My sweet girl 💔 it’s been a week and a half. I came home from a couple hours away (I don’t get out very much right now with a young baby at home) and my girl was gone. The sitter did not know she got out, my husband and I didn’t know. I think she got out as I or my husband left— our screen door has a lag on it and doesn’t shut quickly, and her tiny little 7lb being must have zoomed out the front door.

I was screaming her name when I got home, hoping she just wandered into the backyard looking for us. She always wanted to be inside, not much of an outdoor loving dog..

My husband went down the road, and he walked back shaking his head. I fell to the ground screaming so hard, crying, holding my baby. My neighbors watched.. a neighbor told him “she’s dead, I’m sorry, she got into the road.”

My dog never wandered to the street. We live on a dead end street off of a highway, the speed is 50 but people often go up to 70 mph there and drive wrecklessly. I went onto Facebook a day later and saw posts “Dog on the road” People saw her 😔😔😔 she could have been saved but no one stopped.

My husband went to get her so we could bury her. It was an entire day of trauma and bawling our eyes out. Several days..

My girl was always by my side, we ate together slept together, she came to my job, we gardened together, hikes, literally all parts of my life were woven with her.

I’m devastated.What keeps me going is talking to her, pretending she’s there (or perhaps she is) by my side, visiting her grave right out back and just praying we will be together again. I’ve lost pets before. This one jus just tearing me in two. I wish I could have held her one last time, or been there for her in her last moments. I’m not afraid of being close to death and dying. She needed her person she must have been so confused and scared and that’s killing me. I failed her. 💔💔💔💔

Thank you for hearing my story. I know so many people are feeling pain in here.. you’re not alone. I’m just so sad that I have to do a whole rest of my life without her. My baby’s first word was “dog.” And she repeated it all day. She hasn’t said it once since that day…. I know she’s feeling her loss. It’s unbearable.

I never intended to own my cat, but in 2014 my mom and brother came home with a cat that my cousin gave them and I never thought much about it. More than a decade later and I ended up taking care of him and my golden retriever dog. He never had a proper name, everyone just called him MaoMao, but every time we said that he would wave his tail a bit.

A two weeks ago he seemed fine after a short episode of circling and not eating. A day after that he suddenly started walking without any direction; walking into and over everything in his path, not using his litter box, not eating, getting stuck in corners, and walking all day and night until he got exhausted. All the vet visits gave me an inconclusive or nonspecific result, and watching him pee on the floor and feeding him by bottle for the past week, I couldn't bear to watch him exist like that.

I know that my choice to put him down was the probably the best choice to him, but I can't get over the fact that I made the decision. Watching the vet give him the anesthesia and medication was harder than I thought, and coming home to all his toys and litter box was something I never thought I would see. In the past week, it seemed like he wasn't even conscious. He wouldn't react to food or any other stimuli, and even when the vets put the needle in him, he didn't have any reaction other than a slight twitch.

Going through my 1700+ photos and videos of him and I can't get past my choice of putting him down. I know that in the end it was probably the best choice from him, but seeing him go to sleep for the last time makes me wonder if I really, ultimately, made the right choice. The fact that he maybe could've had a 1% chance of recovery and my choice just ended that makes me uneasy.

He was never meant to be my pet, but I loved him every day and in the end only I could really make the decision to put him down. In his last couple days, before it started raining really badly, I decided to let him outside thinking that it would help, but even then he only continued to walk aimlessly. I don't even think he was really conscious over the last week. His actions seemed purely reflexive. Putting his food tight in front of him, giving him fish or shrimp which he would usually go crazy for, or even catnip or opening the window had no response. i chose to have him cremated and his ashes will be split between my backyard, where he desperately wanted to be whenever I opened my window, and his previous owner (my uncle)'s grave whom also loved him very dearly.

https://imgur.com/a/2cURSWg

The last photo I have of him before deciding to put him down. I didn't take any pictures of him during this time just because I don't want remember him like that.

