# Rest in peace my sweet Dootie girl. :(



## LoveMyRosieCat (Mar 16, 2015)

Hello everyone, 

My sweet girl passed away peacefully yesterday at the Vet. We don't know what from just that her body was shutting down. In April she had two instances where she was having trouble pooping so my mom and I took her to the vet on May 1. They did bloodwork on her and said that for an older cat her bloodwork looked real good but that she was deyhdrated, and her bilirubin was high at a 1.1. They re-hydrated her, and gave her a B-12 shot. They said they couldn't pin point exactly what was wrong with her but that it even though they didn't feel anything in her belly that it didn't mean there was a cancer in there, they said maybe she had IBD, or something with her pancreas. We changed her diet and monthly we were to give her the B12 shots. She had one at the end of May was supposed to have another one in a couple weeks. 

Yesterday morning I woke up to find her at my bedside table. I thought she was already gone. Her head didn't pop up and I nudged her with my foot but she didn't move so I got up and turned my light on to see her and knew immediately something was terribly wrong. My mom was by luck getting ready for work so I hollered to her and she came in. We tried to give her treats to see if that would make her move but it didn't. My mom said she knew by the breathing. We called the vet at 8:00 on the dot and told them she was dying and they said bring her in. By that time her breathing was worse. The vet listened to her heart and said the heart rate was low. She said we could put her down if we did not want her to suffer so that is what we did. I could not bare to see my Dootie girl struggle for breath. 

I just hope that I did right by her. I know I did but I am struggling. What if she needed me during the night? I love her so much and I know she's in heaven with my Dad now. I will be getting her ashes back in a few weeks. <3 

We had her for 17 years. I tell you what I thought she may have been coming around there a few weeks ago. She made her way downstairs which she has not done in years and was also getting onto my bed by herself. This is the last picture I took of my baby girl on my bed this past Friday.


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## eldercat (Jul 3, 2015)

You probably did the right thing, although she may have gone out on her own quickly enough. 17 is a long life and she had a good home with you, was well loved and cared for. Excellent life, compared to many. 

Hold gratitude in your heart that she was your furry friend for all those years. You've been blessed. 

Other than all that, much sympathy on your loss. It's always hard, and the missing takes a Long Time to go away.... if it ever completely goes.


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

I am so sorry for your loss. I know it hurts. Don't overthink it and torture yourself. Sometimes when old, the body just can't come back. You eliminated any suffering. 17 is a good life. Time will help but they will never be forgotten.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

I am so sorry about Dootie. 

It is such a difficult decision to make, and it seems inevitable that we second-guess ourselves and that we find something to feel guilty about when there's absolutely no reason to do so. Please try not to drive yourself crazy wondering whether she needed you during the night. If it had been really urgent, the vet wouldn't have presented you with an option. And remember that you made the decision to let her go because you put her own needs above your own. Dootie could have lived longer, but at what cost to her? You prevented her from suffering needlessly. It was a selfless act that shows how much you loved, and will always love, her. 

Sending hugs and much sympathy.


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## Nan (Oct 11, 2010)

I'm so sorry for your loss! It breaks your heart every time. It's never ever easy to make that decision.


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## LoveMyRosieCat (Mar 16, 2015)

Thank you everyone. It has been a difficult week and I miss her like crazy. Yesterday marked a week since she's been gone and was also the first time I didn't cry. I've also not cried today. A part of me wishes I knew what was wrong with her but I'll never know. I have a hard time understanding why her bilirubin was up(it was 1.1) and why she had the weight loss. Her blood work other than the bili and the being dehydrated all looked good on May 1(the vet even said for an older cat it looked really good even her kidney's were good) and then there was the weight loss. She had weighed 19lb the year before and dropped to 15 when we took her on May 1. I'll never know what was wrong however I am just grateful that she was not sick (like throwing up, having the runs, peeing outside of box etc) before she passed away. I feel in my heart that she didn't suffer at all and what is helping me through is knowing that the way she went out  could have been a lot worse had she been sick like throwing up etc before she died. She didn't have any of that just her breathing was very low and I knew it was her time. They said they would treat her sympathetically so that is what we did. Got her on a new diet and took her for a B12 show then she went down hill there last week. I'll miss her so much but I know she is at peace. And I'm sorry for repeating myself. I realized I said some of the same thing in the first post.


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## 192473 (Apr 4, 2017)

No one except those who have had to make that difficult decision will understand how you feel, so you are in the right place. I got understanding and condolence here when I had to let my orange boy Dizzy go that my family or friends could not provide. Never second guess yourself for wanting to ease her pain and prevent her suffering needlessly. 
She will love you fur-ever and will be there again for YOU someday:heart


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

It never gets easier...
You gave her the Ultimate last gift of Love, by letting her go, and not suffer.

I went through a similar scenario last year with a beloved cat...I had pushed the vet to do an x-ray, and a huge mass was found in his belly growing around his intestines...
They couldn't guarantee they could get it all, if they cut him open, and at his age, with all the weight lost, I didn't want to put him through all of that.
We spent some last wonderful quality time together, at home, and he let me know one day, that he was ready to on.
I let him Fly Free to the Rainbow Bridge...
I cried for several days afterwards...

She knew she was loved, and she had a good run, remember that! 

It is OK to cry and mourn our Special little ones.
Never let anyone tell you otherwise!
Many, many Hugs
Sharon


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## LoveMyRosieCat (Mar 16, 2015)

Thank you all. 



10cats2dogs said:


> It never gets easier...
> You gave her the Ultimate last gift of Love, by letting her go, and not suffer.
> 
> I went through a similar scenario last year with a beloved cat...I had pushed the vet to do an x-ray, and a huge mass was found in his belly growing around his intestines...
> ...


Yeah, sadly I lean more towards her having cancer than anything else. Although the doctor never felt any mass when the felt around her but she said that didn't mean there wasn't one hiding in there. The odd thing is she never threw up, peed outside of the box, or had the runs. The only time she had the runs/vomited was when she had those two incidents of constipation and I think that was due to the pain she was in trying to push the poop out. The first time wasn't as traumatic because I could literally see the poop at her anus and when I pressed on her belly like 5-10 minutes later it came out. The second incident(The one that made me want to take her to the vet) lasted much longer and was very traumatic, She was straining from about 10PM to 4:30AM and kept dry heaving along with every time she'd strain diarrhea came out. Once she got turds out she was okay. After we got her to the vet and saw the bilirubin was up they had us give her miralax daily and she NEVER had another incident like that again. Never vomited, never had the runs, never urinated or pooped out side of the box at all. Her breathing just got bad and that's when I knew something was wrong and we took her to say goodbye to her.


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