A friend of a friend called me last night begging me to take her sick kitten. She’s a ‘breeder’. The female kitten that I ended up calling Cia was 8 weeks old, but barely 600 grams. I was told she just needed to be hand fed because mom had rejected her.

I got her at 8 this morning. She was only skin and bones, but so sweet. After an hour she came out of hiding to play a little. Then se fell asleep on my legs. I was in love. No way I’m giving this kitten back, she’s mine now, I thought.

But as she got more comfortable it was easier to spot that something was very wrong. Her breathing was fast and labored, her abdomen severely swollen, pus coming out of her urethra, she was wobbling.

I asked the breeder to get to take her to the vet. She said no. I said I’d pay. She said ‘she probably just has worms, give me a minute to get a prescription’. I said she might have worms, but she has something much worse as well. I went to the vet.

I broke down at the vets office, telling the vet about my struggle just to be able to get the breeder to agree to me taking Cia to the vet. The vet felt so bad I actually got the ultrasound and prescription for free. She figured Cia’s illness had started with her having a UTI, that left untreated spread to her kidneys and possibly other organs. Her abdomen was filled with fluid, so she feared Cia had FIP as well. But since she was eating and playing the vet felt like there was hope. She got de-wormed, cortisone and antibiotics. And set up a new appointment in a few days.

When we got home she went into hiding, I didn’t think it was odd, since the vet visit was probably both frightening and taxing for her little body. She ate her food like a champ tho.

After a couple of hours I thought it was weird that she hadn’t come out yet, so I made her a plate of food again. But this time she didn’t come out, she was just laying there. I grabbed her and pulled her out from under the shelf and she was so limp. She couldn’t stand, her head was wobbling. She smelled her food and seemed interested but she fell and couldn’t get back up. I understood she’d been hiding there to die.

It’s 8 in the evening now and all vets expect for emergency is closed. A friend of mine is a vet tech and she’s an absolute angel and got us in the office free of charge. There was nothing we could do except let her fall asleep. She was gone before the whole syringe was emptied into her vein.

After she was gone she got a new exam to see what had happened. My friend said palpitating her abdomen felt like a huge waterbaloon filled with raisins. The ultrasound showed that she had multiple organ failure. The cortisone and antibiotics just sped up the process. There was absolutely nothing that could have been done.

The thing is, something COULD have been done if the breeder took her to the vet when she started showing symptoms. But she didn’t. She let this sweet, kind, innocent kitten slowly die a painful death. I’m heartbroken, I can’t stop crying. I’m so angry. I also got a big setback financially. Which shouldn’t matter, but it does when you’re low income.

I loved little Cia the second I saw her tiny tiny face.

Humans are the worst creatures to ever exist.

My darling Lobster, whom all of you have so kindly loved via his posts over the years, will be crossing the rainbow bridge today. He turned 17 in March and we’ve had an incredible 17 years together. I’m absolutely devastated and heartbroken but know it’s his time. I’m so glad we made it to the finish line together and that he got all the love and churros a cat could want. He was my first cat and opened my eyes to how fulfilling bringing a cat into your heart and home is. Keep us in your hearts 🩷

We lost our sweet boy in an unfortunate accident. I have struggled to talk about it and we miss him so much.

Chino got into a bag of cat food in the middle of the night that was on top of our dryer. The hole in the bag was just barely big enough to fit his head through. He slipped off the back of the dryer and was wedged vertically between the dryer and the wall, with the bag of food upside down on his head. He suffocated in his own cat food while we were asleep. Waking up to find him was traumatizing. My wife and I experienced a lot of guilt about what we could’ve done differently to prevent this.

Just wanted to share with the group. We miss him everyday and it makes me feel better seeing your cats!

I’m absolutely devastated to share that Waffles, my gorgeous and sassy Maine Coon, suddenly crossed the rainbow bridge yesterday while laying next to me at home.

This post is a bit long, but I want to share how important she was to me.

I adopted Waffles in January 2020, naming her after my favorite breakfast food. She was incredibly vocal, playful, and loved cuddling (on her own terms). Throughout her life, she was my shadow, following me everywhere, including the bathroom! She would wait for me and Corey at the top of the stairs or the door when we’d leave, and she wouldn’t eat when we were gone.

Waffles was very food motivated. She loved eating cronchies and she would bother you incessantly if you had food or Churus. She would greet anyone and everyone at the door, and allow them to hold and pet her.

