Saying Goodbye to Shadow

Last updated on July 5th, 2024 at 10:58 am

Why is saying goodbye ot a pet so hard? I know it’s because we love them but we also don’t want to see them suffer.

I had to say goodbye to Shadow on Monday. I know it was the best decision but it was still a tough one.

all about shadow

Shadow was an interesting cat. He was the runt of his litter and his mom neglected him. We tried our best to catch him to hand raise him but he wouldn’t have it. He was always a bit small for his age compared to his siblings. He also was thinner.

He had been a bit sickly since he was a kitten. He was prone to respiratory infections. We were happy he made it through his first year. He was treated for at least 2 to 3 upper respiratory issues that year alone.

Shadow’s partner in crime was his bit brother Bowie. Bowie was his voice and his best friend.

Sadly Bowie passed in April of 2022, a few weeks shy of his 1st birthday. He passed from liver disease.

After Bowie’s passing Shadow, spent time with his cousin Sam. He also seemed to be a bit better in terms of his colds.

A vicious cycle

It seemed like every time Shadow had a cold he was given antibiotics. This would help clear up his infection but after a while, it would come back.

This went on for a few times during his first year of life.

My mom jokingly called him her million-dollar baby.

Sometimes his respiratory infections would be stronger than the previous ones. He got so bad that his nose was runny and it was a mess.

He was also getting thin which was odd he never put on weight like my other cats. The only time he put on weight was when he was placed on a steroid for his inflamed gums.

I didn’t like that much because he wasn’t his typical loving self he was a bit irritable.

If you’ve ever had to give a cat a liquid medication you know the scenario. He wouldn’t fight us at the start but as he felt better he would get rebellious.

He was getting sick again

Over the weekend we noticed that he wasn’t very active. We figured it was due to the heat. Well on Monday morning I woke up to see his respiratory infection was back. It was a pretty advanced infection because he had mucus around his mouth. He was sneezing pretty badly as well.

I weigh my options of taking him to my vet’s office but my mom suggested we just let him go to heaven. I knew she was right.

No one wants to be on a perpetual cycle of antibiotics. I worried about him developing another health issue.

So I made the hard decision to take him to our local animal shelter to have him euthanized.

I knew it was the right thing to do.

I will say this much Shadow, was stubborn and didn’t want to go into his carrier. But he didn’t cry in the car nor did he cry when we got to the shelter.

The veterinarian that saw us was very nice. She was a bit hesitant to fulfill my request. But as she examined him she noted his lymph nodes were enlarged. She even asked if i’d like to try another 10-day course of a different antibiotic. I declined and explained his situation. She understood and finally agreed to have him put to sleep.

shadow taught me a lot

I’d never had a black cat before so I learned a lot thanks to him. He was kind, sweet, and a bit goofy. He never really meowed well nor did he purr right. But he was loving.

One of the last times I shared a picture of him was for a pet food mission from Ripple Street back in June.

I learned to love a little black ball of fluff.

Shadow advocated for black cats everywhere

I tried to bring attention to black cats featuring a post that includes some thoughts from Shadow.

He’s not suffering anymore

I’m happy at least now he won’t be suffering anymore. He’ll be with Bowie and his aunt Squeak and maybe even Winnie.

I’m just glad he’ll be at peace and we won’t have to worry about his health.

We gave him the best life he could have. I’m thankful we had him for 2 years and one month.

I’m also thankful I still have Ziggy, Zorror, and his other siblings.

I know losing a pet is hard but sometimes it’s the best decision you can make for them.