Well my vet charged £100 to put the dog to sleep.
Crematorium to pick up the dog from the vets cost £25
Actual Cremation cost £175
So, £300 all in.
Disgusting IMO.

Yes. They all have something different that makes them special, but there is a general dog-shaped or cat-shaped hole that is desperate to get filled again. When Errol went I was devasted - he was only 7 - but 2-3 weeks later I was on the phone to Max's breeder, and Max and Minnie came home a month after that and it was no longer too, too quiet at home - rather the opposite. It's also hard to be very sad for very long watching a couple of kittens playing.

Small update (sorry to resurrect this thread but thought it would save a new one). Was fine between last post and Christmas Day. I had the idea to make a photo book from Tesco which had a few photos in it, and quite a few of the cat. I'm not ashamed to say, that my relative and I both had a cry that morning over him and I still do have a small cry now and then.

The worst thing for me is, some days I think I haven't seen him for a few hour so go to the door and call him, then realise that he isn't here any more. Still, I am getting there. I said I could cope with it, I would never cry etc. but I have.

I lost my darling cat Phoebe in July and I thought my heart would break. Sometime it comes over me like a wave. Being with her as she took her last breath was something I had to do for her. You never really get over losing a pet but you learn to live with it.

Today we picked up a little rescue cat who is about a year old. A nervous, fragile little thing who had an awful start in life. She will never replace Phoebe, but we will still love her in a very special way unique to her. Perhaps in time you will feel ready to let another little furry friend into your life. And that cat will be very lucky to have such a kind person as you to love them.

Man here too, dont worry about the tears mate! I dont know how i'd cope in your situation myself.

Sorry for your loss.

My parents bought home a cat when I was 4.

At 19 I went with mum to the vets, for what we both knew was the 'final visit'

Mum couldn't stay for the end and left, but I held her paw as the vet did what she had to, and I carried Kitty out through the surgery to the car (we buried her at home in her favorite spot in the garden)

Mum took her in when we got home and I sat in the car a while bawling like a baby and banging the steering wheel.

That was over 20 years ago.

I have my a cat of my own now, The Beast, but I look at him and think that he does some things just like Kitty, and I remember events, like, even when she was desperately ill with kidney failure she could still give our dopey Labrador a good shoeing.

And it makes me smile inside.

Gawd know what I'll be like when The Beast leaves me to annoy whoever is in charge at cat heaven. (he will annoy them, trust me, he's a git)

But I'll have in my head all the stupid/annoying/funny things he did, and in time I will recall them a give a wry smile.

Love your pet, and remember your pet

My parents put our dog to sleep when I was about 14 years old. Well, they put him in a pound or something, but our dog would never have accepted going home with anyone but us.

Twelve years later and, it affects me more than ever. My parents are very old. I've very often had dreams about him, though less now. Where we would find him after all or he would come home or something.

My parents tried to give him to a man before that, but when the guy tried to go near him he ripped the man's sleeve off his jacket. I was always so proud of our dog for doing that... He was extremely nice to other people we knew. Sometimes he could snap at one of us if you pissed him off or if there was a good reason for it. But I really appreciated that. That gave him character. He wasn't a very big dog, though he might hurt a lot there's a limit to what he could do. In fairness to my parents, he did attack me pretty bad one night when we were trying to put him into his kennel, but I forgave him because he hated that. Why should we make him do what we wanted, poor guy.

Other times when we were on the couch together just hanging out, he would let me put my fingers back to the very back of his mouth between his powerful back teeth, and he would even slightly open his teeth to accomodate my fingers. I really liked that he would let me do that, and the power of his teeth, that he could completely crush my little finger, even though I'm not so sure he liked it. I since learned that other primates in the wild also sometimes put their fingers in the mouths of companions they really trust. It's some kind of intimacy, so you know they're your friend. Just pray you don't hit a bad tooth.

I learned to respect him as an equal. You see so many people today maltreating their pets, treating them as play things, sometimes making horrible jokes about them, and get so uptight if you dare accuse them of exploiting them. There is something about a dog who won't take any **** from you that I like a lot. And what's the point in having an "obedient" dog if they're just afraid of you? They don't like you, they're just afraid of you.

Another time, we were bringing him to someone for I think an injection. And he was in the car when this guy came out. And we didn't know how our dog was going to react to this... me and my sister were there, and thinking about how incredibly gently and sensitively and reassuring we would have to be with all this. And the guy came right over to the car and first he put his finger under our dog's mouth.... which is quite a vulnerable spot... .the belly when turned over is probably the most vulnerable of all which is why only a dog that trusts you completely lets you rub him there...