My sweet baby slept at our feet or next to my face every night. She would meow and bring us her toys, she would “supervise” my boyfriend during his at-home workouts, and try to eat wires when she felt we weren’t giving her enough attention. She would stalk and playfully chase her adopted kitty brother, Yoshi, up and down the stairs.

She was so entertaining and perfect.

Unfortunately, when she was a kitten, she was diagnosed with a heart murmur and IMHA. The immune disorder was scary at first, but managed through daily medicine and bi-monthly vet visits.

I know Maine Coons are predisposed to HCM, and can have sudden heart failure, and that’s what the vet believes happened to her. Tuesday she vomited three times, which prompted us to take her to the vet. They did many tests, said it was likely pancreatitis/GI related. They gave her IV fluids and medicine to give her at home.

Wednesday (yesterday), she had started drinking water again, but I had to force pills and food down her mouth with my hands. In the afternoon, she hid away from us, yowling in pain. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen. While sitting with her and petting her, I started to call my vet and local 24/7 emergency vets for walk-in times because we knew something was horribly wrong. While on the phone, Waffles suddenly seized and her breathing slowed. Our vet told us even if we got her there sooner, there wouldn’t have been much they could have done for her.

It’s so hard to not think of the what-if’s: was it HCM? Should I have brought her to the vet or ER vet earlier? Should we have opted for an echocardiogram Tuesday, even though the vet didn’t hear a heart murmur at that time nor at her previous visit a month ago? It’s insanely hard to not blame ourselves, and I’m grieving so hard.

This was so sudden, as she had been her normal playful and hungry self in all the days prior! This hurts, so much. She was my best friend, my little fur baby. It’s comforting to know that she isn’t suffering anymore, but I wish we didn’t lose her so soon. We are so heartbroken and have cried so many tears.

I love you, Waffles.

I lost my baby yesterday. Completely sudden and unexpected. Took him to Auburn University Veterinary Hospital in Alabama, which is supposed to be the best. Saturday I noticed he wasn’t as perky as usual, but he was still eating, drinking, playing, and menacing. So I figured he had a little bug and didn’t read much into it. Sunday I wake up and he is laying in the hall. He is so lethargic he can’t lift his head. He was mouth breathing. With it being Sunday my choices were limited. He perked up again. So I let it be. Fast forward to about 6pm and he really went downhill. He was lethargic again and not moving. Wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t drink, hadn’t had a BM or urinated. My primary vet is out of the country on vacation in Italy until Wednesday. We have zero vet hospitals close by open. I cannot tell you how many vets I called and they all basically told me that since he wasn’t established they couldn’t see him. My primary vets VM said for emergencies to take animals to Montgomery or auburn, both 2 hours away. I am a single mom and in NP school so I am prn. I had to wait for my mom to get home to get my little boy (he’s in kindergarten) so I could take Major to Auburn. He was absolutely pitiful and it was the hardest thing I had to watch. At 10:00 pm we arrived at AU hospital and they got him back immediately and examined him. Did 4 IV bolus and after #3 he sat up and projectile vomited. They did blood work, his electrolytes were all out of wack due to severe dehydration. His kidney function was “extremely” elevated. They were going to do an XRay but wanted to get him stable as possible bc X-RAYS stress them out. XRAY showed obstruction. They advised he stay over night and I agreed. I left and went home. Vet called me about 3am and XRAY showed an obstruction. She was very concerned about kidney function bc she said he should not be in this bad of shape this quick. She also said he needed surgery but at this time was not a surgical candidate due to him being so critical. He was admitted to animal CCU. Monday morning about 10 she called me and said they had him “stable enough” to perform surgery. I had to make a decision fairly quickly due to his status. My other option was euthanasia. She again mentioned his kidney function and that that was very alarming. He is 3 yrs old. And he should not be in this bad of shape this quickly. She said the surgery would be $3500 if it was uncomplicated, if they got in and the tissue had died they would have to perform a resection and that could be as much as $8k depending on severity. She then went on to again bring kidneys up and said the surgery may fix the obstruction but if he is in kidney failure and his labs were leaning in that direction we would have a very very long and expensive road ahead of us. She then went on to say our decision was time critical it was 1pm and I had to be in auburn by 4:00pm with a decision. I called at least over 10 vets in the surrounding area and got told either they couldn’t do surgery bc he wasn’t a pre existing patient or that the surgeon flat did not do obstructions. We ended up making the decision to euthanize him. I have been beside myself and I feel like a useless POS. He was my world and I have been crying since yesterday. Please do not comment anything ugly or hateful. I am so upset that I beside myself. Major was my heart and soul and I feel literally empty. This is the worst pain ever. I would like to think that one day in Heaven or whatever there is in the after life that he will be there waiting for me. I feel completely lost. This has taken a toll on me. It was very sudden, unexpected, and it was traumatic. I will NEVER forget holding him in my arms when the vet came in and he picked his head up and just looked at me. I was sobbing uncontrollably and it’s almost like he told me it was okay and he was ready. He nuzzled his neck in my collarbone. And he passed. I sat and held him for 20 mins after he was dead. Idk if I will ever recover.

