Posted on 05/09/2012 9:57:24 PM PDT by Slings and Arrows
A grief-stricken pet owner killed himself because he struggled to cope with the death of his beloved cat, an inquest heard.
Bachelor Michael McAleese, 44, was devastated after 13-year-old tabby cat Sophie died in his arms after suffering a stroke.
The recluse - who was not known by his neighbours - was so traumatised by the loss that the dead cat 'slept' on his bed for three days afterwards.
Mr McAleese then told a man who came to collect Sophie for cremation that he would kill himself.
Five days after the cat's death Mr McAleese posted a moving video in the moggy's memory on YouTube, which featured pictures of her backed with sad violin music.
Unemployed Mr McAleese captioned the video with: 'This is in her memory. She was such a wonderful little cat.
'This is a montage tribute to my beloved Sophie cat. I loved her so much and still do.'
Mr McAleese's body was found eight days later on December 21 last year at his rented lodgings in Poole, Dorset.
A post mortem examination revealed Mr McAleese had taken an overdose.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
The poor guy would've been better off mourning, and in the fullness of time opening his heart to another cat. May he rest in peace.
How sad. :(
Poor guy.
Maybe it was his own fault, maybe not. Doesn't matter. As someone said, he was living a life of quiet desperation.
As you said, may he rest in peace.
/johnny
Damn sad that anyone could be that bad off.
Truly.
The guy was only 44.
I completely understand. I lost Mr. Crookedtail (he was nearly twenty) and less than a year later Goosecat died in my arms of a massive heartattack after a wasting illness. I’m still crushed. I do so hope to see thoise guys again, some where/when.
I completely understand. I lost Mr. Crookedtail (he was nearly twenty) and less than a year later Goosecat died in my arms of a massive heartattack after a wasting illness. I’m still crushed. I do so hope to see those guys again, some where/when. ... Can’t type too well with blurry eyes
I’m sorry.
/johnny
I’ve got a cat with that ‘tude. RIP Sophie.
Sad, probably this guy had other problems and this was the final straw.
I lost a couple really good old animal friends in the past couple years too.
I was clearing some pics from my cel phone today and ran across the some pics of them. One, was as I was taking my 16 yo shepard mix for her last ride.
Hardes thing I ever had to do. But cancer was eating her up and she was in pain.
I’ve been a mess all day since. Still hard to type this.
But...others have since found me and adopted me.
About a year ago, a tuxedo kitty showed up on my doorstep and just waltzed in when I opened the door.
About a month later, my boxer/mutt, found a 5 pound Yorkie in the ditch that someone had dumped. His hair and nails were so long he could barely walk.
2 of my newest, bestest friends now.
I can understand the grief, but I can’t understand the suicide. Maybe I’m not programmed to.
My little guy, Tigger, had a stroke at nine. I was sitting on my porch the day momma brought her kittens out from under the neighbors barn for the first time, and this little orange furball spotted me, and climbed my steps to see what I was.
It fell asleep in my lap, and stayed there until the day he died.
He wasn’t my cat, I was HIS human. He wouldn’t have anything to do with the wife. When I would be on the road, for days at a time, he would sleep in my office chair, only coming down for food. Within an hour of my coming home, he would be on the stairs by the front door, staring at it, waiting for it to open. When I came in, even at nine, it was like he was a kitten again.
I’ve had animals that died before, several. But none ever affected me the way Tigger’s death did, and still does, to this day.
But suicide????
The loss of a beloved pet is an awful pain. My cat just turned 12, and I dread the day when he won’t wake up from a nap. Still, I have to think this fellow had other issues at play for him to take his own life.
Sad story all-around, though, whatever the case.
I almost adopted a kitten yesterday, but I felt bad at the thought of taking him away from his siblings to a home all by himself, with no other kittens to play with. Of course, we’d have hours of fun together, but I wouldn’t be home all day. I know cats are better than dogs about that sort of thing, but I think a kitten (or a puppy, for that matter) needs playmates.
As for the poor man...I’d rather live alone than have and lose something that meant so much to me.
Agreed. Poor guy.
I just had two idiots do a suicide by oak tree down the road from me. Flew past this woman (still calming down in my kitchen with my wife), lost control and SPLAT.
