My sweet kitty, Tigger

[polmaven]

has bone to be with his brother Teddy. He was in renal failure, and was not going to recover. I couldn't let him suffer, and took him to the vet today.

Tigger was 15 years old, and had been with me for 10 years. I will miss him terribly, but he is in a better place - at "The Rainbow Bridge".

[XOKCowboy]

1. My sympathies...

My Tigger was with me for 16 yrs. I still miss him letting me rub his belly....

[polmaven]

6. I used to rub his nose with my finger...

Every now and then he would reach out with his front paw, and stroke my nose to let me know he wanted to snuggle.

[XOKCowboy]

61. All the while giving you "that look"?

:) Those are the memories you'll always have. Take care and I'd strongly suggest rescuing a shelter kitten as soon as possible. Kittens always make ya feel better.

[polmaven]

63. I intend to go to a shelter

when it is time, but I think I just need a little while to regroup. The vet has already suggested his favorite rescue shelter.

[awoke_in_2003]

89. Sorry to hear this...

and I applaud the fact that you will be getting another one (in the future) from the shelter. I am trying to get the wife to allow me to replace my Jewel with a shelter cat. She is reluctant right now, as she is afraid the cat will get underfoot and trip up my mother in law, who lives with us.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

2. Sorry. nt

[AndyA]

3. I'm sorry to hear about your Tigger.

No matter how old they live to be, it's not old enough.

The decision to put your little friend first so he doesn't suffer in pain is a hard one to make. I hope you feel better soon.

All the love you gave him, he took with him. And all the love he gave to you, he left behind. When the time is right, you and your little friend will be together again.

I know what you're going through. Sending good thoughts to you. :hug:

[Iwillnevergiveup]

4. My deepest sympathy to you

on the passing of your kitty. Guess it's part of the bargain we make when adopting a pet - they're not with us nearly long enough.

From an understanding heart.:hug:

[mikelgb]

5. hugs

:hug:

[BrklynLiberal]

7. I am so very, very sorry for your loss. I know what it is like to lose a beloved animal companion.

You did the right thing out of love and unselfishness. I know the pain and emptiness you feel.

Eventually..time and tears will help...but the footprints on your heart will stay forever.

:hug: :cry: :cry: :pals:

Do you have a picture of Tigger...and perhaps of Teddy, that you could post for us?

[polmaven]

64. I have a picture

of the two of them together, but I'm afraid I've not mastered how to post it here. The best I have done is to put it on Facebook, but it seems more complicated to get it here. I'm OLD, ya know!

[Warpy]

8. My little old lady cat is in the early stages at the age of 17

I will probably try the subcutaneous fluids, but if she objects to them, I'll know she's had enough.

For now, she seems fine although she's drinking and peeing more than she used to.

She's been my buddy for 16 years. When it's time for her to go home, I'll make sure she does it with a minimum of pain and in my lap.

[BrklynLiberal]

10. ...

:pals:

[niyad]

17. hugs for you for when the time comes, as well.

my companions drew their first breaths in my arms, and those who have gone drew their last there, as well.

[T Wolf]

91. Sub-cute fluids are not really too hard to give. It can be done, especially if you have

the confidence to do them.

Our Charley knew that he felt better after getting them, so he did not resist at all. He got almost three good years because of them.

So I urge you to do them if at all possible. Your "old lady" will let you know when it is time to let her go.

Thank you for taking such good care of her.

[Warpy]

97. I'm a retired RN

so the determining factor is how the cat feels about it. If she resists, she's just had enough and it's time to let things progress naturally and give her an easy exit when it's time.

She'll tell me when it's time. They all do.

[a la izquierda]

9. ohh, i'm so sorry.

we put our dog down not too long ago, and the sadness comes and goes. but do know that you did the best by your little guy by not letting him suffer.:hug:

[sinkingfeeling]

11. So sorry for your loss.

[niyad]

12. so very, very sorry for your loss. Lady Bast, take this sweet, gentle creature into Your keeping,

and give comfort to those he has left behind.

the pain of losing one of one's four-legged companions is unimaginable to those who have not experienced the love and closeness and joy they bring.

please know that we are here for you--my little ones are cuddling close right now--they know their human is sad--and they send their love and support as well.

