My wife and I are putting her soul cat of 17 years down today.

[Draconator]

My wife's cat, Lady Bella, was there for my wife through a bad first marriage, divorce, meeting and marrying me, 3 rounds of cancer. and all of other life's ups and downs. Today is going to suck. 

[Mike in Horseheads]

24 minutes ago, Draconator said:

My wife's cat, Lady Bella, was there for my wife through a bad first marriage, divorce, meeting and marrying me, 3 rounds of cancer. and all of other life's ups and downs. Today is going to suck. 

it is so hard to deal with putting down a beloved pet, my sincere thoughts and condolences to both of you

[Jauronimo]

Very sorry to hear that.  The worst day of the year in our household and one of the saddest days of my life was when we had to say goodbye to my wife's first cat Milo a few months ago.   Pets are a blessing but its a little cruel that we can have such great friends that do not live as long as we do.

[US Egg]

Takes time, you’ll get through it. Put down three cats, two dogs. I know, so did they. Tough stuff to say the least.

 

My sympathy to your wife and you

[muppy]

Just the thread title made my heart sink. I have a soul dog and so I have sincere empathy and sadness for you both having to do what is best for your kitty tooday.

 

It's a love act but it doesn't make it any easier.

 

Comforting thoughts and prayers for all who will grieve  And Peace xo

[Gregg]

Very sorry to hear. Sorry for your loss. Cats and dogs aren't pets. They are family.

[Tiberius]

It's tough. But remember, there are many, many other good animals out there in shelters needing a loving family. When my last cat died (I had him 19 years) I went right out and got this one, and am happy I did. Replacing the old goofball with the new one. 

[Draconator]

30 minutes ago, Tiberius said:

It's tough. But remember, there are many, many other good animals out there in shelters needing a loving family. When my last cat died (I had him 19 years) I went right out and got this one, and am happy I did. Replacing the old goofball with the new one. 

We have other cats with us, but Bella was my wife's first fur baby. She has been with my wife through everything. 

[teef]

i'm sorry to hear this drac.  i have a 19 year old cat that was with me before i met my wife.  he's been there for every major adult life hurdle, and for that i will be forever grateful.   all you can do is show that animal love until the end which is exactly what you did.  

[Your Brown Eye]

It's always tough. We had a rough 6 months about 5 years ago. My cat of 12 or 13 years old got a rare form of skin cancer and died (had to be put down), then 5 months after the "OG" of our family pets, a cat that was 25 years old passed due to old age, and when she passed her son who was 23 years old stopped eating and drinking and died two weeks after.

 

It's very hard, all you can do is be there for them at the end, swallow your fears of watching them pass in front of you, and stand right by them holding them, until the end. I did not want to watch my little guy get put down, but he was there through every up and down in my life, and I knew the only option was to let him know I was still right there with him for his last breath. I put my head right up to his and told him about all the fun stuff we ever did together while the vet was prepping his leg and during the injection. The vet had to step out because she was crying. 

 

Now all the pets are buried in my parent's lawn, with unique flower patches over each grave site. If I remember correctly, we were able to find flowers that had the same names of all our pet cats, for instance, my cat was named Oliver, so we found a flower called "Delphinium" or the "Oliver flower", that we planted over his grave. Now every spring and summer we can see a big patch of his flowers bloom over him, as well as the other 4 cats we ever had, each with their own flowers and a constant reminder of them.

[Augie]

Losing a pet is one of the hardest things you will ever do. It was a great ride, enjoy the many wonderful memories. 

 

 

 

We have a puppy also named Bella. My wife thinks we should change her name to BellaNO because that’s all she hears around the house. It’s maddening now, but one day we will miss her dearly. It’s part of the deal. 

[Logic]

I don't have much to add to what everyone has already said, except...

I offer my sincere condolences. I put my 15 year old cat down (who I'd had my whole adult life) a couple years back, and it was just one of the saddest things I've ever gone through. Our other cat, who is now 17, is slowing down dramatically as we speak. 

 

There's just nothing about it that's easy. They're family. Deep, deep unconditional love. As others said, the best anyone can do is be there for them until the end, give them as many good days and good moments as possible, cherish the memories, and then do what needs to be done when the time comes. I'm very sorry for your loss.

[gomper]

My heart goes out to you.  I lost my dog of 8 years suddenly on the 18th. It really sucks and hoping it gets better.  RIP Bella. RIP Gumby. 

[Toomstone.Part.Duex]

Very Sorry to hear.  We had to put down our Basset Hound Gus in August and it was awful.  Just know if she's suffering then you're making the right decision.  I saw a Vet on youtube say "You'd rather be a day or two early than a day late"   Thankfully we found a vet to come to the house and help him cross over.    Again, Im very sorry.   RIP Lady Bella 

[Steve O]

So sorry for your loss.

[US Egg]

I often get a kick out of pet names and sometimes a bit curious as to what the “inspiration” was. 

[Draconator]

18 minutes ago, US Egg said:

I often get a kick out of pet names and sometimes a bit curious as to what the “inspiration” was. 

My wife was bringing her home after adopting her, and she kept crying in the cat carrier. Every time she's in the car, she "bellows" cat cries. Thus Bella. Her actual name was Lady Bella. On the same car ride home from the adoption place, my wife saw a vanity license plate with "Lady" on it. So with the bellowing of cries and the Lady on the license plate, Lady Bella it was. 

[Augie]

19 minutes ago, Draconator said:

My wife was bringing her home after adopting her, and she kept crying in the cat carrier. Every time she's in the car, she "bellows" cat cries. Thus Bella. Her actual name was Lady Bella. On the same car ride home from the adoption place, my wife saw a vanity license plate with "Lady" on it. So with the bellowing of cries and the Lady on the license plate, Lady Bella it was. 

 

Beautiful how that worked out. Before our puppy was ready for pickup we had a working name of Bella, but were hoping to find something more inspired during a trip to Italy. The closest we came to an inspired name was my wife’s obsession with Gelato, but I was able to shut that down. It would have been the only dog named Gelato that I’ve ever met, so there’s that. 

 

Good luck over the next few days, they are always the hardest as you get used to the void. 

[Draconator]

Lady Bella passed very peaceful and quickly. My wife held her in her arms as she passed.

 

Thank you everyone for your well wishes.

[BuffaloBill]

On 12/10/2024 at 1:00 AM, Draconator said:

My wife's cat, Lady Bella, was there for my wife through a bad first marriage, divorce, meeting and marrying me, 3 rounds of cancer. and all of other life's ups and downs. Today is going to suck. 

 

 

Sorry for the news. A sad day indeed.