So I gave my cat a bath today and I'm very proud of myself, and of my cat, because neither of us lost any blood or digits! She's pissed at me now though, of course. Her name is Emma, and Emma is a little bit of a trouble maker, but she's cute so she gets away with murder, lmao. She likes to go out on our porch, which is gated off so she can't get out. But the lower half of the porch isn't covered, so it's a little dirty. She likes playing with the dry leaves and rolling in them. After she did that, she was filthy, so I cleaned the porch for the first time this spring and then it was time to clean her, lmao. I sat in the bathtub, holding Emma, while my mom and I worked kitty shampoo into her fur and rinsed it out. She was yelling the whole time, trying to climb up on me. I got soaking wet too, but if I don't sit in there and hold her while she gets her bath, she'll scream all the more. She greatly dislikes water. She was sitting across the room, glaring at me, but now she's mostly dry again (after angrily licking herself). I went up and kissed her on her head like I always do, and she kissed my forehead, so I guess I'm not in trouble anymore.

I didn't want to share this earlier, because I was too brokenhearted about it, but this past Wednesday, I had to put my cat Holly to sleep. She had been having some leg/hip pain, so we took her to the vet two weeks ago, and the vet thought it was just a pulled tendon/ligament/muscle. That's what we had thought too. So we went home with pain meds and she seemed to perk back up. Now, maybe this isn't related at all, but on Wednesday, Holly started crying and fell over, panting really hard. I didn't see that part because it was early in the morning and I was still in bed. So, my mom woke me up and said she thought Holly was having a heart attack. So I got ready faster than I ever had before and we rushed her to the vet. The vet looked her over and said she was 99% sure it was a cardiac issue and she could probably stabilize her and we could take her to a cardiologist, but that would be super expensive and it might not even show anything. She said she thought it might be dvt (deep vein thrombosis I think) a blood clot in the leg that goes to the heart. She said even with treatment, she probably wouldn't live another few months and it'd be really hard on all involved, with lots of medicine and more vet visits. She said the best course of action, the kindest thing to do for Holly, would be to put her down. Up until she said that, I was worried to the point of almost throwing up, but when she said that, I just started crying like a baby. Holly was only my second cat ever and she was only 12 years old. She was the sweetest, most loving, amazing cat. She never did a thing wrong, not even once as a kitten. She loved all three of us fiercely, and we her. But I made the hard decision again (the first time was with my first cat, Zena, who I still miss to this day even though she died years ago) to have her put to sleep. I was kissing her and petting her and talking to her while they did it, bawling my eyes out while my dad just stood there, doing the stoic man thing (he did cry when we were home). My mom couldn't stay in the room for the whole thing - she was in the car crying. We all loved this cat so much. She really was a very, very good cat. I wish I could hug her and kiss her little head one more time, just to tell her how much I loved her. Thursday I get her remains back from the cremation place. She hated it outside, so I'll be keeping the urn inside for good, in my computer room that was her favorite room. For all the pain that losing her has caused though, I wouldn't trade having had her for anything though. I feel lucky and blessed just to have had her for the short time we did. I will never forget you, Holly, and I will always love you.

So. Remember your fur babies past? Share your funny cat/dog/lizard/etc. stories?

I foster cats, I have my past.

Currently I care for one handsome black cat I named R9E. He has shown the kind of behavior that a few others before him had.

Some lost just spazzed me out. In 2016 I lost three, French Fry, Molot Svyeta, and the third I no longer remember.

I also raise fowl, any time one is AWOL its heartbreaking. A flock of geese were ravage by dogs in 2015.

Oh, jeeze. I teared up reading your story. I'm so sorry for your loss. Our pets aren't pets. They're family. It's the hardest thing when you have to put them to rest. While I've never had to make that decision myself, I can't imagine what it would be like, how I would feel. I hope you and your family are feeling better now, even just a little bit. I'm sure Holly is more than happy to know she will always be with you, and you with her.

While I've never had to make the decision to put a furry family member down, I have lost some. The two most memorable would have to be my first dog, Maxx. I had him when I was, idk, five or so. I walked outside one morning before school to take him fresh food and water and he had... Well, the fence and his chain wasn't very kind to him. The images will forever be burned into my head. The second would've been my cat, Lucy. We didn't have her very long at all.

We took her to get her fixed and she died a week later. We blamed the vet for a long time (because he was an ass) but after doing some research we lived in the house at the time, we think that might've been the case. Turns out the previous tenants cooked methamphetamine in that house, which we were never told about. Both my mom and I still deal with effects from living in that house for so long. (For example, I got pneumonia for no apparent reason and almost died. I now suffer from permanent respiratory problems.) Turns out, living in such a house, it can set up infections, delay the healing process, etc., after getting any sort of injury, surgery included. So... We think we might've lost her because of that. She wasn't even two yet. She was my best friend and my sister and I will always love and miss her. We would sleep in the same bed every single night. And that was where she laid herself to rest. On her favorite pillow that I had made for her in my Home-Ec class in school. Lucy was the best.

