I watched my daughter's cat die in her arms today...and it made me think of all the killing

[debbierlus]

And, how divorced from humanity we have all become...

All those people in Iraq...over a million of them, dead. We are so immune to violence. It screeches at us everyday from tv, movies. We view our government's actions as an Ooopps....sorry. It is so surreal. We are arrogant enough as a culture to believe we are entitled to kill, if we even THINK we MIGHT be threatened. We will do anything to placate our own fear, and we are so divorced from the reality & consequence of killing & death, we are numb. And, in that numbness, we have lost our humanity.

I watched my poor lil girl today have the courage to hold her cat in her arms while she died, and I thought she was so brave. She is only twelve, but she showed bravery beyond many adults. She sat with her cat, she watched it die, she cried so hard (as a mother, it is one of those moments where you would give the whole world to feel the pain instead of your child). It was a very hard experience, but it was also very beautiful. She gave her cat a beautiful goodbye. She adopted it knowing this would happen, the cat was 18 years old. But, she loved it with her whole heart. And, she faced the pain of death full on. If we could all show the courage in love & loss that she exhibited today...if we could love with our whole hearts and feel the sorrow of loss with our whole hearts, there would be no more war.

This post is a tribute to my brave lil girl, my strong young woman.

[oldtime dfl_er]

1. What a nice post

I hope your daughter learns well, the lessons of pain. Painful experience can either make one stronger or make one angry and divisive. Sounds like she will be one of the strong ones.

[Faygo Kid]

2. It's a tribute to you too, Mom

Beautifully done. You've got your head and heart on straight, and your daughter is a special girl.

[demnan]

3. I am so sorry

I'm sure your daughter will have a lifelong love of animals and people and grow up good and strong. It is true that we have become desensitized to death and suffering unless if effects us personally. We all need to remember that.

I've found that anti-war vigils helped me remember that. I don't know what good it does for people to see us, but it does me good to participate.

[lvx35]

4. Thanks for the reminder about what's important. Recommended. nt

[Echo In Light]

5. All too human ... on all counts. K&R

[joeybee12]

6. Lovely post...

...that's the best we can do when the time comes, give them a good death. Glad the kitty had one and barvo to your young daughter.

[no_hypocrisy]

7. Please give a hug to your daughter from me.

Fifteen years ago, I held our cat in my arms after she had "the injection" at the vets. It was the one of the two most selfless act of love I have given anybody. I wanted Alice to feel the my hands cradling her, smell my scent, and drift off to sleep without fear. I didn't realize until Alice passed how brave an act of love it is to stay with someone you love until literally the very end. I still cry when I think of that morning. Alice's gift to me was to teach me not to be disengaged when others suffer.

:pals:

:cry:

[MuseRider]

8. Please tell your daughter

this, from a complete stranger, that she is one of the bravest and kindest 12 year olds I have ever heard of. She understands something many grown-ups never do, the value of life and the value of love until the end of it, all the way to the end of it. We should all be as lucky as her cat but as you mentioned above I can't think but very few of us really will be that lucky.

I too have held many animals (I have many) and many people (I was a Critical Care Nurse) to the end. There is something to be gained from the experience as well as giving it. It really does make you appreciate other creatures, life and especially love.

To you Mom, you have certainly done something right. I know it is often something we wonder about as our children grow and experience this society (?) we have here. You should be very proud and your tribute is a beautiful thing. Please give her a big hug from the complete stranger who is leaking a few tears over this very kind goodbye. :hug:

[Nitrogenica]

9. Beautiful post.

[stimbox]

10. So sad.

I cried like a baby when I had to watch my cat be put to sleep.
I still do when I think about him.
My heart goes out to you and your daughter.

[yellerpup]

11. We find our highest humanity

through the animals who share our lives. Your girl deserves your loving tribute and the respect of us all. RIP, good old kitty. She knew love while she lived.

[2hip]

12. 'Ya done good, mom!

Print up your OP and tuck it away for a future point in time...you daughter will be touched to someday know how proud you are of her.

I lost my 15 yr old Meika-Man Fat Cat during last year's pet food poisoning and your OP got me all choked up and blurry-eyed again so - not to be trite - but I truly feel her pain.

This too shall pass.......

[Olney Blue]

13. Thank you to you and your daughter for inspiring me today.

:hug:

[LiberalinNC]

14. You have taught your daughter strength and courage...and most importantly

you taught her how to love. You should be very proud of her.

[malaise]

15. A truly lovely post

Someone taught her what was important.

[cordelia]

16. Sincere condolences

You have raised a brave and caring young woman.

And that speaks a lot about your own strengths and character.

A sweet and lovely post, and you both are to be admired. Big hugs to you and your daughter from a teary-eyed middled-aged softy old man.

Best.

[Mz Pip]

17. It was the right thing to do

It must have been very hard and sad but the kitty knew she was loved and went out without fear. So maybe some good karma was released into the cosmos.

:hug: to you and your daughter.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[roguevalley]

18. tell her not to worry if its safe and happy now. My three cats were

there waiting for her. Hug your daughter. I love her but I don't even know her.

