Coping With Pet Loss

While I’ve been an animal lover my whole life, my dad was never a big fan of cats. I always wanted a cat. And so when I got older and moved into my own apartment, the very first thing I did to celebrate my “independance” was get a kitten. He came from a friend of mine at work. He was just a barn kitten that had been living on a farm. A little gray tiger striped furball. I named him Sebastian. I will not say that he was the perfect cat. I couldnt bring myself to get him declawed, as I find it inhumane. And he had a tendancy to play way too rough. I often went to work with my arms looking as though they’d been through a shredder.

And he had a strange and dangerous obsession with chewing wires. I cant begin to count how many computer accessories, cell phone chargers, and phone cords we had to replace. I dont know how he never got electrocuted. But he also could be so loving. He knew how to play “fetch” just like a dog, bringing his string toys back to me. He loved treats. He was our only pet and a spoiled brat, used to getting all the attention. He grew to be a huge cuddly furry ball. One night when he was about 2 years old, I noticed he wasnt acting right. There was an emergency trip to the vet. hospital and they said he had a urinary blockage. It was this big emergency and they had to sedate him and cath. him. he stayed 3 nights. It cost nearly 1200 dollars. And even though I certainly did not have the money, I handed over a credit card because I couldnt stand the thought of losing him. Well the urinary thing became a recurring event. There were frequent trips to the vet. There were outrageous bills. He had to be on prescription food, which again, was very expensive.

But I continued to care for him because he still had a lot of life left in him and I loved him like a member of the family. A few more years went on and he seemed to be fine. My husband and I recently had our first baby. Sebastian did not handle this well. He never showed aggression towards the baby or anything like that. but I could tell he was jealous and depressed because he just wasnt getting the attention he was used to.

Last week he had another urinary episode. He spent 2 nights in the vet hospital, got a shot of steroids, and was sent home with a clean bill of health. he seemed ok at first. Then things went downhill very quickly. All of a sudden, he wouldnt eat. (this cat weighted 16 pounds, I HAVE NEVER known him to NOT eat). He was breathing heavy and rapidly and he was hiding under furniture. I rushed him to the vet this morning and they said that there was fluid in his lungs and he was really struggling to breathe. He was suffering. They didnt know exactly what was causing it, but it was suspected that he had some very serious condition and didnt have much time. And so I had to put him to sleep. He was only 6 years old. I bawled and bawled for hours.

I miss him so much already. I miss cuddling with him and hearing him purr. I know that he’s in kitty heaven now and I’m glad that he’s not suffering anymore. I have tons of cat food left that I’m donating to our local shelter. Sebastian would want it that way. He was a very good cat, he had a good life, and he was loved very very much.
In Memory of Sebastian..