My elderly lady cat Gracie had been diagnosed with kidney disease a little while back, and while we were able to keep her going with SQ fluids and some medication and a special diet, we knew we didn't have much time with her left. Sadly, a couple of days ago she abruptly went downhill and we knew it was time.
In a way I'm not grieving too badly - we knew we probably wouldn't have another year, and at the end she was clearly confused and in pain and there was no way we would prolong that, so there was no doubt about whether we were doing the right thing. But my husband is taking it very hard, as he was the one who picked her up outside the KFC next to the bus stop, and he was the one whose jacket she snuggled inside and started purring, as if she knew it was all going to be fine from then on. 13 years of ruling the household later, it's hard to imagine she's not just curled up asleep somewhere. She was always curled up near us, whether it was in-between my feet on the bed or next to the keyboard on the desk or sitting with my husband while he basked in his full spectrum light during the dark days of winter.
It was the right thing for her, saying goodbye. But it isn't easy. Not at all.
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