[RAILhead]

Uno took a drastic turn for the worse last night and today, and I had to make the tough decision of having him put to sleep. His diabetes had begun taking its toll on his liver, and he was running a fever, not eating or drinking, etc.

Long story short, after hours of debate and struggle, I knew that the best option for all of us was to have him go to sleep without ever having to experience any pain or major suffering.

Unable to handle taking him in, my Dad made the final trip to the vet — and Uno perked-up and showed just enough of his wonderful personality to make me feel better about making such a tough decision. I couldn't bear allowing him to suffer.

He knows how much I loved him, and he loved me back every bit as much for almost 8 years. He had a good life, a wonderful life, and I was the best dadgum Dad any cat could ever hope for — and he was truly my best friend and most faithful companion.

Thank for all the years of love and affection — the purrs, the lap-naps, the posing for pictures. If the Lord lets us store our treasures in Heaven, I'll look forward to seeing you again.

Goodbye, my friend.

[marden]

Oh man, I'm so sorry.

[vmarks]

Thank you for sharing your memory with us.

Keep remembering that personality.

[DeathToWindows]

I'm sorry.

I have to say, his name made me grin.

[Atomic Rooster]

Gawd, I hate when pets die.

[- - e r i k - -]

I'm sorry. I lost my two cats over the last year too, but they were much much older than Uno.

[Mastrap]

That's awfully young for a cat. I am sorry to hear about your loss.

[Annette310]

So sorry to hear that you lost Uno. You did the best you could for him and I'm sure he thanks you for it Twinky(my cat) and I send lots of love to you!

[TailsToo]

Wow, same age as my cat.. I'm sorry.

[rickey939]

Wow, this is a shock to read to say the least. I'm really sorry to hear of this news Maury! I always enjoyed Uno's blog...

Mr. Uno Catpuccino

[USB HUB]

So Sorry to hear about Uno ... he is a beautiful cat!!! Always remember he is with you.

[Doofy]

Sorry for your loss Maury.

[ghporter]

My deepest sympathies. A cat is often far more than a "pet" in the cat lover's heart, and it seems that Uno was indeed one of those cats.

I've made that drive to the vet too many times-and we almost lost my wife's German Shepherd to bloat last week. Pets are precious and their short lives make them all the more precious.

I hope Tory (my cat who died in July) meets up with Uno and shows him around cat heaven. It should be a great place.

[bstone]

Agreed, losing a pet is just like losing a friend or family member. Sympathies.

BTW, I don't mean to poke fun (I'm actually curious)...will the next cat you get be called Dose?

[vexborg]

I know how you feel!

This is just way too sad, I'm sitting here crying onto my keyboard

If there's any confirmation, you know he'll be waiting for you for when you go - I'm sure that for Uno it'll just be like he just went to sleep, and then he'll wake up and see you.

That's the comfort my wife and I have.

Sleep well wee man, say hello to my Diego!

Diego will take care of him, and show him around his new home.

[moonmonkey]

Sorry to hear that, 8 years is not very long.

[RAILhead]

Thanks everyone. It's been a rough morning for me, after a rough night. Uno wasn't waiting for me at the door this morning, and my routine was totally broken. Normally, I get up, he's waiting by the door and we greet. I then take a leak while he sits outside the door, meowing for me to hurry. We then go t the kitchen and I feed him. Next, I make my coffee, and while I'm doing that, he goes to his water bowl and waits for me to refill it with fresh water.

I didn't get to do that for the first time in all these years.

This is also the first personal death that I've ever had -- which is a good thing, I guess; no one close to me has died.

But I know I did the right thing and that if I hadn't done it yesterday, it would be today. I just couldn't bring myself to prolong a bad life dealing with insulin injections twice a day, managing and test, taking him for blood and urine work, etc. Couple that with the vet saying there was a good chance his liver was shutting down already -- it would have been painful for him. Chances are, he could have been in pain all night and we'd have both been worse.

Anyway, I know I'm one of the smartasses around here, but I can't tell you how much it means to be able to post this and read the things you all are saying.

Maury

[andi*pandi]

it's a hard decision, and he looks like a sweet cat.

[scottiB]

Very, very sorry for your loss. I don't blame you a bit for not taking him in: in 2005, I had to take two of my cats in for the final time--one quite suddenly and one somewhat planned--and it's quite difficult.

[ambush]

it's time to move on now maury.

[xi_hyperon]

Sorry for your loss, Maury. It's hard to do something like that, but in the end it is the better option. A few years ago, I had to make the same choice with both the cat and the dog I grew up with. Both during the same summer. I still visit their resting places when I go home to see family.

