Panther is gone

[momtomany]

You loved Panther enough to let him go and that is the hardest decision we all make with our beloved pets at times. May your love for him and the cherised memories of times together comfort you.

[fragrancehound]

I have such overwhelming guilt right now. How do you deal with it?

I keep thinking what if I did things differently? Should I have put him to sleep earlier? I also keep asking myself if I should have had him hospitalized earlier thinking it might have avoided any suffering on his part. With all the vet visits added up (and there were quite a few!) I probably could have afforded for him to stay a few nights at the hospital to receive better treatment. I know I probably shouldn't even think that way but it weighs heavily on my mind.

[smokey the elder]

I'm so sorry about Panther. It's never easy to make the "big decision", but I think you and Panther both knew it was time.

[wolflady]

Honey, please don't beat yourself up with the "what ifs". My mom did the same thing with our old family cat Socks, and I felt so bad to see her suffering so and wondering if she should have done something differently.

You did everything you could for Panther, and when the time came, you made the right decision to let him go. Please try to take comfort in that you are a great cat meowmie and you did what was best for Panther. He is smiling down on you right now, and will be waiting for you at the rainbow bridge. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.

**hugs**

[Russian Blue]

I know I made the right decision but I am having a very hard time with it. My house and heart feel so empty without him.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

When you love someone, it's naturally hard to feel complete when they exit your life. And it takes time to heal from the loss and deal with the emotions which surround the decision you had to make.

When you take in a feline, there is no ownership manual telling you the exact course to take. You do what you need to do, with the best interests of that feline in mind.

Panther knows you loved him. That's all that matters.

(( hugs ))

[gini]

First, I am so very sorry that you have released Panther to the Rainbow Bridge.

I do understand and I know many on this board fully understand your huge loss.

Secondly, please, please, don't beat yourself up. It is perfectly normal for
you to wonder "could I have done this" - "could I have done that" that would have made a difference in the final outcome. I think all of us do that as we grieve so pitifully for our beloved pets.

All of us are here for you and again - from the bottom of my heart I extend my sympathies.

[kimlovescats]

I'm so sorry!

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear about Panther's passing. As others have said, please don't beat yourself up with the what if's. I also did this for a long time with my Pepper. I finally found closure by asking a pet psychic about him and was told that I did the right thing. My Pepper still visits me and I hope that Panther will also continue to visit you. If you need to talk you can pm me any time. Panther knows that you love him and he's now no longer in pain. RIP sweet Panther. Please take care. (((HUGS)))

[TopCat3]

I too followed Panther's story and marvelled at the lengths you went to to try to save him and give him the best quality of life you could.

Guilt is one of the stages of grieving. I find it's best to wallow and embrace all the feelings as they come and go in turn, which they will over the next few days and weeks.

Please know you are thought of and supported on this forum, even by those of us who can only duck in at odd times when we should probably be doing something else - like sleeping!

I have thought about you and Panther a lot and will continue to do so over the coming holiday period. I personally (as opposed to cyberly ) know two other people who have had to let their cats go to the Bridge in the last few days, and I am thinking of all of you.

With best wishes, take care and be kind to yourself, Panther would want that.
The TopCats.

[4KittiesMom]

Hi FragranceHound -

In doing a search about Fibrosacroma in cats I found your posts about your sweet kitty Panther. I know it's been almost 2 years for you, but I am sure you still miss him everyday. I was so sad as I read along and saw that you lost him. I lost my beloved Ozone to stomach cancer very suddenly in 2004 - after we had only had him for a year and a half - (though he was 15 years old) He also had the beginnings of kidney failure. I still miss him everyday - and some are much worse than others.

Now, one of my other beloved fur babies has Feline Sarcoma - possibly vaccine related and is about to have surgery to remove the mass - tomorrow. I am hopeful that she will get better and get at least another year with us - after all a year of warm laps, purrs, and good scritches is a long time!!!

She is 13 years old, and one of the first kitties my husband and I ever had as a couple, I am so not ready to lose her. But I know that her chances of living much past another year is slim, as we cannot afford the chemotherapy or alternately a leg amputation as recommended by our vets.

I was just wondering, how long Panther was with you after the surgery - was it stomach cancer that finally took him to the RB or a recurrence of the sarcoma?

I am so sad, I just cry all the time for my sweet baby girl. Clawdia is my little girl - she loves to sit in a warm lap or on a fuzzy blanket and purr - she is one of our only lap cats - we have 4!

Anyway, I just wanted to send my love and BIG ((((HUGS)))) to you for the loss of your beloved.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3208/...4681b5065c.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3134/...9dc23b8638.jpg

[momtomany]

I am so sorry for your loss and I will say extra prayers for you. I hope your happy memories will comfort you until the time you are together again. Rest in peace Panther and play happily at the bridge.