Your Pet Loss Stories

by Rachel Cuccia
(Tampa, FL)

I had moved away to New York and I would come home to visit every couple of months, I missed my cats so much. I came home in July of 2011 which would be the last time Garfield would be otherwise healthy. I went back to NY and I was in the process of interviewing for a new job.

In September, I found out my baby boy was drooling something terrible and was sick. The week prior, Mr Binx was near death as well. I thought it was a sign I needed to go home. I got a phone call that Garfield had oral cancer the week after Mr Binx had been hospitalized. My heart nearly sank to my stomach and all I could think of was "He can't die." Since the hiring process was taking too long and I wouldnt be starting anytime soon, I quickly decided to book a flight the next day to be with Garfield. I left the following morning.

When I got home, my poor little baby boy was drooling but acting himself. Mr. Binx was so much better as well and stayed by Garfield's side every day. Since there was nothing I could do to get rid of the cancer, I decided to try something holistic to give my baby boy a boost of energy so he would eat and we would have more time together.

Garfield would go outside and lay down, play with our Pit Bull Zarri, and cuddle with Mr Binx. My schedule consisted of waking up in the morning giving Garfield a new pill that was a trial called Paladia, then giving him the holistic herbal medicine, giving him his pain pill and feeding him breakfast. At night, he got another dose of paladia and his holistic treatment. In between, my days were spent with my boys as I cuddled with them, wiped the drool from Garfy's mouth, hand fed him food, and made ice pops for him which he loved.

During his last weeks, Mr Binx never left Garfield's side. As sick as he was prior, Mr Binx couldnt leave his brother. Garfield grew weaker, I found him on his side next to his kitty stairs, I thought he had passed. He just couldn't climb anymore. He started to drink out of the toilet and I found myself on the floor of the kitchen and bathroom with Garfield, laying his head down on my ice mask and feeding him food through a syringe. He finally stopped eating, he barely could walk, and he was very restless trying to get comfortable with me on my bed.

One night, I fed him food through the syringe and he bled all over. I said, God I cannot do this anymore. I made the decision to put Garfield down the next day. I said to Garfield, I love you so much, thank you for being here for me and you can go now. Garfield got enough strength to lift his head, look into my eyes, and rub his nose and mouth on me one last time. The next morning, I could see my baby was already gone. His body was here and he was very much alive but his soul had passed. The odd thing is, my mother heard the three knocks the night prior - as we always hear when someone or an animal is ready to pass.

That morning, I cuddled my lil boy in my bunny blanket - he loved to sleep with that blanket. We said our goodbyes and Garfield was put to sleep. I had so much time to realize he was going to die that I was numb. I couldn't cry until that night when I got home and my poor Mr Binx was left without his brother... I loved my Garfield more than anything. I would do anything to have my baby boy back with me again. I am so happy I was able to keep him alive for an additional 2-3 weeks.