Darwin award winners.
Sad. RIP.
Over the years I've taken in a LOT of cats, strays and injured and SPCA and OPK (other people's kittens), probably 20 or so all told. All but two are dead now.
My two remaining kittehs are 14, one male and one female, siblings. They were wild strays, and it took years for them to get comfortable around people. Now they're total snugglers. Indoor/outdoor -- no roads nearby. They're great at catching rodents and love bringing me "presents".
I live by myself in a very rural area, with lots of wild animals in the woods that prey on cats. The male disappeared for two full weeks when he was about four years old. I figured he was long since somebody's lunch, but no.... He showed back up one day, about 3 pounds lighter, ratty looking, sick, and with a serious head tilt, like 45 degrees, and walking real funny. Obviously had been through the mill, maybe ate something poisonous or got into a heck of a fight or both. But he survived, and after about 6 years even the head tilt pretty much disappeared.
He's my best friend, eats with me, sleeps with me, follows me around the property, sees me off when I drive to work and greets me when I arrive home again.
I'm gonna be devastated when he kicks off someday (assuming I don't go first).
But not suicidal. That's a little extreme.
RIP.
Poor troubled soul. He was probably already in bad shape mentally, and this was just too much. We lost our black half-Siamese Ursus two years ago to cancer at age 19.5, and it was like losing my best human friend. He was a completely crazy old coot, and had so much personality it was like having another human around. I miss that damn cat so much!! May this poor man rest in peace now.
I lost my dog of 17 years about a year ago. Broke my heart, but I didn’t think of suicide.
I’m going to give my furbabies all extra hugs tonight.
Thank you and your wife for being there in that woman’s time of need.
I don't know - I've lost family, friends, pets, but none of it made me regret having them in the first place.
It’s what we do. Two weeks after we bought the house a guy had a heart attack and hit one of the oak trees along the road. After the second accident we got fairly numb to it now. This one was by far the worst.
Cats don’t always run in the right direction, especially if they’re afraid of the outdoors.
“All the lonely people...”
I’ve heard stories of guys going absolutely crazy over p***y, but this one tops ‘em all.
I came in here expecting the usual snark of FR in posts like these...
Glad to see the same compassion I feel for someone whose only emotional attachment or feeling that someone/thing cared about him was gone.
He’s holding his tabby in heaven now.
Would you welcome a hungry stray cat into your home?
It is sad....I had to euthanize my beautiful 18 year old a month ago and was devestated but now I’m ready to adopt from a local shelter (that has checked my background as if I was applying for a job)...And I have to meet her (Stellaaaaaaa)today(:
He must have a been a troubled man to commit suicide.
But hubby & I both felt like we were having nervous breakdowns after our cat died last year.
Neither of us had ever been affected by a death like that before, and we both lost our favorite siblings at very young ages.
We seriously both felt we were losing our minds.
We’re still not really over it, probably never will be.
Losing a critter can be traumatic, but this guy must have had other problems that were bigger.
A few years ago, our 24 year old cat had a series of heart attacks and we had to put him down, it was traumatic. But, we’ve got a couple of new critters now and life goes on.
Very sad to read.
People sometimes consider their pets love them in a way other humans can’t or won’t. Unconditionally.
If they perceive that kind of love from a cat, dog, or any pet to the exclusion of human contact, suicide can happen.
I sometimes do think though God sends these pets into our lives to demonstrate that kind of love. Hopefully though we learn the lesson and pass that kind of love on to someone else.
May he rest in peace.
Sad, very sad indeed.
Cats have a way of taking captive your heart.
I need to get a new cat soon. . .
It really is. The cat must have been the only thing in his life that mattered.
Sometimes suicide just makes me angry at the selfishness of it.
But then along come folks like this fellow despondent from losing his last source of unconditional love (in his mind), and I can understand more than not. Not a hostile death, simply a bereft one.
This is exactly why I have several pets of different ages. There but for the grace...
Condolences to all you Freepers who’ve lost furry babies.
EVERYONE, LISTEN UP: DON'T KILL YOURSELF!
As you were.
It's the English Way.
Too late. I killed myself last week.
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