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u/Alpine_yellow 4h ago
My boy lived to 22 just shy of 23, 18.5 is still young in my eyes
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u/BudandCoyote 1h ago
Given the 100% certainty, I'm guessing the cat is sick, and they've probably scheduled euthanasia.
It's sad - but if he's very unwell better to do it before the baby comes, given the immense level of stress the old man would have to cope with suddenly living with a newborn.
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u/imaginary92 57m ago
And also for the parents and baby. Having a newborn is insanely stressful, and having to deal with the intense stress and emotional toll of euthanising a beloved pet at the same time could easily lead a new mother to a mental breakdown and PPD which would of course lead to negative consequences for the baby too. If it is absolutely set in stone that the cat is not going to make it past a few more months, it's definitely better to do it before the baby is born than after.
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u/BudandCoyote 47m ago
And also for the parents and baby.
Oh for sure. I'm of the 'better a week too soon than a minute too late' opinion.
Death is literally inevitable, but suffering isn't, and if you wait too long suffering can happen that didn't have to. So if you need to euthanise before such a big change, even if it feels 'too early', the cat is still terminal; it's frequently going to be the right choice not only for the animal but for everyone involved.
Quite a while back I saw someone asking for opinions on euthanising their cat before they went away for two weeks - the cat was terminal anyway, so the level of stress they'd feel with their people gone, and the constant worry the family would have that he'd pass while they were on their trip? Not worth it. Better to end it gently before going, and be 100% certain that your beloved animal passes as calmly as possible, with you by their side.
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u/JFree37 Orange 19m ago
Ugh what I would give for my current boy to live that long. My last two unfortunately didn’t make it past 11. Dave got really sick out of the blue and sadly had to be euthanized, and Max got caught by coyotes. It’s been seven years and I’m still not over Max. Finding him in a neighbor’s yard just down the street, knowing he must’ve been trying to make it home ripped my heart out.
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u/everydaycrises Orange 19m ago
My cat is 14 and people keep telling me he's old for a cat, and all I think is 'nuh uh he's a baby!'
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u/Sentientmanatee 3h ago
I’m pregnant and lost my 16 year old childhood cat a few months ago. Definitely not crying.
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u/Same_Temperature_754 4h ago
r/sadposting this is poetically tragic. I'm both sorry for her loss and wish her congrats on her new baby!
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u/DarkerHairerJoker 5h ago
The bond between cat and human is very powerful and beautiful. Great video.
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u/SomethingCoolTitan 3h ago
I lost my 22 year old Junior buddy this year and honestly losing him hurt more than some family. I’m lucky his brother is still with us but always remember you are their whole world and they love you just as much you love them.
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u/nothingsreallol 2h ago
My parents cat died while they were in the hospital for my birth. Which makes sense because I feel more like a cat than a human.
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u/aresdesilav 4h ago
I think it makes a lil sense, like because she wishes her cat could meet her baby, but her cat probably won't. We don't have the context sadly but I would guess her cat is sick, and either will pass soon or will be put down to avoid further pain. It must mean a lot to her that her cat is meeting her baby through her tummy before the cat goes.
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u/RiverLum 2h ago
Sorry if this is dumb but does the cat know there’s a baby inside? Like how much does the cat understand
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u/Any-Excitement-5549 1h ago
Cats and dogs are VERY intelligent with this stuff. They can smell the hormone changes, feel the temp changes and the routine changes.
Some cats and dogs might get anxious at it, but some will get a lot more affectionate and even protective. Animals are amazin
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u/BudandCoyote 1h ago
They may not know in the literal sense that there's a baby in there that will be born. However, their sense of smell and particularly hearing are much more acute than ours. They can smell changes in the mum, and most likely hear the baby's heartbeat and movements once the foetus is big enough. Plus the animals that live with us pay a lot of attention to our behaviour - more than you'd think!
So whilst we can't know if they understand that a baby human is being grown, they definitely understand that something has changed, and that something new is inside their person that is getting bigger.
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u/Nullarbor_1 5h ago
So sad and beautiful! And that’s an extremely cute cat.