I have 3 cats and a doggo now. The doggo I've had, actually, since we lived in the aforementioned house. He made it through, thankfully, but not without problems. If he gets too hot, he will have seizures. He suffers from bloat now, so sometimes he can't eat and will become incompetent. It's gotten much, much, much better since we left that house, but he still has problems once in awhile. He's a great dog, though, and I wouldn't trade him for the world.

The only time I have been advised to put an animal down was our current oldest cat, all because he ended up getting a blockage in his urinary tract and I guess the vet was too sociopathic to give a damn. He was like, "if this happens again, it will definitely will if you don't keep him ON THIS VERY SPECIFIC DIET, you might as well just put him down." God he was such a... Sigh. Needless to say, we won't be taking our animals back there, lol. That diet, turns out, is extremely unhealthy and will cause the same exact issue it was prescribed to him for! He wouldn't eat it anyway, so we got him on Blue Buffalo food and he is doing much better. It was suggested to us again, by the same vet, to put him down because he wouldn't stop throwing up. Turns out it was a hairball issue (which after me consistently explaining to him [and getting shamed for] treating whatever was wrong with coconut oil until we could get him into the vet) which he finally agreed to treat... With "CatLax." Which kills cats. Thanks, bud. You're [B]GREAT[/B]. We put him on Greenie's Hairball Remedy treats on our own and he has very, very few issues now.

LPT: Missouri vets are assholes. Get a second opinion.

It's always so hard having to put an animal down. I lost one of my cats a few years ago and she was only 8. She literally went from 'fine' (or so we thought, clearly not) to having to be put to sleep within a week. Still not sure exactly what happened with her, but it was clear something was very wrong. I still miss her, she was so wonderful. I also just recently lost one of my dogs from my job, he kind of had the same thing as my cat where one minute he was fine and the next he was just not right. He was such a sweet boy, and his parents are honest to god so nice. I felt awful for them.

Please, please be careful not feeding the prescription diet for your cat -- even if the vet was being rather insensitive about it. Urinary blockages are extremely serious and will kill your cat if they're not caught in time, and can reoccur even with proper treatment. Vomiting is a side effect of them -- hairballs or no. Also CatLax does not kill cats... I don't quite know where you heard that from.

The prescription diet was that Hill's Science Diet crap. For one, he wouldn't eat it. Two, he would immediately throw it up. I have read plenty of references from vets that pointed me towards Blue Buffalo, for weight control, digestive issues, hairballs, and urinary tract problems, among other things. (Was even advised the brand by the vet's assistant.) We got him a water fountain and he drinks plenty of water now, too. We know what to look for now, so worst case, if it happens again, back to the vet he'll go... Except maybe to a different one who isn't so insensitive and rude.

As for the CatLax, there's plenty of first-hand accounts on that it does indeed kill cats, more specifically if they aren't meant to have it. It is meant as a "last resort," when all other treatments have failed. I am inclined to believe it since I gave him a dose exactly as I was told to and the poor guy threw up 5 different times within a few minutes and kept throwing up periodically for the next several hours. He didn't eat the rest of the day, wouldn't drink water. We were scared we were going to have to take him back to the vet. We didn't have the money (exhausted on Dr. Douchebag) so we just grit our teeth and hoped for the best. I should note he never threw up a hairball after taking the CatLax. It wasn't until several days later when I gave the vet the benefit of the doubt that maybe he was right on it being hairballs and gave my cat hairball treats that he finally threw one several up.

Out of all the things I have done to help my cats in time of crisis (not counting the urinary incident) I've been able to pull them out of it on my own rather than spending hundreds of dollars on "vet care" that may or may not work. They're alive, they're healthy, and he is back to being a semi-fat-so, so I'd like to believe I'm doing decent enough.

i know what you mean with some vets beings just douchebags. im sorry you had to go trough all that. I wish your cat all the health. thank you for telling us what cooking methamphetamine can do [other than the illegal aspects].

4 years back i found a fledgling crow on the ground and i took it in >.> all the while having its parents screaming at me. the poor soul was starving, cold and wet [it was a rainy day]. we knew nothing about crows or birds, nothing, but in a single night we tried to figure something out to feed him and all.. [we got him human baby food >.> he luckily ate some]... but the next day we had to take him to the vet because he was so weak ... T-T the vet said he'd die and why did we bother... T-T man, we didn't cry that bad in ages..

We decided to give him some antibiotic - we had some left over from when we needed it [i forgot which one it was or what we used it for]. we thought that in his weak condition he would either die or the medicine would kill him. but the medicine could also make him better [we suspected he caught a cold from the rain, surely he stayed for some hours in the rain :( i have no idea why he wouldnt fly back in the tree when he was outside]... So we tried to calculate his weight and how much to give him [thanks dr google >.>] and guess what? he started waking up and be more lively! we started immediately reading about what kind of food to give him and all... and now he's alive and well, and living with us. we found another vet that loves birds, but we rarely needed to go there [yay us] ...

we also have 2 cats... one was found on the streets as a tiny kitten 8 years back [ he was not bigger than my palm], full of fleas and pretty hungry. he's now a very kind and loving cat, and we love him to pieces. his brother was taken from a hotel, never had fleas, he's a bully and i sleep with him every night. he's my stuffed animal XD

