Saturday, May 31, 2008

Euthanizing Paco, Our Tabby Cat





We euthanized Paco last night—our adorable tabby cat whose curly tail always kept him slightly off-kilter and made him look like he was running sideways.

He came to us 8 years ago as a stray, moving into the household gradually. Among our most sociable of cats, Paco had a host of friends. He would run off the porch to greet people as they came down the street—people who were strangers to us but who seemed to know Paco.

Paco wasn’t more than 10 years old when he died, and probably not even that. He was the victim of a fast-growing oral cancer that destroyed the sight in one of his eyes in just a matter of weeks. We asked the vet to come last weekend to euthanize him, but then, after she arrived, we decided to wait. Yesterday, I felt that Paco was ready.

But was he? How can I ever know? I am sure Paco was in pain and discomfort. He was no longer his perky self. Yet he purred when I sat with him. He still enjoyed human contact.

I have been sick to my stomach every time I have euthanized one of my cats. The responsibility of ending an animal’s life is incredibly awesome and overwhelming. I can’t know the right thing to do because I don’t have all the facts. Paco couldn’t tell me how he felt and what he wanted. But I made the choice on his behalf with my heart—out of love and compassion. That’s all I could do.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ginny, he's beautiful ... and yes, you did the right thing, because you acted with love and compassion. They know we care and do our best, and he was as lucky to have you as you were to have him. I only found your site because I'm going to have to euthanise my 22 year old cat tomorrow ... but I'm glad I did. Thanks for your story, and the comfort.

Ginny Messina said...

I'm thinking of you, today as you say goodbye to your beloved kitty...

~Ginny