[BrklynLiberal]

15. lovely. made me cry for my boy Boen whom I lost 2 months ago

[niyad]

19. what a little darling--so sorry for your loss as well.

[polmaven]

36. Please give your little ones a hug from me,

and thank you so much for your words....:cry:

[niyad]

46. ((((((((((polmaven))))))))

[canadianbeaver]

13. So sorry for you Polmaven......

it's one of the hardest things to do....My Jasper-cat is at The Rainbow bridge too...it was the hardest for me..or rather my hubby to take him in...we had him a glorious 16 years....what a dude he was.....and I still miss him...he was my shadow..never left my side.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. ((((polmaven)))) my deepest sympathies for you. I understand your pain.

:hug:

[Ikonoklast]

16. Thank you for taking care of him.

He knows you gave him a good life.


It's always a hard thing, though.

Always.

[foxfeet]

18. I'm so sorry for your loss.

I wish you peace and healing.

[Cleita]

20. Aw hugs and sympathy. My Muffy died of renal

failure so I know how you feel especially when you have to make the decision to put them down. But I believe they thank us for ending what could be future suffering.

[GreenPartyVoter]

21. I am so very sorry *hugs*

[CountAllVotes]

22. sorry to read this

:hug:

[Blue Owl]

23. I just hate these posts

because I've felt that pain and only time can heal it.

[JuniperLea]

24. My deepest sympathies...

You did the right thing. I've been through that with two cats, and they were miserable. What you did was the kindest, gentlest, most humane thing to do... albeit the hardest.

:hug:

Tigger had a good, long run, with a human companion that cared deeply for him. That's the best any sweet beastie can ask for.

:hug:

[spooky3]

25. I am so sorry about your loss and hope you will meet him again

at The Rainbow Bridge someday.

:hug:

[madmax]

26. Very sorry for your loss

I lost my 4 year old Max, a Yorkie to renal failure. :hug:

Tigger, Teddy and Max are running around Rainbow Bridge as I type. It's sooo hard to lose our fur kids. We take them into our hearts and homes and they completely own us.

RIP Tigger

[Liberal_in_LA]

27. awww... sorry for your loss.

[dionysus]

28. oh dear. my condolences (reaching for my kitteh Snives...)

[Jack Rabbit]

29. ( )

Sympathies from Buccaneer, Spitfire, Swashbuckler, Pancho and Robin Hood.

Pebblez.com

[petersjo02]

30. I am so sorry for your loss.

You did the right thing, but that doesn't make the house any less empty. My husband and I have filled our life together with cats, dogs, and horses. Every time we lose one, we ask ourselves if we can go through the awful pain again. We always choose to get another cat, another dog, another horse (five horses and two dogs are buried in our pasture, and eight kitties in another lovely spot on our acreage. They will remain with us in our hearts always and we still speak of each and every one of them often. How well I understand your pain at losing your little friend, and there are tears in my eyes just thinking about your pain. I hope that someday soon, you'll take another fur friend into your home to love "forever." Here's hoping that your DU pet family has somehow eased your pain just a bit by sharing our personal sadness with you over your loss.

[niyad]

32. have had this poem for years (and just now discovered the web site)

Stray Cat Poem by Francis Witham

Oh, what unhappy twist of fate

Has brought you homeless to my gate?
The gate where once another stood
To beg for shelter, warmth, and food
For from that day I ceased to be
The master of my destiny.

While he, with purr and velvet paw
Became within my house the law.
He scratched the furniture and shed
And claimed the middle of my bed.

