PolarBearMoose <3