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My Simon hid in the basement corners but we were at the stage of force feeding him and he hated it so I am not sure if he hid because of that or because his time was near---maybe both. The last night before taking him to the vet to be put to sleep I did insist he be in our bedroom and I put him in the cat bed with my other kitty to sleep and cuddle. He was in the corner by the curtain in the morning but still with us and kept warm. I wanted him with us to the end but didn't want him to suffer.
Thank you everyone for your kind words...It is 3 weeks now and we still can't find Freckles.
His buddy Smokey you can tell is lost without him and it breaks my heart. Smokey for the past 10 years has never let you pet him. He would always rub and lick Freckles. But for the first time Smokey has let me pet him and stroke him. And everyday now he allows me to do this. It brings tears to my eyes, just typing this. He misses his little buddy. It is sooo cold out here in NY and I can't help to wonder where Freckles went to die. I lay awake at night thinking of this. I know time will heal. But not having closure is torture.
Thinking his body is out there cold and alone. People think I am crazy...But like everyone who writes on this site, and who loves animals...when you devote 16 years to caring for a animal it becomes a family member and it feels like that family member ran away almost without a goodbye. I am hoping Smokey finds a new little buddy to bring bye the house soon to keep him company. It is truly remarkable how cat's have instincts, feelings and know loss. Even though with all I read in books they say they don't, but they do!
thanks every one!
Will cats ever relocate to a secluded location away from their usual territory on their way to dying? Is this a common thing?
I had a cat that did this. It is interesting, reading through the responses, that a lot of the owners "knew" that the cat's time was up. I had the same experience. She was a cat that never strayed from the front porch. One day, I had let her out to sun herself and when I went to check on her, she was going up the driveway toward the field. I don't know how or why, but somehow I just knew she was "going away to die". I called her, she turned and looked at me, pondered for a while, then, very slowly, turned around and came in the house. In that long look she gave me it was almost as if she was deciding whether or not to come back. A few days later, she went out and never came home again. Somehow she knew her time was up and wanted to spare me the experience. I know that sounds crazy, but it was a very other-worldly experience!
I was very glad that I had seen her trying to take off a few days prior, because in that moment I understood her end was near, and a few days later when she did go, I felt calm and peaceful about it, a sense of acceptance, not sad or anxious.
I wonder if they do it to protect the other animals they live with, although cats are more solitary than dogs. Out in the wold if an animal dies a predator will come to eat the carcass and the other animals would be in danger if they are around the dead one. My sister had an old, sick dog and she took it to her daughter's so he would be taken care of when they went out of town. Her daughter's dog attacked the sick dog when it went to the water bowl. The vet said dogs will do that to another sick dog. It doesn't mean the dog is mean, it's just in their nature. We need to remember out pets are still animals and one step away from nature and those instincts of survival inbred in them. They are driven by the laws of nature. They know more than we do how nature works.
It's always been my belief that our beloved pet friends try to find a hidden place to die to spare us the pain of seeing it happen. Our mama Tortie died last February and she was found barely breathing in her bed, which was in the kitchen.
I don't think she had the strength to hide by that time. She suffered from intestinal lymphoma which we don't believe caused her pain but just a gradual decline. She had also become deaf and felt most comfortable being in a place that was nearest to our family activities.
But before her being gravely ill, yes, she did hide in a dark corner of our closet well out of sight.
Yes, animals have an instinct that they are dying, and unlike humankind, I believe that they accept it very well.
They are far braver than us when their time comes.
I had to have my furperson Siggy euthanized yesterday. I wanted to let him pass at home, but his quality of life was horrible. His kidneys shut down and he couldn't eat or drink and was unable to do anything but cough up a little foam once every two hours or so. After three days of that, it was time to give him release. I had him for over 14 years, strictly indoors, and he was in splendid health until five days before the end.
It's truly a death in my family. It is hard to even talk about it.
Hi, its tmb1818...I wrote about my cat Freckles that disappeared to die after 16 years back in Dec. I logg on to the site to re-read what everyone writes once a week to still give me comfort. It is now a month already that Freckles is gone and he has taken such a big peace of my heart with him. We never found him and not having that closure is the worst thing in the world. Since the ground is frozen here in NY, in the Spring to have some closure...We are going to take his blanket, that still has his fur on hit...and bury it in the garden where he used to love to lay (of course on top of our plants and plants beautiful flowers to mark the spot. We feel we need to do something in his memory, since he was so special... Freckles was a stray that one day came to our door and never left till that day. He came to us on his own terms and left on us on his own terms. He founds us...and chose us! He picked the best family!!! I know planting flowers in his favorite spot will make us smile again and I know up there in kitty heaven he will purr and send us his love back always! thanks everyone for sharing....it really helps....because some people who don't know what's its like to lose a pet and care so much for animals just don't get it........
I had to have my furperson Siggy euthanized yesterday. I wanted to let him pass at home, but his quality of life was horrible. His kidneys shut down and he couldn't eat or drink and was unable to do anything but cough up a little foam once every two hours or so. After three days of that, it was time to give him release. I had him for over 14 years, strictly indoors, and he was in splendid health until five days before the end.
It's truly a death in my family. It is hard to even talk about it.
We also wanted our older Tortie to die at home naturally but when it came time we couldn't bare the sight of her gasping for air and lying in her bed limp as a rag doll.
We rushed her to an all-night clinic and they euthanized her in a very gentle and loving manner. I was able to hold her until the end, and console her.
You did the right thing. I'm so sorry to hear about Siggy.
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and plants beautiful flowers to mark the spot. We feel we need to do something in his memory, since he was so special... Freckles was a stray that one day came to our door and never left till that day. He came to us on his own terms and left on us on his own terms. He founds us...and chose us! He picked the best family!!! I know planting flowers in his favorite spot will make us smile again and I know up there in kitty heaven he will purr and send us his love back always! thanks everyone for sharing....it really helps....because some people who don't know what's its like to lose a pet and care so much for animals just don't get it........