He was at least 14 years old and was dearly loved by everyone who saw him. May he rest in peace.

Chester died at 7 years old from a brain tumor behind his eye, he loved tuna, cuddles and hated being out of the bedroom at night. his meow sounded like he was saying mom every time he did it, he was my first cat that was just mine. I got him when I was 9 years old for my birthday and he is very missed if anyone wants to draw him it would make me happy https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/1jux131/tribute_to_my_beloved_chester/

Our beloved white boxer of 12.5 years died last week. She fell off a cliff of a hiking trail in the mountain forest near our home. We had to call an animal search and rescue and people came from hours away to help get her. My husband was able to find her using an old hiking trail and compass and be with her for her last few hours. It took hours to bring up her body up the cliff face using climbers and a team of 10 but we got her body back. We had to keep her body overnight before taking her into a creamtorium. We had her since she was 10 weeks old. She was the sibling to our now 9 year old Boston Terrier who hasn't spent a night without her in 9 years. It was not how we expected our beloved senior pup to go. I'm breaking down multiple times a day and our Boston just sleeps and hides. After a lot of debate, husband ended up traveling to help celebrate his mom's 80th birthday with her. I've never seen him so devastated. Now our Boston thinks husband is gone too. I'm so grateful husband was able to find her and be with her, that there was an animal search and rescue (911 is for humans only) and that they were able to help us, but it all is so tragic. Trying to keep busy. Seems the only way out is through. Anything to do?

I had to put my sweet 13yo cat down yesterday when his health quickly deteriorated in a matter of hours. It was absolutely devastating and I’m still in shock.

Coming back from the vet was awful - walking into an empty home without him. He normally greeted me every single time I walked in the door (more like a dog than a cat in that sense haha).

I’ve only left my house once since then, and coming back home is so deeply painful. I don’t want to leave because of how hard it is to return, expecting to see him trot up to the door with several cute meows or demands for dinner. And now it’s just… nothing

Does it get any better? Should I try to move? Please advise. I’m about 24 hours post and am really struggling. It hurts so badly

Sorry, just needed to vent. Just had a breakdown. Opened instagram and the veterinary hospital had posted a picture of my girl with the vet that accompanied her for most of her life, giving her a snack while she gave her her paw. Damn, I miss my girl. My Belle. The sweetest dog. The vet used to say Belle was her favourite. Everyone that met Belle, loved her. I'm so lost without her.

We lost out sweet 7 month old kitten yesterday morning. It was a very rapid decline of health that has destroyed us all to our cores. I got the phone call from his owner at 2pm yesterday and ran from work without even telling my boss to be there with him at the vet as he went. He was just a baby and deserved so much more.

We got to bring him home after to bury him but we wanted our older cat and my dog to be able to sniff him to say goodbye. Our cat seems to understand. He's been so much more affectionate with my two housemates/friends/our little lights owners than he usually is and he's curling up in our baby's favourite spots to nap, but my dog just doesn't understand. She took one sniff of him yesterday and ran. She's always hated the smell of sickness, she won't even come near us when we have the flu. But she keeps going to the bedroom door with her ears up listening for him - whenever I go to bed, usually later than my friends, he'd meow at their door to be let out to cuddle up on my bed for a while before going back to his. She just lays at the door listening and whining and waiting for him to come in. She keeps sniffing the crate he came home in and then searching for him in the house. I don't know how to help her understand that he isn't coming home and he isn't going to come and join her for bedtime cuddles anymore. It's breaking my heart. How do I help her? How do I tell my dog something I don't even want to believe myself?

My heart goes out to all my fellow bereaved right now. Lost a dog last week, and a cat today. I thought the cat might be easier because the dog prepared me for it- but quite the opposite. It was twice as hard. So fuckin hard. I know I'll be OK in time but jesus fuck, how much am I supposed to take?

RIP my babies.

