Posted on 08/22/2010 11:56:35 PM PDT by Ultra Sonic 007
Ratue was already very thin due to her terminal illness; a disease in the blood, most likely from a parasite. She no longer had the energy to eat food, much less properly digest it, so the body had to survive the only way it could: by devouring her own fat and muscle tissue.
Organ failure began to set in around 5:50 in the afternoon on Sunday, August the 23rd, 2010. When I heard my stepmother wailing over Ratue's deteriorating condition, I bore witness to what would be the cat's final hour.
She was disoriented and confused. Whenever she tried to walk, she would stumble and wobble. Coordination decreased as she began to lose control over her motor functions. As we tended to her, Dad showed a calm and practiced hand; the hand of experience, of one who had owned pets before, of one who had seen a pet die (I can only assume; Dad had had pets as a child, but I do not know if he ever witnessed one pass away). As the time passed and her movements slowed, Ratue wailed and meowed increasingly loudly.
'Why?'
'Help.'
Pain.
According to my father, the failure of her body systems had reached a point to where she could no longer see. Ratue was a cat; an animal, who had no idea as to why everything was hurting, why her vision had gone dark, why breathing was so painful. It was...gut-wrenching to witness, in all honesty. My stepmother can certainly attest.
As the minutes ticked by, she stopped trying to move. Her movements slowed. Even as we gently tended to her, her meows decreased in frequency. Her breathing slowed, and her body began to still. After several spasms, we saw nothing more.
By 6:32, Ratue was dead.
Dad wrapped her body in a towel and carefully enclosed it into a trash bag. We dug a hole over two feet deep in the woods right at the border of the front yard. The soil near our home is rough, laden with rock and clay. After burying here, we compacted the soil with water, and marked her grave with a cross of bricks. I said a prayer, thanking the Lord for the gift that Ratue was, praying that my memories of her would be cherished and remembered for the good times they were, praying that she rest in peace.
Whilst digging her grave, I made a passing comment about how we could definitely use a pickax for dealing with this dirt (for it had made various projects about the house a definite chore in the past).
Dad, with the wisdom of experience, said, "Death shouldn't be easy."
It isn't. Ratue lived a good life; she had love and food and shelter. She loved us back (in her own way). Our remaining animals - a Golden Retriever and a Ragdoll cat - seemed to instinctively know that something was wrong. Ratue has been a part of our lives for nearly a decade; caring for a small animal, so much weaker than us, helped shape us into who we are. For that, I am grateful.
Ultimately, witnessing her death was painful. It was excruciating and soul-rending. As it should be; if I didn't react to her death, then I did not react to the loss of her life. Ergo, the life could not have meant much to me. That I react with such emotion to her passing means that her life did have meaning.
It is something we should remember.
Death isn't easy.
Kitty ping.
I am so sorry. We lost our kitty on Easter. It is very sad to lose a beloved pet.
I lost my own cat to cancer six years ago. My deepest sympathies.
Most are sorely missed. You wrote a fitting but sad tribute. Nobody can ever convince me they are simply dumb animals but are instead all God’s creatures. Seeing them suffer tears my heart out.
I’m sorry for your loss.
Oh my, so sorry to hear of your little friend’s passing. I have a much loved old boy, Crooked Tail, who is sinking fast. We love them, and they know it. We comfort them and they appreciate it. Ratue has a soul of life. The body may have stopped working, but that little soul shines brightly still, perhaps even brighter now that the body is no longer holding that little soul back. You will ‘see’ Ratue again, in some where/when of God’s creation. So sorry for your loss, now.
I feel your pain. I lost my older cat a couple of years ago and I still get a twinge of remorse when I think about it occasionally. She was a wonderful cat and I wish she was still with me. Luckily I have another wonderful cat that I love. Yes, love. You get to feel that way with your little critters. So, keep your fond memories of your beloved cat close.
Sorry for your loss. I’ve lost many myself, always sad.
It is always hard losing a pet. Cherish the memories and your friend will remain with you.
May God bless all who will miss her with peace and comfort.
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.
I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my dog a little over three weeks ago, and I know it isn’t easy. I’m still having a very difficult time. Reflect on the good times, and be thankful that she was able to share part of your earthly journey with you. I take solace in the fact that I believe God’s animals that are gone from earth are with him in paradise, so I believe we’ll see our pets again.
I’m so sorry to hear this. I had a cat pass away unexpectedly from cardiomyopathy - I came home and knew something was wrong because he wasn’t at the door to greet me, and his “brother” was disheveled and acting looney.
I never will forget the shock of finding him in the bedroom. He was lying on the bed and had passed away peacefully during a nap.
That little guy was the greatest cat I’ve ever known, and even though I knew he had a weak heart, you can never, ever truly prepare for the loss.
I still cry every once in a while, even six years later with two great cats in their own right. I rest easy, though, knowing that he was adopted from a rescue shelter and had a great life for those three short years.
May the LORD be with you in your time of loss.
Why did let an animal suffer those last few hours when its passing could have been painless? Sounds like cruelty when there is no hope of recovery or improvement.
Very sorry about your beloved pet. I know how heart wrenching it is.
Ecclesiastes 3:19 (King James Version)
19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.