Yesterday, I had to make one of the hardest decisions a pet owner has to make. My sweet kitty, Shadow, had been sick for the last couple of months with IBD and an intestinal lymphoma and, unfortunately, the treatment did not seem to be helping him. He seemed to be growing weaker and, just in general, was not the happy kitty he’d been. So yesterday afternoon, the decision was made to help him cross over. 😦 He is now over the Rainbow Bridge with my sweet angel Cinnamon, the miniature poodle he grew up with.
I had him since he was a kitten, and he had just turned 14 years old last month.
I will miss you, my sweet, loving boy. I will miss you curling up next to me on the couch, and I will miss you climbing into my lap to reach up and lick my earlobes while kneading my shoulders. I will even miss cleaning up the presents you would occasionally catch and leave on the back porch.
My Shadow
No matter what some superstitious people may think about black cats, you were the best and sweetest kitty and I was blessed to have you. Run free and play at the Rainbow Bridge with your fur sister Cinnamon, my Shadow, and one day I will see you both again.
Jeanne Owens, author 
October 1, 2016 at 5:31 pm
Oh God Jeanne. I’m so, so sorry for your loss. I’m crying along with you right now.😪 For what it’s worth, you made the right and caring decision. As you said, Shadow and Cinnamon are now reunited. I hope my little Lacey meets up with them.
Hugs!
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October 1, 2016 at 5:46 pm
Thanks, Kim. I know it was the right decision, but I can’t help but feel sometimes if there wasn’t more that could’ve been done, even though the vet said there wasn’t any other treatment for the IBD except what we were trying. We could have been selfish and kept him longer and continued putting up with it all, but he’d have just been miserable for whatever time he had left, and it wouldn’t have been fair to him.
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October 1, 2016 at 6:25 pm
I know exactly how you feel. It was the same with me and Lacey. Almost two years after her passing I’m still feeling guilty and second guessing myself. I honestly think you made the right choice. As you said, he would have kept it getting more miserable, and that’s no kind of life.
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October 1, 2016 at 6:28 pm
I’ve had to go through this decision twice before, and it never gets easier, and there’s always guilt. You have to do what’s best for them, no matter how hard it is for you – and it is hard.
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October 1, 2016 at 6:31 pm
I just wished they lived longer. It’s not fair.😔
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October 1, 2016 at 6:36 pm
I know. I wish they lived longer, too 😦
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October 1, 2016 at 5:46 pm
This is making me cry too. I am so sorry! Oh why oh why can’t animals have longer lives o this earth. They are way too short. God bless you during this difficult time.
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October 1, 2016 at 5:49 pm
Thank you. I know, I wish they could stay with us longer. Then I remember this story: http://www.littlethings.com/6-year-old-why-dogs-have-short-lives/
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October 1, 2016 at 5:54 pm
Oh my goodness, thank you for sharing that! It made me cry. Animals are such innocent beautiful creatures! The little boy has it right about that. I may use that for something, on my Facebook Page or something, if you don’t mind.
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October 1, 2016 at 5:57 pm
The boy is certainly correct. And you’re welcome to use that story if you’d like.
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October 1, 2016 at 5:47 pm
By the way…any superstitions about black cats are ridiculous! A cat is a cat, just like a human is a human.
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October 1, 2016 at 5:49 pm
They are all wonderful!
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October 1, 2016 at 5:50 pm
I agree completely. I always tell people that when I’m asked if I’m superstitious, I tell that if I was, I wouldn’t have a black cat 🙂
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October 1, 2016 at 6:06 pm
Love.
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October 1, 2016 at 6:10 pm
Thank you
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October 1, 2016 at 6:35 pm
I grieve with you. On September 11, we lost our 9 and a half year old pit bull mix, Corki, to a swift moving cancer. We knew the end was near when he refused cheese, his all-time favorite treat.
Our daughter was not quite 3 when he joined our family as a rescue pup. Pit bulls used to be known as the Nanny Dog, and Corki took his duty to Lise and her then not quite six year old brother very seriously. He’d relaxed in the last year or two (fifteen year old boy is taller than me now, and even his Girl, at 12, didn’t need so much care.)
He wasn’t loud or obtrusive, but he was generally near, and loved to please his people. He was a mama’s boy, so I miss his quiet nearness keenly. I miss his big, tongue-lolling pitty grin, and even the way he had of putting all 75 pounds of his roughly floor-colored self right in the middle of traffic patterns, especially in the dark…
May the sweet moments be solace against the sorrow. ❤
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October 1, 2016 at 6:38 pm
Thank you. And I’m so sorry for your loss, too. He sounds like he was a quite a sweet boy 😦
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October 1, 2016 at 9:20 pm
He was an absolute love. ❤
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October 1, 2016 at 7:48 pm
My Angel, I am so sorry for your loss. Know that your Angel baby is with you and near you now. He sends his love, wants you to know that you made the right decision (never doubt that), and thanks you for being such a great mother to him. You’ll have moments when it seems like or feels like he’s near, and he is. My dear, your Angels are near and he is in good hands. Sensing you lots of light and love.
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October 1, 2016 at 8:08 pm
Thank you
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October 1, 2016 at 8:06 pm
Jeannie, Shadow was loved by all who knew him. He will be in our hearts until we all meet again!
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October 1, 2016 at 8:09 pm
Thank you, he will.
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October 1, 2016 at 8:57 pm
I’m sorry, Jeanne. I’ve sent a few to the bridge myself and it’s never easy. You gave him a wonderful home and lots of love and, when the time came, you let him go, as hard as it was. He’ll always be a part of you.
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October 1, 2016 at 9:03 pm
Thank you. I’ve had to help a couple pets before to cross, and it’s never easy.
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October 1, 2016 at 9:01 pm
I’m so very, very sorry for your loss. No doubt my Kissy and my black cat Pyewacket met Shadow at Rainbow Bridge. (((Hugs)))
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October 1, 2016 at 9:03 pm
Thank you. I’m sure they did ❤
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October 2, 2016 at 2:36 am
So sorry to read this sad news about your sweet kitty, Shadow. It is always very painful to say goodbye to a furry friend. Please cherish all those warm and beautiful memories in your heart.
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October 2, 2016 at 8:57 am
Thank you
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October 2, 2016 at 8:37 am
There was no way I could ‘like’ this post, it is just too heartbreaking.
What I can say is that I know exactly how you feel, making this sort of decision is just awful and the result doesn’t make it any better even when some might say you have alleviated Shadow’s suffering, how could it?
What is so very heartening is that Shadow was loved and knew he was loved and I am sure that he knew that your decision was for the best.
I have always liked black Cats and as with the rest of the nonsense about Cats in general I don’t think that they are lucky whether that luck be good or bad, like all Cats I am sure that Shadow was a marvelous companion who completely and utterly deserved the love, affection and copious treats you gave him.
Purrs,
The Cat
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October 2, 2016 at 8:58 am
Thank you. I am sure he knew he was loved and that it was the best decision.
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October 2, 2016 at 10:29 pm
I heard somewhere that it only hurts as much as you love them. (Which means that sometimes it hurts a lot.)
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October 3, 2016 at 8:05 pm
Yes it does
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October 3, 2016 at 1:35 am
I am so sorry! Parting with pets is always a tough time – it was brave of you to take this decision. I hope he is enjoying his time up there in kitty heaven!
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October 3, 2016 at 8:05 pm
Thank you 🙂
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