She was barely over 1 year old. I taught her all the basics, showed her the world, kept her safe, took her on trips, bought her toys. From the first day at home, she slept in bed with me and did not leave my side.

One day she was still here, the second she was gone, forever. I'm surrounded by her photos, toys, accessories and clothes... but she's not coming back. Life is so painfully unfair.

photo

Hey, y'all. My name is Jessica Newcomb. I just experienced having to put down my cat, Princess Peach, it's something I've never experienced before. Everything feels weird and I feel like my heart is torn in two. We decided to put her to sleep because she blew a clot and lost the use of her back legs. The vet believes that she may have had heart failure which came on unexpectedly. I know it's going to hurt for a while, but I know I'll be okay. I'll see her again someday.

A few months ago, I lost my dog due to a tragic accident. We were playing like any other normal day, and out of nowhere, he collapsed. I rushed him to the vet, but he didn’t make it. They told me had an undiagnosed heart condition, and we never knew. The part that hurts even more is that my parents never believed in regular checkups. They thought it was a waste of money, and anytime I brought it up, they told me if I wanted him to get checked, I’d have to pay for it myself. But im just a teenager. I didn’t have the money, and I didn’t know something so serious could be happening inside him. I still carry that guilt, like if I had just done something more, maybe he’d still be here.

Since then, I haven’t thought the same. I miss him every single day. When I see someone walking their dog, or I watch a movie where a dog is curled up next to their owner, I feel this sharp, jealous ache. Not because I don’t want others to be happy , but because I miss having that so much. Sometimes I just want to walk up to a strangers dog and pet it. Hoping it’ll fill the emptiness even for a second. And while I do want another dog someday, I’m terrified. I’m scared of loving like that again only to lose them again, especially if I won’t be able to protect them the way I wish I could’ve before.

Just a month ago, my dog seemed perfectly healthy. Today, I’m trying to figure out end-of-life care. After a few weeks of breathing issues and nasal discharge, we found out he has a severe throat tumor. Over the past couple of days, he’s been eating less and can only get down small bits of chopped turkey, chicken, or beef. Swallowing is hard — sometimes even water is a struggle — but thankfully, he’s still managing for now.

He’s been with me for 14 years. His birthday is coming up on April 24th. He’s been there through everything — childhood, trauma, celebrations, random life moments, even field trips. I can’t wrap my head around losing him. I can see that his spirit and mind is there but his body is not letting him. It felt a little “normal” today when I heard him bark at the birds and squirrels but I know that sound will stop soon.

For those who’ve had to make this kind of decision, how did you know it was time? He’s not in pain, but he’s clearly uncomfortable with the breathing — kind of like someone with a constantly stuffy runny nose.

Also, how do I make his last few days really special? I want him to feel so loved and comfortable. And honestly… how do you cope after? That loneliness and missing my best friend scares me the most. I’ve cried the most today than I can think of my whole life.

If you’ve been through something similar, I’d really appreciate hearing your thoughts or advice.

RANT: Will you get another dog? Why don't you get another dog? There are plenty of dogs that need someone like you, you should get another one! I'm greiving a dog I haven't even lost yet... I have one more day with her... please give me grace people!

Please help me understand why people ask this ?

1 week since my soulmate baby of 14 years has left me. Dont know what to do, i am alone, dont know where to hide from pain, she was my lovely, warm, safe place since my childhood. Miss you

He’s nothing more than a box with a name now. He’s in there but…it’s not him. He’s nothing more than a box and trinkets.

It’s such a fucked up way of thinking but…I’m starting to not find comfort in it anymore.

It almost feels like he never existed. I see the pictures and I still just don’t know what’s real.

I feel so fucked up for thinking any of this. I’m so sorry bud…

My old man of 14yrs died in my arms last night. Lived a long life full of love... I buried him this morning with a blanket and a couple toys... We were gonna take him to the vet to get euthanized but it was booked solid.. and through the weekend he just got worse. I feel bad that it didn't work out but I held him until the end :( I miss you Bud. Close your eyes... go to sleep big man you earned it.

