September 2, 2009

  • Miss Cleo Update

    When Miss Cleo went to the happy catnip garden in the sky, I told the doctor that I wanted her body used in medical research.  We use the university's animal clinic at CSU (one of the best vet schools in the nation).  So, they did a full autopsy on her (and will study her organs, etc before they cremate the remains). 

    She had massive inflammation of the kidneys, pancreas, liver and urinary tract caused by kidney failure.  Things were just shutting down one at a time.  The doctor said if I hadn't brought her in, she would have likely passed within a few days and been in an extreme amount of pain. 

    There is always a certain amount of guilt associated with putting an animal to sleep.  Am I doing the right thing?  Who am I to "play God" and take another life, even if I think I'm doing the right thing?  Did I make the right choice?
     
    With all of this information, I know I made the right choice. 

    Linxi (our youngest cat) was extremely aggressive toward Cleo toward the end.  She would intentionally pick on her, start fights.  The vet said that happens sometimes when the lower cat on the totem pole senses weakness in the "queen bee" cat (which Cleo definitely was) and they try to "remove them from the back."  So, everything kind of came together for me today on this.  I feel like I can put it at rest.

    I think what is a bit sad for me is that the nurse who assisted . . . well, it was her first euthanasia.  She was pretty upset by the whole thing.  I wonder if she'll remember us down the road and how it all went down in that office.  I wonder if veterinarians remember their first like that?  It was just a thought I had.

    Anyway, thanks for reading.

Comments (2)

  • Hugs.

  • While there are a million wonderful reasons to own a pet, this is the one aspect of it that I truly dread. But yes, you made the right decision, however painful it may be at the time. I too have gone through this (my cat Ginger also had kidney failure) and I asked myself many of the same questions that you did. But I like to think our furry friends are in a better place now....*hugs*

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