# OT: Lost My Little Buddy...



## flyingfrets (Oct 19, 2001)

Had to put my little buddy Oscar down this morning. Of all the pets I've had over the years, this little guy really had me by the heartstrings...










So long "Sugarhead"...Poppi misses you


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## Capt. Krik (May 26, 2001)

My condolences, Frets. We get so attached to these animals it's like losing a parent or sibling when one dies. I've been through this several times over the years and it never gets easier to say good bye to one of our furry little friends.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Sorry to hear of your loss...I've had a few good buddies like this die on me over the years and they all still hold a special place in my heart.
....again...my condolences...
Mcdee


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Awww im sorry to hear that. I had to put my dad's two cats down just yesterday. He passed away suddenly in Sept and I have been struggling with his old, ill, pets and driving 75 miles round trip a day to take care of them was just too much.

Cats and Dogs can be like little people and are just as much members of the family as anyone else.


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## mrdean (Aug 11, 1998)

Our cats are part of the family. I am sorry for your loss.

Mark Dean


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## flyingfrets (Oct 19, 2001)

Sincere thanks for the thoughts guys. 

I just can't seem to get it together right now. Been bawling my eyes out all day...sorry to be such a sissy.

When they sedated him to make him comfortable, he became very confused (he'd never fully recovered from the anesthesia yesterday). He crawled over to me and pulled on my coat, so I picked him up and he put his head on my shoulder & went to sleep.

His trust in me was so complete and along with all the laughter and love he brought to me (especially convalescing from my surgery), are the memories I'll treasure.

The vet said to remember I'd done everything humanly possible to give him a chance, but his quality of life had deteriorated to the point that I was giving him the greatest gift I could by letting him go.

And that may be so, but it doesn't make it any easier...


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## Facto2 (Nov 16, 2010)

I'm really sorry for your loss. Love cats. Alot of people don't give them the credit they deserve. They are very loving animals and they will do what you want them to if they want to do it too... alot like women. Anyway, once again my deepest condolences.


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

My condolences too, I've had several cats and this eventuality is always unbearable.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

...


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## Ductapeforever (Mar 6, 2008)

Never was a feline fan, my ex's cat used to take dumps in my slippers. Judgeing from the pic, this little guy had personality.


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## JamesInNC (Sep 17, 2011)

Very sorry to hear about your cat. 

James


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## flyingfrets (Oct 19, 2001)

Ductapeforever said:


> Judgeing from the pic, this little guy had personality.


That's an understatement. 

One night I woke up about 3 AM to the toilet flushing repeatedly. I was the only one home and I thougt, "Holy Hell! Who's here?!!?" I ran into the bathroom to find him all wild-eyed staring into the bowl and as soon as the water stopped swirling around, he'd flush it again and dance around the bowl just enjoying the show.

Couldn't help laughing, but I told him to knock it off since I had to go to work in the morning, so he followed me to bed purring...and *really* proud of himself.

He was quite a character...


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## mrdean (Aug 11, 1998)

I got very sick 5 years ago - still recovering. My cat was at my side and has remained there ever since. She knows I feel better with her nearby. We have discussions every day. It astounds people when they hear us!!

Mark Dean and Chocolate.


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## SJF (Dec 3, 1999)

Very sorry to hear about this. 

Sean


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## the Dabbler (Feb 17, 2005)

I'm a dog lover myself but surely do appreciate all pets, they can grab your heart for sure.


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

We've had cats and dogs over the years and I love pets. We don't have any at the moment but we take care of our DIL and son's two long haired dachshunds when we can. The cat we had had to be put to sleep after going into a diabetic coma about 5 years ago. I am very sorry about your loss. I can see that was a somewhat different cat if he figured out how to flush the toilet for amusement! Fond memories I am sure.

Bob K.


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## walsing (Aug 22, 2010)

Just lost my cat Neko a few weeks ago and I miss her a lot. You have my sympathy and I know how it feels.


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## iamweasel (Aug 14, 2000)

My condolences, it is never easy and it is as hard as losing a human family member. There are many times they tend to be better then having people around.


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

Brother, you are far from being a sissy about this. Two years ago my lady's cat died (on Halloween, of all times)...this cat never liked any of the other guys she dated but she took to me from day 1 and the feeling was mutual. How can you not love a cat that you find sitting at the garage at 11:30 at night waiting for you to get home? I still miss her, still get wet-eyed thinking about her, so I completely know how you feel.