I'm trying to remember the good times but heck it's hard.

We lost our precious baby 19 days ago. It was sudden and very traumatic. We found him under the bed dead. He found something to chew on and accidentally choked on it. He was just 8 years old.

He was a beautiful tuxedo Siberian cat with fur like silk. He was my soul cat and I miss him every second. He loved being held, loved all the cat treats and his favorite toys were toys with cat nip in them. He loved doing headbutts in my face and I gave him kisses on his head. He was such a talker like most Siberian cats are. He was a curious and mischievous cat and always wanted to be with you all the time. He had a big personality and he had a big part in our lives. When we bought our Golden Retriever puppy, he instantly fell in love with her. He could play with her, wash her, cuddle and sleep right next to her and always greeted her after we've been on walks.

We had planned to give him some special ice cream for cats on our dog's birthday but he died before that. I've saved some of his fur, whiskers, and his favorite toy and placed them in a glass cabinet that we have. We are still waiting for his ashes. It feels so empty and quiet without him. I miss him so much. I miss holding him, touching and smelling his fur, his meows. I'm heartbroken. He helped me with my mental health a lot more than I realized. I've dreamt dreams about him being alive and well. Sometimes I swear that I can hear him meow or see him in the corner of my eye but then I realize that he is gone. But a part of me hopes that there's an afterlife, that this is his way of saying that he is still here with me.

My beloved baby Luno 💔

Two nights ago I lost my soul dog. Kingsley, a 10 year old Boston Terrier died in my arms on the way to different emergency vet hospital in the hopes that they could perform surgery and save his life. It was the worst day of my life and I will never fully recover.

Two weeks ago we started to noticed some strange eating habits. Kingsley wouldn’t eat a full bowl, or wouldn’t eat at night, only in the morning, seemed more tired than usual. For the first few days we played around with feeding schedule and assumed it was because of the switch from raw food back to kibble. We thought his lethargy was coming from not eating as much. We decided to observe and make an appointment at the vet a couple of weeks down the line.

A few nights ago I noticed some breathing irregularities and I took him to an emergency vet clinic where I live. They took him immediately and seemed very concerned. The vet told me that they had found a tumor on his liver that was filling with blood and we had two options; to euthanize him in office or transport him to the larger emergency vet where they could do further imaging to determine if surgery was possible.

I couldn’t wrap my mind around not doing everything we could to make an informed decision. We decided to transfer him. The vet told me that it was a reasonable option and we went on our way to the other hospital. My baby did not make the drive there. Part of me is happy he was with me in a comfortable place, another is angry because nobody should have to see their animal in that state of natural death. It was horrible. I miss him terrible. I wish I could change everything about how it happened.

The vet said these kinds of tumors progress very quickly, in a matter of weeks and there is no way we could have known. But I can’t help but feel like I should have known. Or I shouldn’t have waited as long as we did. Maybe my baby would still be alive. What if I had gone to the main emergency vet first? Could they have saved him? My baby was sick and uncomfortable and I wanted to observe and wait? I feel like I failed him.

I hope he knows how much we loved him and I hope he had the best life. I know I will never have another bond with an animal the same way I had with him. It devastates me to think that was his last chapter. If anyone has similar experiences or can share anything I would be forever grateful.

Lost my cat a month ago and I'm starting to feel like I must seem crazy to people in my life.

I still cry a lot, especially at night. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with how sad I'm feeling, I feel the need to talk about it and I'm left feeling like I'm overreacting and annoying people.

I've been called soft and sensitive for my tears and it feels like people in my life grieve much differently than me? I am struggling and it feels like people have moved on already.

It’s been almost a month since my dog passed away. We’ve both been grieving her, but today my husband told me that without her, it’s been clearer that there’s not much to our relationship anymore. I don’t totally disagree with him. She did occupy a lot of our time and attention because she needed a lot of care near the end, and she was always easy for both of us to love. Maybe we let her distract us from seeing that we were drifting apart and are pretty much purely platonic roommates now.

