I am so sad to be posting about the loss of our cat Scout
I have been putting it off because everytime I try to write I start crying.
Our beautiful sweet 17 yr old kitty lost his fight with pancreatitis and all the complications with it on Monday. We had an esophagus tube for feeding and meds put in him the week before and he was handling that well. But due to the misdiagnosis, it had been untreated too long and too much damage done.
His spirit was still strong...he was such a fighter and so brave, but his physical body just gave out.
I feel like we failed him...even though the new vet said we did everything we could. I blame myself for not getting a second opinion sooner, for so blindly trusting our old vet.
It still doesn't seem real, like he is just at the hospital for a few days and then we can pick him up. But then it hits me, and the grief is so overwhelming.
I have to believe in life after death, the only thing that helps is hoping his spirit is somewhere frolicking in full health and free of pain. And that someday I will get to hold him and our dogs Leinie and Ed again. Our two living dogs Jazz and Durango look for him every morning and it breaks my heart. I wish I could explain to them in some way that he isn't coming home.
I keep focusing on the good memories...17 years of awesome kitty-ness. The way he always came to snuggle, his irresistible urge to swat at wagging dog tails, or stepping on my face to get to the bedroom window.
He adopted us..just showed up one stormy night in April and we said goodbye to him on an April night.
Everyone go hug your pet (screw the report about dogs not liking it) and tell them you love them.
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The amount of hurt you're feeling is a testament to the love you have for him ... it does hurt, so much. It sounds like he was a wonderful kitty and you were lucky to have one another. I hope knowing that he appreciated every second of being with you and that he's now free from pain can help you with some peace, and someday soon, being able to remember without the overwhelming sadness you are now. 
it is so hard to say goodbye to our fur family.
may there be sunbeams to lie in, butterflies to catch and saucers of cream on the other side of the bridge.
I hate misdiagnosis. We lost our border collie 9yrs ago due to the vet's misdiagnosis.
for you.
Sorry for your loss.
We never thought of ourselves as "cat people" - animal lovers of course, but then dog people. Scout sure as heck turned us into cat people. He was very patient and I think he had to have rolled his eyes at us more than once - like the time we drove from IA to MN and stopped at a rest area...we took the dogs out for a potty break, I assumed you do the same for cats.
Nope. He slipped out of that leash so fast and ran for it. So then we spent a good half hour calling out his name into the bushes at the rest stop. That is when he learned call and response - we call his name and he would respond in the same tone. For example if it was a short "Scout!" we got a quick "Meow". If we did a prolonged 'Scoooouut" we got "Meeeeooow".
That lasted for 17 years and was awesome.
All of our pets have been rescues and our next kitty will definitely be one too. There is something so magical about a rescue.
Thank you for all the wonderful work you do rescuing cats - I know how heartbreaking it can sometimes be.
I know when I lost my sweet dog last year, I second guessed myself and the wonderful people here told me not to do that. I know it can't be helped cause we love them so much and we want to make sure we did everything we could. Sounds like you did.
My heart goes out to you and your other fur babies.
I lost my best friend, Arlo, my cat that gave me his unconditional love for 12 wonderful years. I, too, blame myself for not finding treatment for him sooner. The first vet missed his diagnosis completely. He was treated for hyperthyroidism, which we treated for two months, only to find out from another vet that it was cancer and had it been detected in his first tests three months earlier, he could have been saved (possibly). I feel I failed him as a care giver and will NEVER be able to forgive myself. He left my arms March 7, 2016 and I can't say I feel any better today than I did that dreadful morning. I still weep for him every morning, every day and every night. My husband and I have rescued many, many cats, dogs, birds, etc. during our 38 years of marriage, but Arlo was like no other. I try so hard to remember our loving moments together over those 12 years, but all I see are those trusting eyes looking at me while the vet administered his final shot that took his gentle spirit from me. We still have his six rescued housemates and try to be even more aware of any little change in their routine, eating habits, so as to get them to the vet at the first sign of trouble.
I am so glad I caught it quickly. So sorry you had trouble getting a diagnosis. That just breaks my heart for you. Please be gentle with yourself. It was not your fault.