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## Dr. Brad (Oct 5, 1999)

Sorry to hear this!


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## Jimmy B (Apr 19, 2000)

I'm very sorry to hear of the loss of your friend. There's a thread I started around the end of last year when I had to have my old pal Bubba (a boxer) put down due to prostate cancer. Oddly enough "Bubba" was only a nickname I gave him over the years. His real name was Oscar


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## Sonett (Jul 21, 2003)

Frets,
So sorry to hear about your loss. When I saw the picture I could'nt believe how much he looks like my best friend. In fact his name actually is Buddy and it would break my heart to have to go through what you had to do.


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## btbrush (Sep 20, 2010)

My sympathies to. He looks just like my cat Sam. When I was married awhile back, we had 5 cats. When we got divorced, she kept all the cats. I'm still very bitter about that cuz two of the cats were mostly mine especially a little stray, Larry, we found and nursed back to health. Never left my side. I knew I had to move on but it was hard to let go. Then a couple of years later my neighbor's brother had to get rid of his cat. They'd had a new baby and the other kids had outgrown the cat so he just stayed under their bed all the time. So he brought over Sam one day and I said I'd try it out. What a Godsend. He talks all the time and sleeps on my chest when I take naps, which is a bit of a feat cuz he's over 32" from nose to tail and pushing 27 pounds. We're both on a diet now. I don't like to even imagine what it would be like without Sam yelling at me all the time and purring. I know it'll happen some day, so I just cherish each day we spend together. Thank you, GOD. They ARE like family, and they're so innocent and trusting. I wonder alot how I got so lucky. If I hadn't been traveling down the road I was on, I wouldn't have been in a position to take Sam in and give him the undivided attention he needs and deserves. Ooops, sorry, gotta go. Sam's either saying Hi Dad or Feed me, dammit. I'm not sure which. It sucks big time to lose a friend and the pain will eventually be over-ridden by the fond memories. In time. Just remember how lucky you were, are.
Bruce


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## HabuHunter32 (Aug 22, 2009)

Sorry for your loss. I lost my pal of 16 years last Easter weekend and although she was a canine (Akita/Chow) I feel your pain. She had a tumor on her spleen that was inoperable and it burst while we were at work . I did not know about the tumor but my vet said he found it on her last exam several months previous and he did not tell me! She would not have survived anesthesia and sense she was otherwise healthy at the time he thought putting her down at that point would have been premature. After she passed the vet told me that she went much sooner than he thought she would and he regretted that he had not told us. I guess it was a jugement call. 

I have had both cats and dogs and they are indeed like our children. My daughter called Niki my four legged daughter and she was right. I still cry for my Niki....


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## flyingfrets (Oct 19, 2001)

Thanks again for all the stories guys. When stuff like this happens, sometimes you get so overwhelmed that you feel like you're lost & alone in the wilderness. I appreciate you all reminding me that's not so.

I had Oscar since birth (I had his mom too). They're not real prominent in the picture I posted, but he had eyelashes that were so long (I'd *never* seen that before & I've had quite a few cats over the last 50 years), he looked perpetually grumpy and they made him look like he always had this intense scowl. Nothing could be further from the truth, but I named him Oscar after "Oscar the Grouch."

He was a real practical joker. He loved stealing straws out of fast food cups...especially my wife's. He'd wait till she went downstairs, grab the straw out of her cup and then go sit in the kitchen doorway till she noticed he had it. She didn't really want it back, but she'd chase him around telling him to "gimme my straw!" and he'd race around the house trying to avoid getting caught. Eventually he'd bring whatever was left of it back to her purring to beat the band.

As you can probably tell, I love all animals, and I've loved every one I've ever had in my home. But every now and then, one comes along that just has *so* much personality, they grab the headlines in your heart. That was Oscar...


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## PF Flyer (Jun 24, 2008)

My sympathies as well. We had to put our cat down in September. Our daughter had grown up with her. It's tough. Pets add so much to our lives. To say they are family is a cliche'. I've had cats that I like better than some family! They're a lot friendlier and less trouble.


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## otto (Jan 1, 1970)

My condolences.


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## Full Flaps! (Sep 26, 2010)

My sympathies Frets,

This past year has been the first time in my life I haven't lived with cats. I have quite a legacy with cats. We had to put to sleep our beloved Merlin. He was 14 and we'd give him insulin as he was diabetic in his older years. But he was growing ill. His loss was especially profound, as he was the last of the line so to speak. 

