# thanks to this forum



## mf (Apr 29, 2004)

I want to express my thanks to this forum for helping me make the right decision to help Max over the Rainbow Bridge. Max was 18 - I got him as a six week old kitten from the animal shelter in my senior year in college when I was 22 - I'm turning 40 in a few weeks. Max was a grey tabby with a lot of fire in the belly and he had a great long life.

He was slowing down but basically fine until about 10 days ago when he went into steep decline. He stopped eating and drinking, didn't move around much, didn't use the litter box and I kept finding him in contorted positions as if he was trying to wriggle out of pain. I tried to get him to eat, hoping that he was just under some temporary illness, not willing to let go, believing that if I just tried harder he would recover. But today while reading this forum, I realized that I wasn't seeing his pain, I was just hoping it didn't exist or was fixable. I realized that unlike you and I, he had only one choice to avoid the pain, starve himself to death, which is exactly what he was trying to do.


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## catnip (Aug 19, 2003)

Sorry for your loss ))) 

at 18, I'd say he had just about the longest and happiest life one could possibly expect for a cat. I never had one live past 13  


Godspeed Max!


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## Mike (Jan 27, 2004)

I am very sorry for your loss. 18 years is a long, long time. I know that there are a lot of memories from those years and Max is going to live on through those memories. Believe it or not, there is good news in all of this - Max is romping like a kitten, free of all pain, as he plays with his new friends at the Bridge. I pray that you will find comfort in this.

Peace be with you,
Mike


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## Superkitties (Jan 30, 2004)

I'm so sorry for your loss. The decision that you made was the most kind, caring one, a final responsibility as a caretaker to recognize the suffering to free him from his pain. Your own pain now is deep, I will echo what Mike said, and please take comfort remembering that he spent a long loving life with you. RIP Max.


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