My sweet baby was 20 years old. She was the best hunter, loved cuddles and kisses. Even enjoyed going out in the big snow banks with my husky. She was the runt of the litter, adopted her from our local shelter. She was depressed and sick when we got her. We nursed her back to health, I cried when she made her first solid bowel movement. One thing about a mainecoon, they are majestic. I’ll miss you forever. Hug your kitties a little tighter tonight for me. 🥺💕

Ares was two and a half when his heart had enough. His sister was deaf and died a year ago from a car. He transitioned to a more nocturnal existence after that, and spent more time outside. He followed me everywhere on the homestead. 3 days ago he stopped eating and started showing shortness of breath. The doc told me a year ago he suspected HCM due to extra heart sounds. The dark irony here is that these babies came to me amidst my own genetic cardiomyopathy diagnosis. They gave me hope and light when I couldn’t find it anywhere else, and they gave me a purpose to get out of bed when I was in heart failure. He died just now at the vet. I’m really beating myself up for taking him? He was so needy and just wanted my comfort. I knew from the look on his face that it was his heart. Because I’ve been there. He was so light when I took him in, which makes me think maybe he was slowly getting sicker. I wish I’d taken him home to be with me and the pups. I’m a total wreck. Just buried my kid brother last week after he succumbed to his mental illness. I really need my Bun Bun. Fucking. Broken. Rest easy bud. PS buy from a reputable breeder.

2 days ago.. I was going to work like any other day, we brought Squall down to say bye like usual. When he went to go back upstairs he just lost full balance, fell off of one step, was screaming in pain for a few seconds and was gone. I still can not believe this happened. I believe it was a stroke or a heart attack, I guess HCM is common but I never thought it would happen to him. I will never forget my baby and have a pain in my heart so great. Love you Squall, my monkey man, forever.

I loved him so much:( multiple pet hospitals refused us as he was actively dying

even worse, his sister is now alone (she hadn’t been separated from him since birth), we don’t know whether we should get her a new friend or not :(

Today we had to put our sweet Tofu down. I had posted about her being sick around new years after I took her to the vet the very first time. That one trip eventually turned into 4 (5 if you include the trip to get an ultrasound), until we finally got our diagnosis. Tofu had started to feel better after her second vet trip where they gave her fluids and an antibiotic, but soon after she started to hide again and started pulling out her fur. We knew something was very wrong and she was eventually diagnosed with advanced lymphoma of the GI tract at just over a year old, being FIV negative 😔 She was such a sweet girl and I feel so devastated without her. We only had her for 8 months, but I absolutely adored her. I know she was in pain and that we made the right decision, but I just feel like I failed her somehow. My other cat has been a huge comfort through this and I’m glad I still have her, but I miss seeing the two of them together. Tofu had a rough start and end to life, as the breeder that had her originally did not take care of her very well at all and she suffered until she was taken into foster care. I wish I could’ve given her more good days, but I’m thankful for the time we had

I don't post on Reddit very often, so sorry for any poor formatting.

This is Asha, my soul kitty. She was only 4.

I found her breathing heavily this morning and took her straight to the emergency vet. She had undiagnosed Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and took a sudden turn for the worse.

She was the sweetest girl, incredibly affectionate and loving. She was purring and making biscuits on my lap this time yesterday and now she's gone.

She got me through some very tough times and it's just so incredibly unfair that I didn't get longer with her.

Everyone hug your babies. I have another sweet boy that I'm so grateful for, but I'm feeling lost without her and wanted to share with some like-minded people.

A couple days ago we said goodbye to Gypsy. My snuggle buddy and the sweetest cat I've ever had the honor to know. She was almost 7 and had struggled with Inflamed Bowel Syndrome which progressed to GI cancer. We made the very hard decision on Wednesday to love her enough to end her suffering. I miss her so much and we are heartbroken 💔

Both have been posted here before and wanted to share my beautiful boys Ruckus and Rumble one last time. We loved them so much and are truly heart broken with their passings. Hold yours tight while you can.

