MotherMoonGoddess
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Registered: 01-2008
Posts: 810
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Sadness!
I am completely heartbroken right now. Wednesday afternoon one of my cats was bitten and killed by a Diamond Back Rattlesnake. By the time I realized something was wrong it was too late to do anything. Pan passed away within three minutes of my finding him. All I could do was sit and hold him. My cats are normally housecats, but our air conditioner completely died so it is extremely hot in the house. I started letting the cats go out because it was cooler outside than in our house. Anyway, three of our cats were hanging around a palmetto bush in our front yard so my husband went over to see what they were doing. As he approached the bush he knew immediately what they were interested in because he heard the rattle of the snakes tail. After shooing our three duh boys away from the snake, Lenny took a rake and tried to scare the snake back into the woods that surround our house. However, it wouldn't budge. Needless to say, he ended up having to kill it. Because of this incident and the fact that three of our cats were near the snake, I started looking for all my babies so that I could check them for possible snake bites. As it turned out, Pan had been bitten. The ironic part of this is the fact that Pan was not one of the three cats that were having the staring contest with the very deadly snake. We think he had been bitten before Lenny found the snake and had come back into the house. I found him in our kitchen. As I said before, Pan died before I could do anything. I am completely and totally devastated right now. Our A/C will be being replaced at the beginning of July and as soon as it is my cats will be losing their outdoor priveledges.
Julia
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6/19/2008, 11:22 pm
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TheRyusui
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Registered: 03-2007
Location: The Velvet Room
Posts: 1025
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Re: Sadness!
Sorry to hear that. My condolences. T_T;
--- In all your journeys, have you seen the land beyond the mountains green?
俺を誰だと思ってやがる?
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6/20/2008, 12:01 am
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littlebearspark
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Registered: 01-2008
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Re: Sadness!
So sorry to hear such sadness
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6/20/2008, 2:26 am
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Mist271281
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Registered: 04-2008
Location: London, England
Posts: 286
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Re: Sadness!
Julia,
I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, its always heartbreaking to lose a beloved pet. They are very much part of the family and leave a big whole when they go. I understand how you feel, as I had to have my cat put down at the vet a few years ago and had to hold her while she died. It's heartbreaking, but you have to think of it in terms of how important it would have been for them to have you there in their last moments, especially if you were "their person".
Chel
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6/20/2008, 10:19 am
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MotherMoonGoddess
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Registered: 01-2008
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Re: Sadness!
Thank-you all for your condolences. The hardest thing about dealing with this is the fact that Pan died a senseless death. He was a perfectly healthy cat and had years of life left. I am feeling so guilty right now because I am the one that made the decision to let the cats go out. I felt so bad for them because it was so hot in the house and they were really suffering because of it. Our property is fairly large and backs up to and is surrounded by woods/protected wetlands so I felt the cats would be safe. In the 7 years that we have lived in this house we have never had a snake problem. They have basically stayed in the woods and away from us. The day before Pan was bitten, a neighbor did some clearing on their land so we think that is what drove the snake to our property. Anyway, it is going to take some time for me to get over this. Pan was my baby and he died because of a decision that I made.
Julia
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6/20/2008, 10:51 am
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Mist271281
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Registered: 04-2008
Location: London, England
Posts: 286
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Re: Sadness!
Julia,
Please try not to blame yourself. Anything can happen to a cat outside, but letting them out of an overheated house was still a good decision, and the best one you could've made at that time. I'm sure you will feel responsible for some time to come, five years on I still think things like "what if I'd noticed her symptoms sooner...got her to the vet quicker" etc etc and it is upsetting. Its just because I miss her and would do anything to have her back, but I cherish the time I had with her, as you should cherish the time you had with Pan. I hope you can focus on the happy times with Pan and feel better about things sooner.
Chel
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6/20/2008, 11:58 am
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MotherMoonGoddess
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Registered: 01-2008
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Re: Sadness!
Chel,
I too had to have one of my cats put to sleep approximately two years ago. Her name was Muffin and she was 16 years old. She had been a part of our family since the day she was born. It was one of the hardest decisions that I had to make, but I knew in my heart that it was the right one and the most humane. She was dying of old age and her health had deteriorated. I held her in my arms as she went to sleep for the very last time. Afterwards, we brought her home and laid her to rest in our Pet Cemetary. Although, it was heartbreaking, it was time for her to leave this earth. This type of death I can accept.
I know, in time, I will come to terms with Pan's passing, but right now it is just too new and in my eyes the circumstances were preventable. The rational part of my brain say's that it was the right thing to do when I allowed the cats to go outside. However, my heart disagrees entirely. Would of, should of, could of.
Julia
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6/20/2008, 12:31 pm
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Sakura8
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Registered: 09-2008
Location: Essex,UK
Posts: 542
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Re: Sadness!
Julia,
Iknow it was a long time ago that this happened,but I will admit that I nearly cried when she went to the vets to be spayed she is healthy though but what suprised us was that when they did the op. they said she was already pregnant! at only six months!but it is sad to thnk of those dead kittens nd so I am very sorry indeed I have always wanted a cat and so when I got one I was so happy it must be terrible to lose a cat.
Sakura
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10/20/2008, 8:15 am
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