He ruled in arrogance and pride
And broke my heart the day he died.
So if you really think, oh Cat,
I'd willingly relive all that
Because you come forlorn and thin
Well...don't just stand there...Come on in!

http://2fast2furry.blogspot.com/2008/06/stray-cat-poem-by-francis-witham.html

[polmaven]

37. Oh, my....

How very, very true those words are!

[madmax]

74. Touching and beautiful nt

[Burma Jones]

31. My first Cat's name was Tigger, I am sorry for your loss.....

[SPedigrees]

33. I'm very sorry for the loss of your kitty, but did the vets suggest to you

putting him on sub-cutaneous fluids a couple times a week at home? This therapy extended both the life expectancy and more importantly *quality of life* for my cats who all lived comfortably into their 20s. My current kitty aged 18 and small dog aged 13 receive fluids twice weekly and it greatly increases their appetites and mobility and alertness.

Too late for poor Tigger, but you might ask about this treatment for a future aged pet. Chronic renal insufficiency is not curable but it need not be a death sentence either

[kestrel91316]

35. I often put my renal patients on benazepril and calcitriol, too.

We recheck lab tests (blood and urine) periodically so we can fine tune the treatments.

[polmaven]

41. Tigger had several medical conditions...

He was taking Atenelol for his heart murmur, Norvasc for his high blood pressure, and he was on 1/2 low dose Aspirin twice a week, and, more recently 1/2 of a Pepcid AC each day. It was, though, in the end, the renal failure that could not be overcome despite the saline fluid hydration.

[kestrel91316]

42. I figured as much. They eventually start getting multiple problems

and management of one can interfere with management of another, and LOTS of different meds, and poor quality of life. I see it every day......

Sorry to hear of your loss.

[XOKCowboy]

69. What really helped me was the veterinary clinic staff...

As you say one thing led to another and in my Tig's last couple of years we made many of the dreaded car trips to the clinic. The ladies there got to know him very well and even though he wasn't a model patient, they were always patient and caring. On my last trip the whole staff was crying with me. Thanks for what you do.

[SPedigrees]

48. I'm sorry to hear it and I feel for your loss.

I had to have several pets put down due to total kidney failure and other age related health problems over the years. It's never easy. RIP sweet Tigger.

[T Wolf]

95. Damn. I take Norvasc and low-dose aspirin. I only hope someone cares for me at the

end as well as so many here do for our "furry" relatives.

Have some peace. You deserve it for "paying forward" the compassion that (I think) we get from sharing our lives with those non-bipeds.

[polmaven]

38. I actually have been hydrating him

for several months now, beginning with every 3 days, then every other day. His kidney disease continued to progress none the less, but I do think it gave him some extended time of good quality of life.

[SPedigrees]

50. It must have been his time to go then.

Sounds like he had all the benefits of good care and love. I'm truly sorry.

[xchrom]

34. Peace and Blessings on your house at this time. Nt

[Mac1949]

39. Deepest sympathy for your loss.

Don't cry because it's over, Smile because it happened.
-Dr. Seuss :grouphug:

[jtuck004]

40. I'm sorry you lost your friend, and glad you were there to take care of Tigger. n/t

[Odin2005]

43. I'm sorry!

:(

[Ignis]

44. Sorry to hear that, polmaven.

:hug:

[cecilfirefox]

45. I'll say a prayer for him. :( I'm sorry. nt

[roguevalley]

47. I am so sorry, honey. There is nothing more kind you can do but

that is so small a consolation. Your kitty is waiting for you. I wish you peace.

[calimary]

49. Our sympathies here.

Hope he meets Dub, Tasha, Tugger, Mousetrap, Rao, Stripe, and Ernie sometime soon.

I wish they all had longer lifespans...

:cry: :patriot: :hug:

[alstephenson]

51. I'm sorry for your loss of Tigger.

I have a 16-year old with kidney issues - we've been together since he was a kitten. I am thankful for every day that I have left with him.