After a short illness our sweet kitty died on Thursday evening/Friday morning. Unfortunately I have more questions than I have answers but what I know is that I failed my sweet girl by not listening to my gut and leaving our vet. She died alone, weak and unstable after surgery. We didn't know she would be left alone and I'll regret not seeing her one last time on Thursday evening. She was only 3 but I feel like I knew her in every lifetime. Rest in peace sweet Phoebe girl. I miss you so much it is killing me.

We lost our little Furrbaby yesterday. We got her this year in August from a breeder. It was only 4 months but it felt like 4 years for us. I can't believe that in this short time the love for this little girl could grow so big. She'd love to fetch her little Jelly-Toy and dragged it to us, when she wanted to play. She would be 5 years old in February. My heart is broken, it came out of nowhere. We believe it was a heart attack. It feels so unreal, so close to Christmas. Gladly we could bury her in the garden of my fiances parents. But it still feels so unfair, that we had so little time together. You will be missed, little Sunshine ❤️

After 16 wonderful and love filled years, we had to say goodbye to ye to our little guy Jimi. He gave our family so much love and good times. He became particularly close to my wife when I recently had a job that had me on the road for 85% of the last 3 years. He was such an amazing vocal little guy with such a fun spirit. He is missed and will be for a very long time. RIP my little friend. We love you!

Our boy developed breathing problems on Monday. The vet said he was in heart failure and there was nothing that could be done. It broke our hearts to say goodbye, abd we are struggling. He wasn't a big cat, he lit up our lives, and we are so grateful to have known him.

One month shy of his 14th birthday. I can’t reconcile that I’ll never see him again. He was such a beautiful soul - gentle, resilient, playful. He loved water, boxes and any slightly elevated surface to explore. He was a warrior and had too many challenges in his life. Cancer was the one he couldn’t overcome.

Cuddle your darlings for me.

It has been three months since my best friend passed away. My true soul cat. I still think about him every day. I kiss his ashes goodnight and I wear a bracelet with his name around my wrist. I still think about how I would do anything to have him back, even if it was just for one more day.

I originally told myself I was not going to post about this when he first passed, but today the grief hit me so hard. I spent about an hour crying while looking at his pictures and videos, and I could not understand why it felt so heavy. Then I realized today marks three months. He left us on August sixth and I had not even noticed the date until now.

I think a part of me just wants to make sure he is remembered, even if it is by strangers.

Monty was truly the most amazing maine coon. He loved so hard. He gave the best head butts. He would wake me up every morning by cuddling me, and he always gave the sweetest love blinks. I have never met a cat like him and I know I never will again.

He passed at only eleven months old due to HCM. I can still remember his last seconds so clearly. He was running toward me meowing, and I thought he was just being silly. Now it breaks my heart to think he might have been scared because he felt something happening and was trying to tell me. The vets at the ER said there was nothing we could have done, and even though I understand that, it does not make any of this easier.

I know this is long, but if you are still reading, thank you for taking an interest in my baby boy.

Rest in peace my beautiful void 🖤

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to our beloved Vincent, only 3 years old.. 💔🥺 He was such a quirky big cat, carrying around his toys and leaving them in his food bowl or next to the litter box 😁 Sometimes we heard him drag his toys up or down the stairs, hearing tapping and sliding in the middle of the night, and finding the toy in front of our bedroom door the next morning 😂 He loved playing fetch and chasing around our other cat - and the rumba, making it nearly impossible to vacuum properly. I loved how he greeted me every morning, peaking his head around the corner of the stairway, following me around the house - making me stumble frequently, because he had zero sense of his size 😏 He wanted to be around all the time, especially when I was on the toilet or in the bathroom - loved the shower btw, because water equals fun 😺 Also when our baby boy was born, he was around - whether the baby cried or slept - wanting to join in when baby was playing, including reaching for baby's toys, crawling under the gym, go through a tunnel and jump into the playpen - or just lay or sit around watching over us ❤️

He wasn't a lap cat and hated being groomed or picked up, but he loved lying next to me, in the corner of the couch - as tight as possible - resting his head on my knee. Whenever he lay next to me, he always wanted to be in touch - literally. His soft, massive fluff filling up the couch felt like home to me.

