Lost my first buddy last night :(

[thrice]

Our cat Jazz had been having trouble breathing for about 24 hours so we called the vet. Due to the hour we brought him to an emergency clinic. They X-Rayed his chest and found a large growth pushing on his lungs. They thought they might be able to help him out and drain some fluid, but it wasn't fluid, it was a cancerous growth. It was inits final stages and there was nothing left to do.

So I let me little furry buddy go. Once when I posted a pic of him on some "post pics of your pets" thread, a fellow Head-Fier said that Jazz looked like he had a bit of the devil in him...he was right. Jazz was a kitten to he end. He sat on my lap and I listened to cans and kept my legs warm and my chest well perforated (you cat owners know what I'm talking about).

I'm gonna miss him, it was awful coming home last night and even worse waking up this morning. Something's not right in the house.

My wife and I were sharing stories last night and I remebered one time when I was making a tuna melt in my toaster overn. I left the kitchen to do something else and heard the timer go off...tuna melt was done. I finished what I was doing (about 2 minutes, not even) and went back to get my sandwich.

There on the counter was Jazz. He had opened the toaster oven (swear to God!), taken the cheese off the tuna fish sandwich (again, wouldn't believe it unless I saw it), and devoured the tuna fish. I was mad for 2 seconds and then just started laughing. How the hell dd he open the toaster oven?!?!?! That was my Jazz. He was the furry bastard, fluffernutter, furry buddy, fuzzy butt, Jazzmatazz, Jazzy, the boy...etc.

I can't tell you how many times things like this happened...he was my napmate as well:

Here are some pics of my first pet, first cat, first fuzzy buddy:

http://web.mac.com/skatsaounis/iWeb/Site/Jazz.html

[Post]

aw man, i'm really sorry to hear that. Jazz sounds like he had a great life with you guys, and vice versa.

[philodox]

My condolences... I can't imagine loosing one of my little buddies.

[en480c4]

Sorry to hear it... it's never easy.

The cat I've had the last 4 years has been a pain in the ass, so I just got a new cat last week. They're not getting along so well so far, but they'll figure it out... The new cat is a real sweetheart, and a lap cat.

Give it some time, and I'm sure you'll be welcoming a new kitty to the fold.

[Mister X]

That sucks.

[Dusty Chalk]

My condolences.

[KenW]

My condolences. I have to admit to being less than thrilled at allowing myself to get attached to pets for just this reason. When I was a young boy, I had a German shep that I dearly loved. He began having problems....just not wanting to get up and play much anymore. When he did, you could tell he struggled a great deal. Well, one day I came home from school and my parents told me that my best friend had run off. I was heart broken. I began begging my father to take me through the streets looking for him. I was determined to have my buddy home with me again. My folks wouldn't hear of it. Waste of time. He was gone. I couldn't contain my grief. After a few days of seeing me in this state, my folks confessed that he wasn't really lost but terribly ill. It seems he had a calcium deficiency in his hips and it was beginning to degenerate. When I saw him at my grandparents home, he was thrilled to see me and I him. Yet, when he got up to come toward me, he simply began dragging his hind quarters. Of course, this was such a painful thing to see. Such a beautiful animal in such a condition. After explaining things to me, my folks gave me my first "big boy" decision. Out of love for my friend, I, too, consented to allowing them to put him down. Most painful thing I've ever done.

I was 9 at the time. I'm now 48 and have recently fallen for a dog that my wife simply had to have. He's not such a "manly" type dog but he's simply gotten deep in the heart. Needless to say I didn't see it coming but now that I'm feeling that way for a pet once again, I can surely feel your pain and loss. I'd actually forgotten just how important pets can be to folks. Sorry for the long-winded reply.

[hirsch]

My condolences. A pet can be a member of the family. We have social mechanisms to help us deal with grief from the loss of a loved human, but not the loss of a loved pet. We're on our own, and the hurt can be great. My cat Smokey died seven years ago this week from heart failure, and I still miss him. He used to have to lick my nose every day when I came home from work. The skin on my nose has almost grown back now. His brother Shadow had a heart attack a few months afterwards, went into partial heart failure, and I got ready to lose him too. Cats generally can live up to about six to nine months after going into heart failure, but Shadow apparently never read any books on veterinary medicine (he's the gray one running around over here to this day, now about 18 years old). Further, the medication he takes for his heart theoretically will damage his kidneys, but he's shown absolutely no sign of kidney disease even after all this time. The vets are still amazed every time he comes in for a checkup. But he's now getting old, even for a cat, and I have no idea how much longer he can keep his string of medical miracles going.

It's almost a become a tradition to post this when a loved pet dies:

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.

There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

[Chrysanthemum]

I am a very great pet lover. This always hurts to read. I am so very sorry to hear.

[thrice]

Thanks for your thoughts and stories. I had no idea it would be this bad. When I'm home I can feel his absence. It's like something is always amiss. This really hurts. Sure it will get better over time and eventually there will be a new furry dude to curl up on my lap...but right now I'm just trying to push out the feelings of loss and pain with good memories.