[osiris]

I'm really sorry RAILhead, that's a terrible loss.
My cat died in my arms years ago, and can really sympathize.

[pra9ab0y]

Im sorry to hear that but 10 years is good although mine are 7 i doubt they will be dying anytime soon

[medicineman]

Goodbye, my friend.[/QUOTE]

Sorry to hear of your loss. I've gone through that too many times. They become part of the family as much as anyone else.

Get a new kitten from the pound. It doesn't replace, but it makes the loss easier to bear.

[RAILhead]

I don't think I can get another one, even though I love them so much. It will be a nice respite to have a cat-free house, and I just don't think I could deal with all these emotions again. I know people always say "never again" -- especially when the wound is so fresh -- but I was preparing for this decision when i first knew something was wrong, so I'm being a bit logical when I say it.

We'll see.

[OAW]

My condolences Maury. As a long-time cat owner myself (he's about 15 or 16 years old) I'm beginning to wonder how long my little buddy will be with me. Just try to keep your head up and take solace in the fact that your decision eliminated any unnecessary suffering for Uno.

OAW

[Troll]

He's the spitting image of my cat. Much as I was against getting cats in the first place and much as logically it makes no sense having an animal in our apartment, it's hard imagining life without that little warm body sitting on my lap or that purring in my ear. I think eventually you might be ready to get another one.

I can only imagine how much of a loss it is for you though. My heartfelt sympathies, Maury.

[brokecollegestudentF04]

Rest In Peace Uno

and my condolences on your loss

[smacintush]

That's terrible I'm sorry to hear that.

The last time I lost a pet my dog died in my arms and I bawled like a baby for two hours and it haunted me for a long time.

My older cat is about as old as Uno was and it scares me to think of her dying. I can't imagine having a cat free house however. A house with out a cat is like a beer without bubbles.

[Mastrap]

I had to put down my cat Mash a couple of years ago. Like Uno she was a fine friend, a real credit to her species. She used to live with a musician neighbour who was away frequently and after a while she just moved over - an arrangement that suited everybody.

She died from cancer in the end. I am pretty sure it was caused by living in a smoke filled environment for almost all of her life before she moved in with us. The last thing she did when the vet gave her the injection was to jump off the table and try to get onto my lap. That was heartbreaking.

[BlueSky]

This made me sad, and it brings back my own memories of having my cat put to sleep. My condolences.

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

I know people always say "never again" -- especially when the wound is so fresh

You'll get another cat eventually. It may be months or even years, but you'll end up getting another cat. I think that forgoing the joy that having a pet can bring in order to avoid the sadness of losing the pet is kinda silly. In my eyes, the years of joy outweighs the sadness when the pet dies.

That said, I know how hard it is to lose a beloved pet. My parents' cat, Patches, got sick with kidney failure at the end of 2005. My mother finally took her in to the vet before the illness got too bad for her. She was 16 years old. That was in October (2005).

The following May, she got a new one, a little tuxedo male, who looks like he has a white moustache. He's 8 months old now, and his name is Moustaki (Greek for moustache). She still misses Patches terribly, though.

Sorry to hear about your loss. I love cats too, and I'm going to miss those great pictures you put up on your sites.

[Spliff]

Geez, this is sad news. I really sorry to hear about Uno. I visited his blog regularly.

My cats died in 2002 and 2003, and I haven't got a new one since. Not ready to deal with the pain if they should die prematurely like one of my cats did.

Originally Posted by RAILhead 

I don't think I can get another one, even though I love them so much. It will be a nice respite to have a cat-free house, and I just don't think I could deal with all these emotions again.

[turtle777]

My condolences.

Fortunately, with pet turtles, you don't have to go through this too often.
One of my first turtles is almost 20 years old, another 30 - 50 years to go.

-t

[fhoubi]

Sorry about your great loss . Great blog, please keep it alive. Very cute cat, I like the bag picture the most.

I now feel very privileged to have my cat died at the age of 20 some years ago. I had the vet put him asleep in my living room... but couldn't bury him myself. Haven't got another one since...

[kick52]

Sorry for your loss.

Losing pets sucks.

[Shaddim]

My deepest condolences for your loss Maury. It's almost like losing a child, in some ways. My cat's pushing 11 and he has a few health issues that always keep us on our toes, so I know where you're coming from.

I know that someday this will happen to my cat, and I'm dreading it a little. Makes me uneasy just thinking about it.