[myrna minx]

52. I am so sorry.

:hug:

[joeybee12]

53. How sad...so sorry for this...

:grouphug:

[Shallah Kali]

54. I am so sorry

I had to do the same with my sweet Simba who had crf. We did the meds and when it progressed gave him fluids which revived him up for a time but still the day came when he no longer was enjoying life we took him in.

:grouphug:

[Vinca]

55. I'm so sorry for your loss.

I've been sad all day, too, because it's been 8 months to the day since I lost my sweet boy, Stinker. He was a special, special cat and we miss him terribly.

[niyad]

56. for all here who have suffered the loss of a beloved companion, my thoughtss and prayers are with

you. may you all find peace and comfort.

[derby378]

57. I am so sorry for your loss.

:hug:

[jimlup]

58. I'm sorry

I've been thinking about my kitty's mortality too though she's still young, 5. I'm just trying to think about what I can do to keep her with me for as many years as possible.

[City Lights]

59. Hugs from one Tigger lover to another.

:hug: So very sorry for your loss. Cherish your memories. :cry:

My Tigger left the Earth on 3.17.2003 at the age of 15-1/2. I'd had him since he was 6 weeks old. I've been a cat lover ever since. One just led to another.

Peace. :hug:

[XOKCowboy]

60. I never realized when I adopted the little gray fuzzball...

that I'd spend a third of my life with him. I have his picture above my desk right now and tons of memories. When you truly bond with a cat it's something very special.

[City Lights]

66. One of my favorite quotes about bonding with cats:

"Another cat? Perhaps. For love there is also a season; its seeds must be re-sown. But a family cat is not replaceable like a worn-out coat or a set of tires. Each new kitten becomes its own cat, and none is repeated. I am four cats old, measuring out my life in friends that have succeeded but not replaced one another." ~ Irving Townsend

Still brings tears to my eyes when I read it and think of my cats. I am 10 cats old.

[XOKCowboy]

68. Wow 10 cats old....

That says a lot about your spirit. All good! :hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

62. My simpathies

our cockatiel Tuky passed on over nine months ago, and we all still miss him. But he's in a better place.

:hug:

It can be hard, it is hard. They are our kids.

[polmaven]

65. Thank you so much to everyone

for all of your kind words.

My baby will take his place in that special corner of my heart wher his brother has been for just short of 5 years.

[northernlights]

67. I am so sorry for your loss...godspeed, Tigger

:hug: to you...

[w8liftinglady]

70. in case others aren't aware-Rainbow Bridge video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoBO6kJCBvw

[polmaven]

80. ....!

Thank you!

[glinda]

71. I am very sorry. RIP dear sweet Tigger.

[Wheezy]

72. I'm so sorry.

[Lorien]

73. So sorry to hear this polmaven

:hug:

[undergroundpanther]

75. my vinny died of renal

failure.. it took him out in three days. Vinny was 14 years old.Sorry about your sweet Tigger.In a way,I find every cat I've ever known still lives with me forever in a cat shaped place in my heart.

[AtomicKitten]

76. My condolences on your loss.

My sweet girl succumbed to renal failure at the age of 16. I too eased her transition and it damn near broke my heart.

"We who choose to surround ourselves
with lives even more temporary than our
own, live within a fragile circle;
easily and often breached.
Unable to accept its awful gaps,
we would still live no other way.
We cherish memory as the only
certain immortality, never fully
understanding the necessary plan."

— Irving Townsend

[jgraz]

77. So sorry for your loss.

People who don't have pets can't understand the grief we go through when we lose one of our companions.

[Triana]

78. Awwww. I'm sorry you lost a family member

You did the right thing in not letting your boy suffer. He lived a good long and no doubt loved life. :hug:

[Skittles]

79. so sorry polmaven

:cry:


Grieve not,
nor speak of me with tears,
but laugh and talk of me
as if I were beside you.....
I loved you so --
'twas Heaven here with you.

