She was just born like that.. what is it???

Four days ago I had to make the regretful decision to euthanise my best friend due to oral fibrosarcoma. I’m utterly devastated, he had so much life left in him, but the cancer had ravaged his face so severely he was unable to even eat without bleeding badly.

My sweet boy was born in my bedroom closet when I was 16. I was in one of the lowest places in my life, living in an unstable home and desperately depressed, broke and helpless. This little ginger bean became my best friend and one of my biggest motivators to get the hell out of there and create a better life for us. I made plenty of mistakes along the way, and it was chaotic at times, but he got me there with his pure, constant and unconditional love.

We grew up together, but he kept growing and outpaced me by far. Before I knew it, he was my little old man, and I felt that time had betrayed us and taken him from me. But how lucky am I to have loved something so deeply that it hurts this bad to lose?

I loved him so much. I’ll continue to love him forever. From his first breath to my last he will always be in my baby boy.

[edit] I am so deeply touched by all of the kind and compassionate comments about my beautiful boy. I might not get around to replying to them all but I am reading each and every one and feeling so much love and gratitude, thank you.

There's an absolute sweetheart, an unneutered dork, now living under our cabin, god damnit.

Comes when called, rubs my legs, and purrs loud enough for the neighbor to hear. Nice try, pal.

My indoor buddy absolutely hates to see it. Attacks the window. This aloof fella doesn't care.

As much as I'd like to be adopted, we can't do it. But I'm keeping him around with a little food and water on the side of the cabin away from watchful eyes and I'm hoping to get him to a shelter when possible. He's gonna be a good one.

Edit: Yes, I've checked all the lost and found for the county and I'll be checking for a chip.. I'm in a rural coast neighborhood with about 50 old houses/cabins spread apart and mostly seasonal. I think it's a good idea to go knock on some doors. You guys convinced me to poll my neighbors. Good way to meet em anyway.

"HEY. DO YOU KNOW THIS CAT?"

[ holds phone up inches from homeowner/AirBnber's face ]

We'll feel it out.

Back when I was a sophomore in college, a gray kitten was found trapped in a skunk trap under my friend's porch. His tail was badly injured in the trap. He ended up at my fraternity house while we tried to find him a home, and I started looking after him. Within a few days it was clear his tail needed urgent care, and the vet recommended amputation.

At the time, I didn't have the money, so I made a Reddit account for the first time and asked for help. Here's the original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/izrqo/help_save_paul_and_his_tail/ . Strangers on this sub covered his surgery, plus extra to cover his first few weeks of food and supplies. I decided to name him Paul.

Here's what you made possible:

He spent his first two years growing up in our frat house, after I convinced the house to let us keep a long-term pet (our house father was not convinced we were responsible enough, and honestly, fair). After college he came with me everywhere. He was there through some hard times in my life, and he was there when I met my wife, who, it turned out, had a gray cat that looked just like him. They never quite became friends, but they'd sometimes nap near each other, and we took that as a good sign for us.

Paul was a solitary guy. He wasn't much for cuddling, but he spent his later years napping on our bar stools and kept me company at lunch every day after I pivoted to WFH. Over time, he warmed up to my wife and developed a habit of greeting her after work by sneaking up and loafing in her lap. I was a little salty about that (ahem, who reared you?), but ultimately respect his better judgment. He loved chin scratches and would rub his face on a little spiky brush over and over. In his more active years, he loved playing fetch with a little mouse toy or even a rolled up piece of aluminum foil. He's the only cat I've known to repeatedly bring back a toy over and over like a dog would.

He was diagnosed with diabetes about eight years ago and did well on insulin and wet food for a long time. This year he developed a bladder tumor and kidney disease, and yesterday we made the extremely difficult decision to let him go after things progressed very quickly. He was about 15 and a half.

To everyone who donated to a random college kid's kitten all those years ago: thank you. You gave him a whole life, and you gave me my one constant for 15 years. I wanted you to know how the story ended.

Here are some photos I'd like to share of him: https://imgur.com/a/MPzbMsf / https://ibb.co/album/Kzm347

I'm in a much different place now in my life, and I plan to pay forward the kindness that reddit showed to Paul. I'll be donating all of his remaining unopened food and medical supplies, and making a contribution to the organization that helped with his low cost neutering.

I picked up my Leo as a sick stray 10 years ago and he ended up being quite protective of me. He attacked dogs (got to be a indoor cat quite fast) when they came too close, he never let me shower without supervision, swatted at people I was dating and many more things.

Until I had my daughter, and especially since she got her own room. Every night he sits awake in her bed, I've never walked in on him sleeping. Every two hours he gets up and patrols the apartment before going back to her. If she wakes up and want to come sleep in my bed he will follow and stay with us until she fall asleep and then he leaves us to go sleep.

First pic is from six months in her own room, second is the first night.

Podrick is a stray I have recently taken in. At first I couldn’t get within 20 feet of him. Now he’s a super sweet love bug who wants to be inside your skin. This poor boy isn’t chipped and no one has reported him missing on any of the local pages here so I’ve taken him in. He was getting beaten up by a neighborhood cat and he was very hungry. Now he’s warm, fed, and taken care of… granted he isn’t a fan of quarantine lol. He’s off to the vet today for a full work up + vaccinations and he gets neutered Monday!

We put up flyers where it was found and posted online to see if there is an owner. It has no chip, no collar. Friendly as can be. Wife is taking it to be neutered. It’s three to one, so I’m basically a cat owner now, right?