There's so many that are awful! Thankfully, my mom found one in the town just north of us, so I'm hoping that when it comes time for us to take any of our babies in for check-ups and the like, all will be well and good. I hate that vets (and doctors) shame people for doing what they can with what little they have. Sure, you shouldn't go online and be like "OMG ITS CANCER" or even find something the least bit life-threatening to diagnose yourself or someone/thing else with, but when you have to wait a weekend to get in to a doctor/vet, what else can you do? It's one thing if you jump right on the first thing you find, but when you find something, you research it more and more, make sure it's safe (or mostly safe) and calculate the risks and if they're worth it. I mean, that same exact thing (just without the aid of Google!) is how we have the medical advances we have today, so why is it such a problem?

Yeah, the awful thing about living in a house that had meth cooked in it, is that it will last forever. It seeps into fabrics, into the walls, anything and everything and it sticks... Kinda like that gross film cigarettes leave behind on everything... Except that you can't wash it off. I almost wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I thank my lucky stars my family and I made it out of that house alive.

That is so awesome about the baby crow! Hehe I just watched the video of him bathing in the salad bowl. He's adorable! He looks so happy. Native Americans speak highly of crows... I imagine nurturing one back to health and treating it well would be considered a great deed. I wouldn't doubt that the universe has repaid you in many wonderful ways. I want a pet crow or raven so bad. THEY'RE JUST SO COOL. So intelligent and I imagine they're so much fun. I told my hubby I want one so I can train it to be a guard crow. Like a guard dog, except this one will peck people's skulls instead of bite their ankles.

The vet we went to, his eyes lit up when he saw Ciel [the crow] and i could tell he was jumping up and down [on the inside] barely waiting to see the bird XD but of course he still shamed us for feeding him the "wrong stuff"... well, in my humble opinion, the bird was alive, and that means the food was not so wrong, thank you very much >.>

Over here [Romania] it's common place for people to treat almost anything with old traditional stuff and if it doesn't work, then to go to the doctor XD Well, it's more common in the country side where it's more difficult to find a doctor. but heck, even my mother would do [but granted she did grow up in a village, so kinda expecting it].

Honestly, i wouldn't recommend people to get a crow - they can be so noisy when they start screaming haha, and i find mine to be quite stubborn. XD while i probably wouldn't do it again, i don't really regret keeping him. Do you know the movie the Crow with Brandon Lee? there was a TV series too - when i watched the TV series i learned that at least some native Americans have interesting views on crows/ ravens. Sadly here, crows are seen as sort of pests :( and almost nobody cares about them.

have you heard of the girl who was feeding them daily and then they started bringing her "treasures" - almost like a "thank you"? once we move to France and buy a home, i'll start doing just that XD

i don't own a TV, and i have little interest in drugs [any kind - legal or illegal], so i have no idea if meth is cooked in Romania or not. in any case, i had no idea it can create a film over things when cooked.. most people would be "meh, it's illegal, it has this and that effect on you, and you need a weird process to obtain it" and we have no idea of weird after effects like that. Glad you made it out alive - that's what matters most.

Yeah, I think a lot of vets forget that sometimes you have to work with what you have and not everything is readily available to regular people, unlike vets. You did what you could and I bet Ciel is more than grateful!

woah, Romania :o Traditional stuff is great. Alternative medicine should keep making a comeback, both for people and animals. I mean, it definitely shouldn't be like... An absolute go-to, sometimes you need a little more boost, but it also shouldn't be flaked as much as it is!

I do know that movie! It is one of my favorites. I've never seen the TV show, though. But yes, crows and ravens both are very much looked at in great light in most Native American cultures and tribes. Unfortunately, they are also viewed as pests here nowadays. Most creatures are. It's sad, really, but I guess that's just the reality of living in a tech-ruled society or whatever. Society in general has taken too many steps back from nature and I think that if people reconnected and learn to understand it, things could potentially be a lot better for our world. I wholeheartedly believe that animals (well, nature in general) speak a language we can understand if we just stop and listen. They speak to us in lots of ways if we just listen, even for our own, personal lives. I'd still totally get a pet crow or raven, though. Noisy or not haha. We're fixing to move, so if all else fails, I can just, idk, stick him on the barn that's on the property or something bahahaha

I learned things about meth I really didn't want to after living in that house, lol. I don't know if it is done there or not, either. I don't understand why anyone would want to even try the stuff. It's so bad for you. Curiosity for psychedelics and marijuana I can understand, what with all of the information and personal accounts on how people essentially visit new worlds, gain (typically) different and better outlooks on life, etc. (in some cases... there's always bad ones, too, of course) but... things like meth? Just... why? There's no good stories about it. There's nothing to gain. It just rots you from the inside out and destroys your life and everyone else's around you... And even those that you had no direct connection with anyway (as such in my case.) I understand having the inner pain and struggle from X mental disorder and/or traumatizing life event(s), but, idk, I guess I just feel there's better things to get addicted to if you're going to get addicted to anything. Like, I don't know, chocolate? Coffee?? Cats??? Ha.