When To Say Goodbye

Today’s blog post is a little on the heavier side, but it’s something that I have personally been struggling with. As many of you know, my sweet Kitter has cancer and we have just been doing our best to make it comfortable for her in the last few weeks.  

To be honest, I didn’t really want to write a blog post this time because yesterday was HARD. We had just got home from our Thanksgiving trip, both in a great mood after seeing family and friends. But we had an instant snap back to reality once we stepped through the door. Kitter had left many surprises, if you know what I mean. Plus, she was casually laying in some of her surprises as she was too weak/out of it to even move. I was expecting her to meow like crazy and get up to see us, but unfortunately that was not the case.

Nick and I looked at each other, knowing that her time was coming up pretty quick. We cleaned up the house and washed Kitter off as she blankly stared and I blubbering like usual. After dinner I even layed with her for a while, soaking up every moment. When it was time for bed, I layed her on a towel on top of our sheets so I could sleep with her one last time. And when I mean sleep, I mean I barely slept at all. But as we layed there, Kitter cuddled up to me and purred for the rest of the night.

Yeah I know this post is very sappy, but I didn’t want to write about some happy-go-lucky topic when I was not feeling that way whatsoever. I’m here to show honesty and transparency. I also wanted to share some wise words our vet expressed when coming to a tough decision to say goodbye to your pet. We were struggling with the big question: when is the right time? I obviously wanted as much time as I could get, but not at the expense of Kitter’s happiness and health.

He replied with a basic rule of 3:

1. Are they eating and drinking on their own?

2. Are they able to show love and affection?

3. Are they able to go to bathroom on their own?

He also added that you have to consider how you’re feeling. If you are constantly worried or anxious that your pet will pass away while you’re gone or sleeping, then that’s not a quality of life for YOU.

This is probably one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make, but I know we are probably making the right one. It’s hard to say goodbye to a best friend of 15 years, but another friend explained to me that I need to remember all the happy memories we have shared and celebrate the life she had. When a pet is on their last stage of life, it’s important to remember them as they were when they were healthy not as they are during their illness. If you’re experiencing or about to experience the loss of a pet, I hope this helps and that you find peace in your decision.

Kindly,

Ken