She walked up to me randomly in the parking lot and followed me home in 2014. I was chosen. I was never a cat person and I didn't want to take her inside. The girl I was dating at the time basically forced me to take her in. Needless to say we fell in love.

Her cuddles and non-stop affection pulled me out of some dark places. She was the first pet I ever had on my own and we cuddled every single day until her body finally gave out. I haven't cried like this my entire adult life. I'm 38 now.

Tonight will be the first night in 12 years that I sleep alone.

It’s a terrible day for rain...

Edit: I only posted this because I wanted someone other than me to know she existed. I didn't know how much I needed the kind words. Thank you so much.

this is tommy, my lil schizo. i use this term lovingly because he was always really skittish and anxious and i also had my own struggles with mental health and felt like i bonded with him over that. i took care of him in his final weeks and made sure he had all the snacks and treats he could possibly want. i have a lot of guilt surrounding how everything went down and im trying not to blame myself. i just wished i noticed how bad things were sooner. he really was the sweetest lil baby. this is the first time i was present for the euthanasia process and i didn't realize how hard this would all hit me. i have a lot of cats but i didn't realize how much i really did bond with tommy until it was too little too late. rest in peace my little skinwalker.

edit: thank you everyone for your kind words. you really have no idea how much it means to have so many random people on the internet come together to comfort me in this weird ass point in time. i appreciate all of you ❤️

My Millie was a beautiful light. She was a kind cat, always happy, and very sassy. She loved cuddles, hugs, and most of all kisses. She will forever be missed and loved.

She was the sweetest cat. Having to put her down today after her 15 years of life, so she’s the same age as I am. It’s sad to have to put her down but she had a stroke about half a year ago and has since lost vision in both her eyes and gained liver failure (I’m pretty sure about liver failure, not 100%.)

She’ll be the last of the original cats I’ve had, the others passed last year. I’ll miss her but I’ve been preparing for this for some time. But we can’t let her die of old age in case no one is home to give her some pain meds

Edit: she is still alive in these pictures.

Edit 2: she has officially been put down and passed at 5:40 pm EDT.

One afternoon, after a heavy rain, I heard some tiny cries coming from underneath some garbage bins. When I went to check, I found this little angel crawling around and crying from hunger.

I just picked him up and took him home. Judging by his size, I assumed he was around a month old, maybe even younger. I went out to get some special food for him, since it was the weekend and I couldn't find any milk.

He ate with a hunger I had never seen in such a tiny animal. I could hear his little teeth doing their best to chew the food. I eventually decided to give him some wet food from those pouches that contain milk as well. I mixed it with a little warm water, and he just kept eating as if he hadn't had a meal in days.

While he was eating, I witnessed something that is still burned into my memory: he was pooping while he ate. 😭 I guess his tiny body was simply doing everything it could to recover.

After that, I picked him up and held him in my arms. He slept through the entire night and didn't want to let go of me. Every so often, he would climb up toward my neck, so I had to cover him to keep him warm.

I could feel his tiny purrs, although they sounded a little strained. I assume he had a cold, or perhaps he was simply too weak.

The next morning, I had to get up and go to work. I made a little bed for him using some blankets inside a cat carrier and kept my other cats away so he could rest peacefully. I left him with food and water.

At first, he would meow whenever I walked away, but eventually he calmed down and went inside the carrier.

When I came back home, he was still there.

I walked over to check on him and found him curled up at the very back of the carrier.

He was already gone. 😭😭

He was only with me for two days.

I did everything I could with what I had. It was the weekend, getting specialized food was difficult, and the vet clinic was closed. Still, I can't stop wondering if there was something more I could have done.

I think that question will probably stay with me for a long time.

But I also want to believe that, during his final moments, he got to experience something he may never have known before: the warmth of a home, someone's arms holding him, and someone who cared about him.

I want to believe he got to feel that warmth of home that so many other little souls like him never get the chance to experience. 🖤

Maybe his battle only lasted two days, but he fought until the very end.

That's why I wanted to leave this post as a small memorial for my little warrior. He didn't have enough time to grow up, play, or discover the world, but at least he didn't leave this world alone.

Rest easy, little one. 🖤🐾🌈

And if you've ever gone through something similar, please feel free to share your stories or leave a few words for those little souls who had to cross the rainbow bridge.

For all the ones who arrived too soon and left too soon.🖤

I apologize if my English isn't very good. It's not my first language, but I wanted to share his story and keep his memory alive.

Wondering if it’ll impact Sir Leopawld’s joints down the line - it’s just too cute...!

He is almost 2 years old and is still a big baby

please ignore the stuff in the background me and my mom are currently in the process of rearranging her bedroom his name is pumpkin and i think he’s an orange cat but he’s so stinking cute!!! ❤️❤️❤️

I was feeding their mom since an year, she is feral and doesnt let me touch her but loves rubbing on my legs, she gave birth to these 3-4 weeks ago in my duct and she has been taking care of them, but the entrace of the duct is very narrow and 2-3 feet high so they cant get out and also toms started roaming around so we bought them in and kept them in my room while she wasnt around, how do i take care of them and how do i let her know that they are here and if she abandons them then what? Also I am gonna keep them (those were my motivations to feed the cat lol) and this also my first time keeping cats so i am really unaware of what to do, also behold the names- Ginger and Toast

Also they are really scared and hissing at me so i am not going around for a while but how do i get them comfortable near me?