--by Ilsa Paschal Richardson

[racaulk]

81. I'm very sorry, polmaven.

:hug:

[Call Me Wesley]

82. Safe passage to Tigger.

May he be free from suffering. Peace and comfort to you and yours, polmaven.

[kimi]

83. Ah, I'm so sorry

It hurts. My deepest sympathies, and hugs.

[femrap]

84. Losing a sweet companion

is so difficult. May you befriend another. My sympathies to you.:hug:

[nyc 4 Biden]

85. sorry

[paparush]

86. Crying here.

We recently had our beloved 14 year old Golden Recliner(tm) "Sam" put down. We, and our three kitties, miss her dearly.

[ceile]

87. So sorry, polmaven

You made the right choice even though it was difficult.
I've lost 3 animals in less than 3 years. One by car and 2 by choice- I knew it was the right thing to do, but still broke my heart.
:hug:

[virgdem]

88. My deepest condolences to you on your loss...

My Tigger left me last June from renal failure as well. She was wasting away to nothing and I couldn't let her suffer any more. You did the right thing - it's a terrible loss but you ended the suffering that goes with the end stages of this disease. I wish you much peace in the coming days and weeks as you deal with your loss, but you will always have sweet memories of Tigger.

[T Wolf]

90. We have a Tigger, too. She is 18 and not doing too badly for an oldster. Her

"brother" had renal failure, but by giving him sub-cute fluids every other day and taking care of his other needs, he lasted an additional three years.

And they were good years. We finally had to let him go (at 16). It was peaceful, at home. In my arms (I've held a number of family "members" as they died).

My thoughts are with you.

And thanks for being a good parent to your Tigger. All we earthlings should be so lucky.

[HillWilliam]

92. So sorry, (((polmaven)))

:hug:

I wrote this a few years ago when my longtime companion, Sadie, made her transition to the Rainbow Bridge in my arms. I felt as if I might follow her, but the universe had other plans and the next day a youngster in need came to me. I still miss Sadie awfully, but I'm glad that Ashley-Marie and I found one another at a time when we were both so desperately sad. Life's much better now. Here goes:

Everything I Know about Love, I Learned from a Little Dog
Dedicated to Sadie-Lynn and Ashley-Marie I
Now waiting for me just across The Rainbow Bridge

Love is loyal. No matter how many times the ball is thrown, I’ll always come back; with or without it.

Love listens intently, even if the listener doesn’t understand every word. Trust the heart to translate.

Hands are for petting and saying “I’m here, still loving you.”

Love speaks with a completely honest heart and from the best motives.

Wet kisses and warm snuggles always lighten the saddest heart.

No one needs to pray or cry alone if your best buddy is close.

Take some time to chase butterflies, even if you don’t catch any. The pleasure is in doing something a little silly and a lot of fun together.

Ice cream tastes better when shared. One bowl, two spoons, please!

Some say it best by saying nothing at all. One loving “lean” is worth a mouthful of “I love you’s”. Humans squeeze hands — it’s the same thing.

Being a willing listener is likely to get you hugged.

Love is for always. If someone has ever loved you, you will always have that moment with you.

The one who waits patiently for you to arrive deserves lots of kisses. Kisses are easy to make and there are always more to give away.

Someone misses you every time they don’t see you, even if you’re just in the next room.

Joyous greetings are always in order when your love returns.

Petting the fur-kid does just as much good for the human doing the petting.

Saturday afternoon naps with your best friend refresh the body and restore the soul.

In the arms of one who loves you is the safest place in the world.

Happy sighs say it all. Puppysize say even more.

...and that goes for kitty-sighs, too.

[polmaven]

96. Thank you, HillWilliam..

That was lovely. :hug:

[catzies]

93. May you find comfort in your memories of love. I am sorry for your loss.

Pets aren't just animals, they're family. :cry:

[meowomon]

94. Oh, I am so sorry

I have three kitty babies and four dog babies. I had to let my beautiful pound sheltie,Shane, go from renal failure. Can't wait to see him on the other side in a really long time from now.