[ThatsMyBarack]

19. ...

:cry:

[demigoddess]

20. Two of my cats came back after they died. I think it was to say good bye, Cats really know how to

love. She will probably have a cat watching over her for many years.

[Sheltiemama]

25. All three of my Shelties have come back

I lost my precious Misty almost a year ago, and sometimes I still feel her presence. Last week, I walked into the den with her most worthy successor, Drew, and immediately knew she was there. It was almost like a physical force. It stopped me in my tracks. When she was fighting cancer, I slept in the den with her for weeks. So of course she was there. And sometimes at night, I hear her brother, Andy, who died three weeks after her, roll over on his back outside my bedroom door. His nails would tap the doorframe.

So, OP, tell your daughter that her kitty is close by. Where else would she want to be?

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

21. K & R. Many adults are masters of suppression when it comes to experiencing pain...

...be it emotional, physical or some combination, and those of us who do this with respect to the horrors being visited on Iraqis, Palestinians and others in our name and with our full sponsorship, do lose a big part of ourselves.

We cannot be whole when we block our capacity to feel.

Thanks for posting this and best to you and your daughter.

[AZBlue]

22. I'm so sorry for your family's loss!

:hug:

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

23. How beautiful

You made us cry, and you're so right. Hope your little girl will be okay - I know what a loss this was for her.

[robinlynne]

24. Thank-you for this.

My dog is 16 and dying slowly, and I'm not sure how I'm going to do it, but if your daughter can do it, so can I.

[cascadiance]

26. You have me crying now... I had the same experience a couple of months ago...

When I made sure that I was there for my cat as he drew his last breaths when we put him down. I wanted him to know that I loved him as he left this world then.

Man though, your daughter has a lot of my respect. My best wishes to her getting through her grief! Not sure I could have handled it at that age. In fact, I'd been insulated from watching even one of my animals die like that until then, and I'm an old man now. Still affected me a lot though!

[FlyingSquirrel]

27. It seems like we lose our ability to feel as we grow older.

It gets pounded out of us and our senses dull to the pain.

TV doesn't help. Neither do the violent video games.

[1620rock]

28. So sad, and yet so beautiful. There is a bridge between the

living and the dead....and the bridge is love.:hug:

[Desertrose]

32. This was really beautiful, 1620rock.

Thank you.

It was 6 years ago this weekend that I lost my Mom.

You are so right about love being that bridge.

I have always known that love is the only thing we can take with us out of this life.

:hug:

[CoffeeCat]

29. I am so sorry for your loss...

You are a good mom for being so in touch with your daughter's life
and her feelings--and for helping her to face this loss.

It's not easy watching a kitty go. And they go so fast. That medicine
goes in and they're gone so quickly.

Please know that being there will help to to grieve. It's hard to see
her this way now, but her pain is because she's fully experiencing that
death. Being there to see that death hurts now, but it will provide her
with comfort later. Knowing that she dared to be there for the very end,
will help her to be proud of how well she took care of her kitty--until the
very last moment.

Peace to you and your family. You're a good mom. Every daughter should have
a mom like you. Thanks for sharing your experience. I don't have a mom, and I went
through this with my cat alone. Your words were very comforting.

:hugs:

[NMMNG]

30. My condolences to your daughter

:hug:

[Desertrose]

31. Hugs to you and your daughter.....

so hard to lose those we love...whether two legged or four.

I agree...we are hardened to death when it does not directly touch us. Easy not to feel when the ones dying are made to be different, whether by religion,skin color,political beliefs, location....

Love does take courage...losing a loved one also takes courage...I've been where your daughter has been...its a hard place to be...but it makes us all a bit stronger and hopefully more compassionate. I think your daughter has a wonderful mom.

:hug:
DR

[ForRusty]

33. Makes me remember my dog, Rusty. She passed away May 17th, 2006. Haven't not thought of her in one

day. Not one day. I'm terrified of forgetting her.

Goddamn, near crying now.

[debbierlus]

34. Thanks for all the notes of support

I didn't come back to this post until today. I will share it with her later.

Thanks guys.

[autorank]

35. K*R That's the core issue because there are so many unnecessary paths to death. n/t

[mimitabby]

36. adoption

i hope you get another cat soon!

[debbierlus]

37. I don't think she wants that....

She is very raw right now. She isn't ready for another animal, yet.

We have two dogs that she loves very much. So, she can just spend more snuggling time with them for the time being.

[earth mom]

38. Three thousand deaths on 911 does NOT justify even ONE death in Iraq. There are over 1 million dead!

ONE MILLION DEAD!!! That is simply mind boggling and heartbreaking to me.

And if people don't care that GENOCIDE is being done in ALL our names, well you know what they say about karma. :cry:


p.s. I am sorry for you and your daughters loss. :grouphug:

[Xenotime]

39. Sorry for your loss. Imagine a leader bringing that kind of pain everyday..

under illegal means and getting away with it.

[midnight]

40. How precious...Give that lil girl a hug.....

[bdamomma]

41. sorry for your loss

your little girl has a big heart, she values life, and I'm sure her cat knew how much she loved her. :cry: