|
You did the right thing, and you were with him when he died. Painful for you, but right for him. He died as he lived, with those who loved him. And you were doing the right thing for him, as you always did.
We have cats. Years ago, my wife's cat, one she had really bonded with, came down with cancer. She was willing to pay any money for advanced treatment, but the cat was old. So at the vet's suggestions, we put her on hormones and a special diet and some other medicine, and that kept her alive -- for three months. They were not quality months; she did not understand what was happening to her, and resisted her drugs, and was in pain. Eventually, even force-feeding couldn't get food down her. And, after a particularly bad day, she crept under the bed and died. We found her there.
A few years later, _my_ particular cat, the one I had bonded with, came down with cancer. His kidneys had gone bad several years before, and we had kept him alive by injecting extra fluid under his skin every couple of days. He didn't like it, but otherwise had a normal life. But when he stopped eating, got restless, and was unable to sleep, I took him to the vet (a different vet) who diagnosed the cancer and said, "This is the end of _quality_ life for your cat. You can keep him alive longer, but he'll be in pain and won't understand what's happening to him." After my experiences with my wife's cat, I had to agree. I spent some time with him, cuddled him, cried for him, and called the vet back in. I was there when he died, and a little after. I felt terrible. But it was the right thing to do.
|