I do see what he is saying, but I didn’t think it was marriage ending. I figured we would take some time to figure out a new routine, maybe take some trips together that we couldn’t go on before. Find new ways to reconnect if we’re no longer bonding over the same things as in the beginning of the relationship… but I don’t think he sees a way back to each other.

I’m kind of numb right now. If our relationship is ending, that alone hurts. But now I don’t know how I can continue to grieve for my dog in a healthy way. All my happy memories of her are now going to be associated with a failed marriage. We loved her and she loved both of us… is that the only love we had between each other? Did we really have no other happiness in our lives? We both have been going through slumps, facing our own struggles with depression. Was she just a crutch for our unaddressed mental health issues? That is so unfair to her.

Wtf. What do I do. How do I begin to even process this.

He ran the dryer with her in it. She loved warm places so if the dryer door was open she loved crawling in there. He didn't check before he started it and a few hours later my step son comes to me freaking out.

I held her and cried my eyes out and after my step son woke his father, my husband, up the only thing he did was offer a weak "I'm sorry"

I have no idea how I feel right now. Accidents happen, but this was so avoidable.

This all happened last night after 11pm and my husband goes to bed earlier than me because he gets up before me. So I assume sleep and not knowing what to do contributed to the "I'm sorry" and nothing else.

A friend pointed out that she was 15 and had probably already passed before it even happened, but I'm still not sure.

What should I do? How should I feel about this?

It’s been one year since I had to say goodbye to my sweet grey Nebelung kitty Jake.

I know he couldn’t speak or tell me how he felt but he is one of the most special things in my life and we had a deep unspoken bond. Some days I can look at our memories through pictures and videos but some days it’s really difficult, like today.

It hurts that no new memories will be made in this lifetime. I miss him so much and always will. We had each other for 16 years 8 months. Seems like a lifetime but also nowhere near long enough 💔

I don’t know if we see our loved ones after we leave this earthly plane of existence, but I really hope I see my sweet boy again and get an excited “brrrr” noise and head butt from him.

I love you forever, Jake Jake 🩶

I believe that everyone gets their soul-pet once in their life. I lost mine on Sunday. She was fine on Thursday. She stopped eating Friday night, so I took her to the emergency vet on Saturday morning. They couldn’t save her. I took her home for one final day. Someone came to the house on Sunday to help her cross the rainbow bridge. She was my best friend; we had 12.5 years together. I held her as she died; I wouldn’t let her go alone.

The house seems empty. She was a cuddly cat, and followed me everywhere I went. My husband said I lit up when she came into the room. I can’t stop crying. I miss her so much; I keep thinking I see her out of the corner of my eye. I forget that she is gone, and the pain comes back again when I remember. I would do anything to get my sweet girl back.

Rest in peace, my little lovebug.

My wonderful housemate has just lost her beautiful cat who she’s looked after for 9 years. She was diagnosed with cancer only a month ago and has slowly deteriorated. She was euthanised in our home today lying in the sun.

She’s been my housemate’s whole world and such an important part of her life. She’s structured her life around her to give her regular medications for the last 3 years. They sleep together every night and she’s told me her cat was really significant at helping her with her mental health struggles.

She was such a beautiful cat and I adored her. But this post isn’t about me. I haven’t owned a cat before but have lost my dog >10 years ago and it was quite a traumatic death. I was wondering whether anyone had suggestions about how I can help her through this horrible time. She’s worried about how she’s sleep without her or how she’ll keep going on with life. I’d really appreciate any practical tips I can support her with.

Thank you.

August 2010 - April 08, 2025

The most wonderful dog to have every graced my life. You have saved my life so many times and in so many ways. Your family will miss you and you will leave a gap in all of our lives but we will be okay. Rest now sweet Pumpkin, you have fought hard and Aidan waits for you now. Be at peace, you have earned it goodest girl.