I came across the sad news today that one of my favorite Internet cats, Panther, had to be euthanized. The joy of pets comes with the sting of their mortality, yet not to have them in our lives is to live without that special joy. I join Doug and Sharon in mourning the loss of their beloved Panthy. On Facebook, they left this tribute to Panther:
We had to say goodbye to our dear sweet Panthy today, yesterday evening he stopped being able to eat, his mouth was bleeding every time he tried.We hoped he would heal up enough over night to try eating again but this morning it was much worse, moving his tongue made him choke and put him in great distress. We arranged for our vet to come by this afternoon and relieve poor Panthy from his pain and discomfort.
He spent the day resting quietly, getting cuddled on our bed, sitting on our laps on the sunny step and walking with us/being carried by us around the yard and neighbourhood. Despite being hungry and in pain he purred, talked to us and took great interest in the world around him. He seemed like his old self but his mouth cancer would no longer allow him to eat or drink, so we had to say goodbye.
He is buried in our garden, where he use to love to explore and sun himself. We are heartbroken that he is no longer with us but are happy he is no longer in pain.
We will always love you Panther, be free our dear friend, our big sweet boy, our beautiful Panther love.
Thank you, Panther, for the joy.
Love, Andy, Dougy, and Doug
Oh no :”( poor Panther
Hius last appearance in a video showed him to be in rough shape. I was surprised and not surprised.
🙁
I questioned myself if I was able to let a cat get euthanised before I got one. The answer was yes – or I would not have gotten my cats. Still miss the one which died in vet-hospital.
A person needs know that answer before getting a pet. I’m glad you brought it up. Too often, people fall in love with a cute little puppy or kitten, and don’t think about what they will be like when they grow old or have cancer develop. It’s a huge responsibility on many levels, and the emotional one may be the most difficult one.
Well, nobody can forsee how one deals with the emotional side of it, but one can at least promise to do the right, if painful thing.
Yes, and they handled it in a very sweet way, making Panther’s last day one of things he liked to do.
I am sure they did!
Yes.
and now they have a Panther-shaped hole in their lives …
🙁 How true.
Very sad, he was a beautiful boy.
DOug and Sharon had him for the last three years of his life, and, if you watch their videos, you will see how much love and attention they give their cats. The couple fosters litters of kittens and their mothers for a Vancouver shelter, VOKRA, and their four remaining cats came from two litters they fostered. I’ve put a link to their YouTube channel below.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRGjMLJOdB3PBqQpO-KJZjQ
(feels chest tighten) so sorry 🙁
I think we all feel some of that when we know someone else has lost a beloved member of their family…. Thanks for your comment.
This one lies close to home. They each take a bit of our hearts in exchange for the joy they have given us.
How true. I bawled when I read about Panther, even though one knew in the last video that he was getting close to the end, poor kitty. Sharon and Doug made a wonderful life for Panther, and their four other cats also have a wonderful life because of the love and care of this remarkable couple.
awww so sad and rest in peace sweet panther.
It’s shocking how attached one gets to other people’s cats and dogs on the Internet. Yet, through media, we learn about these pets, their ups and downs, the joy they bring to their families, the sadness their family feels when their little friend’s lives begin to run down. “Not fair” one thinks, yet we know better: All things come to an end, all lives are finite. The best thing is knowing how beloved these cats and dogs are to my Internet friends because I know they get the best of care, the most love, big doses of spoiling, and lives that are free of hunger and fear. I want to reach out and hug Doug and Sharon, both for their loss and for all they do fostering kittens. They still have four cats, from two litters they fostered. That will help them through their sadness.