my sickly, frail, senile old 17 year old dog just died. not in the catastrophic way i was dreading, but so silently that i didnt notice while sitting about 10ft away from her. she had been free of any bouts of illness for a while, energetic and all. and she went to sleep, and just didnt wake up again. about 5 hours ago or so i stopped by where she was sleeping on my way to get some water and watched her for a while, going "is she alright?" and i thought she was breathing, which is something ive been making sure of while she sleeps for months. so i left her alone, you know, old dog needs her rest.
about an hour ago i checked back on her and realized she hadnt moved at all, so i crouched down to pet her, no reaction. even still i thought she was ok, she's been more difficult to wake up for about a year. so i kept petting her for around 10 seconds, which i thought was unusual. i went to lift her head and realized she was just 100% stiff as wood. she'd probably been dead for a good while.
my feelings about it are confusing. i knew it was coming, of course, and death comes for us all. im even a little relieved that she didn't make it to the next winter and die in the awful cold. but of course it's also hard to accept. i picked that dog from the litter as a tiny little puppy who would fit in the palm of my five year old hand. i went from being a tiny little child to barely an adult in the time it took her to go from being a little baby to dying of old age. it's hard to wrap my head around that.
she'll be my last, as well. i dont want any more pets for so many reasons. the end isn't the largest among them, but it's certainly one more reason to add on top.
rest in peace and i hope you got all the headpats you wanted :headpat:
I'm so sorry for your loss. At least she was at peace when she went. My first pet, I just came home from school one day in high school and he was gone. My parents said he'd had a seizure and when they took him to the vet they had him put down. I'm still mad that they didn't even try to get him treatment. It might have been expensive but they could have fucking afforded something. Instead I just come home and he's gone forever, I didn't have a chance to even say good bye or pet him one last time and tell him I love him.
I'm so worried about when my cat will die. She's so sweet and caring and I love her so fucking much I don't know how I'll be able to process it. She's not even old, she's only five years old, but knowing that it's inevitable hurts so much. I want her to live forever. She deserves it. She's so good. I'm going to go pet her now
that's the biggest part. make sure you give the kitty plenty of love, because no matter how much you give, you'll feel like it wasn't enough in the end. thats the dominant feeling ive had in the three pets' deaths ive experienced over the past few years. just immediate regret that I didn't show them enough appreciation. even though i know they were happy and i did treat them well, you know, it just hits you immediately that now you'll never have that opportunity again.
I have obviously never met you or her. But in the biggest universe spanning way; I love/d, love both of you fantastic creatures of the Cosmos.
Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité! :Care-Comrade:
Sorry for your loss comrade. I lost a childhood cat a few months ago and honestly I still can't put into words how I feel about it. At least your dog had a long happy life and was able to go peacefully at home with you nearby.
Comrade, your heart is revealed in your words. You were a good human to her; she was a lucky puppy to have been homed with you.
it's a tragedy that dogs lives as short as they do but from her perspective she lived a full life with you caring for her for all o it
The best things any pet can get are a long life, beloved by their person, and to pass quietly and peacefully at home in their presence.
Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. I know exactly what you're feeling. I had my dog from when I was five until I was eighteen, and he was at times my only friend. I know that stomach-turning stiffness when you pet your oldest friend and they're gone. And I felt the determination to never have another dog again. You're not alone... take care of yourself, please, it's what she would have wanted.
I'm very sorry for your loss, losing a long-time furry friend is very hard. I'm glad she had such a long life with you. My remaining dog is going on 12 years this December, and hope we have 5 more years together like you guys did.
i'm so sorry for your loss, comrade
losing a pet is horrible
:deeper-sadness:
:meow-hug: Hope you're doing okay comrade. I'm sure you gave that pup the best life she possibly could have asked for.