I had found his grandmother Marigold as an injured kitten by some railroad tracks over 20 years ago. And starting with her we had an entire family of sons, daughters, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts born to us over the years! Each one as memorable as any person I've known. More so.

Our animals, are an everyday reminder that there still is Love in the world, and that you're worthy of the gift...


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## flyingfrets (Oct 19, 2001)

Yes, I've had generations of the same cat family several times. I had Oscar's mother & grandmother, and I still have his cousin Gabby and his uncle Houdini.

I don't know what to make of this...the way Oscar was "posing" in his picture was the way he generally sat when he was keeping an eye on whatever might be going on. None of the other cats have *EVER* sat like that, but I turned around a minute ago to see this...


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## Full Flaps! (Sep 26, 2010)

I'd say he's channeling Oscar's spirit for sure! Speak to him like you're speaking with Oscar, and Oscar will get the message. I'm serious.


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## flyingfrets (Oct 19, 2001)

It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. As silly as it may sound, the same thought occurred to me.

That's Houdini. Yes, he's an escape artist, hence the name. But IIRC, Houdini was also well known for his attempts to contact his mother in "the great beyond." At this point, I think he's more appropriately named than I ever realized...


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## Kitzillastein58 (Jan 27, 2009)

I'm very sorry for your loss. I've lost many of my little family members over the years as well, and it's never gets easy.  

Take care!

Mike


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## NTRPRZ (Feb 23, 1999)

My buddy, Julius Caesar Rodney, aka Knucklehead, is a Siamese we've had since 1993. He's sleeping on top of a file cabinet to my left even as I type this. He's going on 18 years and is just as spry as he was when he was 18 months.


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## flyingfrets (Oct 19, 2001)

That's awesome! I had one little friend 23 years. Of course, they're all house cats which certainly doesn't hurt their longevity.

Unfortunately, Oscar was taken way too soon. He would've been 3 this coming Valentine's Day.


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## JamesInNC (Sep 17, 2011)

flyingfrets said:


> Thanks again for all the stories guys. When stuff like this happens, sometimes you get so overwhelmed that you feel like you're lost & alone in the wilderness. I appreciate you all reminding me that's not so.
> 
> I had Oscar since birth (I had his mom too). They're not real prominent in the picture I posted, but he had eyelashes that were so long (I'd *never* seen that before & I've had quite a few cats over the last 50 years), he looked perpetually grumpy and they made him look like he always had this intense scowl. Nothing could be further from the truth, but I named him Oscar after "Oscar the Grouch."
> 
> ...


That story brought the biggest smile to my face since I can remember! 

James


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## ChrisW (Jan 1, 1970)

Really sorry to hear about losing your little buddy. They can steal your heart as fast as they steal something from your dinner plate!


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## DR. PRETORIOUS (Nov 1, 2000)

Sorry for you loss


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## Scott J (Jun 21, 2000)

My deepest condolences. After I put my cat of 15 years down a few years back the vet sent me a card with the following quote. Since then whenever someone loses a pet I send it to them and hope they find the comfort that I did knowing I made the right decision. 

“We who choose to surround ourselves 
with lives even more temporary than our 
own, live within a fragile circle; 
easily and often breached. 
Unable to accept its awful gaps, 
we would still live no other way. 
We cherish memory as the only 
certain immortality, never fully 
understanding the necessary plan.” 
― Irving Townsend


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## mrmurph (Nov 21, 2007)

sorry to hear about your loss.


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## Bobj812 (Jun 15, 2009)

flyingfrets said:


> It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.


So sorry for your loss, and I certainly understand your pain. It's been 2 years since I had to put our dog Rosie down, and I can still tear up thinking about it.
Speaking of hairs on the back of your neck standing up, I had an experience that made me scratch my head. Not quite a year after we had Rosie put down (she was a sweet, beautiful chow/lab mix and lost a battle with cancer), I was out dozing in a chair (had a little heartburn) in the living room in the wee hours of the morning. I heard what sounded like Rosie scratching at the back door - a long, deep raking sound on the metal bottom of the screen door. I thought it was just phantom noises you hear when falling asleep. But then it did the patented Rosie double-scratch, then a long third scratch. That popped me fully awake. I waited, and sure enough another double then third scratch. My heart pounding I went to the kitchen window, looked out and a black cat bounded off the back porch and ran through the backyard. I was still half-expecting it to be dream noise and didn't really expect to see anything at all. I'm a pretty skeptical guy and really don't believe Rosie came back as a cat, but....Let's just say when I see that cat these days I'm pretty friendly and don't shoo it away.
Again, so sorry for your loss. While it will probably always hurt, I'm sure you're thankful for the time you had with your cat and feel lucky it graced your life.


