Timmy & the vet

Well, the last few days have been shit.

Ill over the weekend, ill on Monday. Very tired and suffering from the classic back to school bug that always seems to hit the staff after a few weeks back.

Sunday night - Louise's cat Timmy was obviously very ill. His back legs gave out completely. Poor thing was staggering around the kitchen obviously confused and wondering why his legs weren't working properly.
Once we got him settled down and he rested a little he seemed to perk up, the legs worked a little better, but it was obvious that something had gone seriously wrong with him somewhere.

We decided to book him into the vets the following day. It was fairly obvious that he was going to be put down. Nearly 20 years old, legs gone, kidneys on the way out, ragged breathing. We both knew what the vet's verdict would be and to be honest we thought it would be for the best.
4:50 we arrive at the vets.

Louise upset. Molly upset. We'd told her about it in the car home from school.
Poor thing, her first brush with death. She listened to me talking about taking Timmy to the vet, him being very ill and us possibly having to have him put to sleep.
Then she asked if that meant he might die.
Then she burst into tears when I told her it might mean that.

By the time we got to the vets, she'd calmed down slightly.
Sitting in the vets she kept stroking his paw through the bars of the cat basket.
Then she seemed to steel herself and told us that she'd like to come into the room with us to share Timmy's last moments.

When we got in the room, it took the vet about 20 seconds to recommend putting Timmy to sleep. He reassured us that he wasn't in pain, but was likely to go downhill fast and it would possibly be heart failure that got him very soon, in which case he would be in pain.
At this both Molly and Louise got upset.
Louise and I asked Molly if she wanted to stay in the room when Timmy was put to sleep and to our surprise she calmed down and very firmly said she wanted to stay and say goodbye to Timmy properly.
So very proud of her at that moment.

The vet gave Timmy the first injection and told us it probably would be this one that put him to sleep as Timmy was very weak.
Having fought with him in the kitchen to get him into the cat basket Louise and I weren't surprised when the vet needed to get another injection. Good lad Timmy, strong to the last.

In the end, he relaxed and gently slipped away.
It was very peaceful and a good way to say goodbye to a lovely cat for all three of us.