Two weeks ago we had to put Bugz, our nineteen year old cat to sleep.
We had to decide if “now” was the right time. It was definitely time for us to make that trip to the vet with her condition, but it was still hard and sad to make that decision. http://www.kittyexpert.com/when-to-put-your-cat-down-checklist
She came as a kitten from a barn near my Dad’s farm. Bugz was one of many barn animals adopted by family members and she was the last. Bugz was a shy, gentle, sweet cat who chose to live for years outside in a heated/cooled cat house on the porch after her mate died.
It’s been interesting with our pets.
We have had non-birds land on our doorstep in a bird cage. A couple of pets came from kill shelters. We took in one gigantic dog that was living in a nearby barn. And then had to drive her eight hours out of state after she ran through the screen door and killed the neighborhood chickens. A few who didn’t work out at another family member’s home and they wound up at our place. And an elder cat showed up unannounced on Thanksgiving after being unceremoniously dumped on our property. Actually, my sister wound up with the elder because she had room for another cat.
Each time an animal comes in, there is a learning curve. Everybody has to figure out the communication, the stress triggers, the things that calm down and what the most important thing with that particular pet. With Bugz, she wanted to live on the protected front porch with her nice cat house with food and water that didn’t freeze in the winter. She wanted to be protected from the elements, bad news coyotes and bears until she died. She wanted to be a stray with benefits. We were able to give her a nice enough life. And even though she wasn’t a glowing star, she was still missed.
Each of the pets who come into our lives have something to give us: the gift of patience, a sense of responsibility, gratitude for their gratefulness, and some pointers about healthy loyalty. And sometimes we have to give our pet the peace that they need.