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## tr7nut (Apr 18, 1999)

*Sorry for your loss..*

Wow, so sorry to hear about your cat. Putting a pet down is one of the hardest things any of us has to do. Certainly not for the faint of heart. You did the best thing for him even though it rips your guts out in the process. No judgements from any of us, been there done that. 

Best to you and yours,
Cliff


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## flyingfrets (Oct 19, 2001)

Guys, to say "Thank You" seems so inadequate for helping me accept the loss of my friend, but I want to thank each and every one of you for responding.

The memories you've all shared really drives home the point that our furry friends are as important as any of the human relationships we establish.

I've jokingly said in the past that we keep pets because they don't care what we have in the bank, they don't tell us we can't have that sportscar, they don't tell us to watch our diet and they don't complain if we look at magazines with pictures of other pets, but the fact is, they *are* non-judgemental, and they love us just because we're us. And what more could you ask of a friend?

Again, a heartfelt "Thank You" to everybody.


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## Mitchellmania (Feb 14, 2002)

So sorry


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## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

Sorry for your loss, we lost our two Shelties about 3 yrs ago, one to cancer and the other to cushing disease that attacks the bladder. they died within weeks of each other and my wife and I still misses them, just recently I got a Belgian Sheepdog a Groenendael now seven months old, but pets are like children they are part of your family in so many ways. Karl


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## roadskare63 (Apr 14, 2010)

not a cat person(though i've loved a few, and miss them dearly)...but after a lifetime of dogs, i know how deeply they entrench themselves in your heart and i feel for ya flyinfrets...time will heal...just time.

personally, i can't be without a dog...so never forgetting my friends, i get another 1 or three from a rescue service, or my sis-in-law who seems to always have too many extras from a litter at just the right times.

best wishes,
carl


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## The-Nightsky (May 10, 2005)

godspeed oscar...may you hunt in peace forever. sorry for your loss fretts...I know it hurts but someday he will be waiting for you


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## flyingfrets (Oct 19, 2001)

Was surprised to see new posts to this thread several months on, but I appreciate the continuing thoughts.

Kinda lost it a little Christmas morning when my wife gave me this...










Don't know if you can make out the message, but it reads:

Hi Poppi,​ 
I just wanted to let you know Poppi, that I'm happy and I'm home,
and even though I miss you all, I'm here where I belong.
I look around; its beautiful, so white, so fresh and new;
I wish that you could close your eyes, and you could see it too.
Please try not to be too sad for me and hope you understand,
God is taking care of me: I'm in His loving hands.
Here there is no sadness, no sorrow, and no pain.
Here there is no crying, and I'll never hurt again.
Here it is so peaceful when all the angels sing.
I've been "busy" so I have to go for now...
I've finally earned my wings.​ 
Love, Oscar​ 
Gone too soon...2009 - 2011​ 
Still haven't gotten used to the quiet without him...but adjusting.​ 
Thanks again...​


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## The-Nightsky (May 10, 2005)

yeh...kinda got me too...that was nice of her


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

What a nice gift from your wife. So sorry for your loss. Oscar did go too soon but he's watching over you right now from a higher perch-with both paws out.


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## Dr. Brad (Oct 5, 1999)

I would have cried like a baby. That was very nice of your wife!


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

FRETS, I want to offer my condolences on your loss, i know your heart is broken as our pets are not pets at all but FAMILY ! I wish you the very best and i know you have a warm smile on your face whenever you think back to all of the wonderful times you had with OSCAR !
Bert


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## roadskare63 (Apr 14, 2010)

hey flyingfrets...
this site does tend to surprise from time to time, but behind the safety of our keyboards, we are still humans and i have found a lot of really good folks here...prolly why i hang around so much.

again, i feel for ya and hope you will heal soon.
carl


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## flyingfrets (Oct 19, 2001)

Dr. Brad said:


> I would have cried like a baby. That was very nice of your wife!


I did, and it was.


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## Rebel Rocker (Jan 26, 2000)

I am very sorry to hear about your friend. I just went out and gave both my dogs a big hug!

Wayne


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