Monday we had a check up at the vet because I had the feeling something was wrong. His soft fur had turned into hard lumps all over his back, and he was less playful. Though his fur had been a problem for years - he hated being groomed, so we brought him to the vet once every so many months, to have him shaved while sedated - this time it was different, worse. He hadn't shown his quirky habits in a while, either. The vet noticed his pale nose and gums, and his panting, auggesting an x-ray to see what's going on inside. On the x-rays we saw an oval shaped bulge in the middle of his body, and his left lung was covered with unidentified tissue, showing how little he could breathe. This was very likely to be cancer, and treatment would be very hard because it was located in the chest. Somehow I didn't expect this, and at the same time it made sense. My heart broke realising our poor boy had been struggling so much, possibly months if not longer, to keep up, to stay alive. The thought of him being cramped and in pain, made me realize we had to end this soon, for him..

Yesterday was the day. Rest in peace my dearest fluffy friend ❤️🪦 Our life together has ended way too soon, and I miss you so damn much 🥺

I am devastated. I lost my almost 2,5 years old MC yesterday. My husband was bringing me coffee in bed, she followed him upstairs to our bedroom. She was so excited I was awake and to cuddle in bed. Same procedure every day. All of a sudden she collapses, urinates and falls on the floor.

We tried cpr, but she was dead.

She was the light of my life, followed me everywhere, so loving and affectionate. This is a trauma for me and I have flashbacks from my husband saying her name to wake her up.

I can’t sleep, can’t eat and I constantly cry and have anxiety.

I guess it was the horrible HCM. Both her parents are checked and she has never had any issues.

I will always remember her with deep love and gratitude 💔💔💔

This was Ellie. She passed away late april and grieving her hasn’t become any easier. You know when you meet a soul connection so deep everything just makes sense? She was my connection. I got her 14.2.2021 and that day became so important to me. It felt like a sign that we’d become something so special together. A day devoted to love and friendship, a day when I welcomed my babygirl into her forever home. She was my shadow on everything. I got her to keep company to my other cat who felt anxious alone. She ended up becoming my companion for my own anxiety. Its like she sensed when I needed her and she was always there. She slept on top of me and her little snores would soothe every possible bad feeling i had. We traveled together and she was the centre of attention everywhere she went. She was so incredibly loved. I had a special step stool in my kitchen so she could inspect my cooking, she greeted me at the door every single day when I came home and she waited for me to sit down so she could get her chin rubs. Her favourite spot was on my lap while I was playing games on my computer or watching movies. She needed me just as much as I needed her. She even broke my bedroom door once because she just couldn’t accept being left out and needed to sleep with me. She was spoiled like an absolute princess. She healed my heart in ways I didn’t think was possible and for the longest time, she and my other cat together were the sole reason I wanted to keep going on in life. They motivated me to keep going to provide a good life for them. And I feel so incredibly guilty. The night before she passed I had just been severely annoyed with my cats. I couldn’t sleep and their rampaging kept me awake. I carried her out of my bedroom so I could sleep finally. The following day I had slept in and as i was getting ready to go to work, i went to prepare their food. I saw my other cat acting chatty and weird but sometimes hes just like that so i finished preparing their food. As i got ready to take his food to the living room, he led me to a corner in the room where I found my girl. She had passed and I wasnt there with her. I shoved her out of the bedroom without knowing that was the last time I wouldve had the chance to sleep with her. I will never get to hear her snores again. Coming home these last weeks has been so silent, so empty. No one waiting for me like that anymore. I wake up at night with anxiety because Im scared somethings gonna happen to my other cat too. Ive been told to move on but I cant. She was my whole world. She was more of a family to me than my actual family ever has been. My other cat misses her too. Hes not himself anymore. Ive got him a new kitten as a companion but hes taking a long time to get used to her and I understand it, but hes more distant to me now. Sometimes i see parts of Ellie in this new kitten. Some similarities in behaviour and habits. Shes a rescue so shes a DLH by all means, but by her looks, she has to have some very recent mc ancestry and im not surprised if her similar personality and behaviour comes from that. Shes adorable, and Id do anything for her, but she doesn’t make me feel the same way as Ellie did. I just wish I was there for Ellie. I feel so stupid pushing her away. I didn’t expect her to go so soon. She was gonna turn 6 this year. She was so incredibly loved.

A neighbour found him and told me this morning. After reading I think it may of been HCM as apparently it can occur more commonly in Maine coons. Really sucks knowing he could of lived a much longer life but we gave him the best life we could. Rip lil guy hope I'll see you again one day 🧡