.. anyway our dog's eyes flashed with incredible rage... .... he couldn't believe what this stranger had just done. He was clearly about to ****ing explode if the guy moved an inch more... and my sister and I AND our dog were all so shocked we just stared.... and then the guy went and tried to lift him off the seat of our car.... uhhhh oooohhhh.... lol. Our dog went ape on him and gave him a massive bite, the guy was bleeding and slightly hysterical and said he'd have to get a tetanus injection. There was something funny about that whole incident though, it was his own fault, to think our dog would allow just anyone to take him out of our car.

Another time when we went on holidays we were putting him in a dog place for a while. And we gently and gradually tried to make him see it was fine there, and he seemed to be getting on fine there. However, once we were gone and he realized he was on his own, he went by himself to a corner and got very aggressive and agitated. I felt so sorry for him. They told us he wasn't welcome back. Sometimes I wonder if that's how he thought it might have ended up this time. If we would come some time and collect him again and everything would be alright.

He was like a member of the family. I still often feel tears in my eyes when I think about it. The only way I can "forgive" my parents is by saying that they just didn't know any better. I'll never truly forgive them in every way, but they are as they are, it's not fair to harbour resentment if they don't understand what they did.

The best thing I can do for him now I think is to try to live my life in a good way. I can't repair what's been done.

I am very sorry to hear of your loss, Ocado. I am also sorry to hear some other stories of losing a pet on hear, brought a tear to my eye.

I have been lucky enough to have had quite a few animal companions, dogs, cats, rabbits, a canary, hamsters, gerbils and goldfish. Unfortunately, along with the good times and benefits of pet ownership comes the heartbreak of when your time together comes to an end.

Without going into too much detail, I had to make the decision to have my much loved dog put to sleep some years ago and it haunted me for a long time afterwards, when she was injected she did react in an unpleasant way and it was that image keeping me awake at night.

Remember that he was very lucky to have someone like you in his life and that you were with him right to the end. Also, you did the right thing

I'm always with mine when they are put down and seem to be the companion of choice when a friend has to have an animal put to sleep as well
OP you mentioned in your first post how the cat died so quickly, and I just wanted to say that is a good thing, he was obviously ready to go and you really did end his suffering. It will get easier over time, the happy memories will push the sad ones aside.
I had to have my daughter's first pony put down last summer, that was very bad, there's something about a very large animal dying that seems extra horrific somehow, maybe because the moment of death is more obvious? Luckily it was very peaceful, he died quietly (horses sometimes don't) with his head in my lap and he was gazing into my daughter's eyes. No more pain for Jamie, thank God.
Now I'm crying again
But, OP, the gaps between crying get longer and longer til it only happens when you relive the awful day as I have just done.
My sincere sympathies to anyone who has lost a beloved pet.
xxxx
PS Cremating Jamie cost £700 and I was happy to pay it to be sure that he was handled with respect.

Oh Ocado, I know exactly what you are going through.

I had my beloved tortieshell put to sleep on Thursday. She was only 7.

I'm really not coping today, it's just so tough. Every single thing in this house reminds me of her. For a split second I forget she's gone, and look at the patio door expecting to see her face. I miss her so much

I know from experience that it does get better in time. Stay positive OP and remember all the good times.

(((((hugs)))))) Thinking about you and everyone who has lost a little furry friend. I hope you are OK x

(((Ocado)))

I am so sorry to hear about your loss, and yes, I do believe that time is a great healer.

Please read this:

The Rainbow Bridge

I am certain that it will make you cry as it's so beautiful and true, but you need to grieve and there's nothing abnormal about crying over your loss.

I'd be concerned if you did not mourn your loss.

Mr. Dodoboid cried buckets of tears (as I did) over the loss of one or two very special budgies. To some, "it's only a bird". How I hate it when I hear someone spew such nonsense -- to us, our birds are family members.

I'm sure that you well understand that.

When our late humanized, talking budgie, Westie, passed over, we were beside ourselves. I remember walking along the river near where we used to live after having been to the vet's office on that horrible day. We took a rest by the shore and I watched the seagulls and the mallards, and thought to myself forlornly, "They're alive, but Westie isn't..." and I cannot tell you how upset and depressed we felt. There are no words.

But you will learn to accept your loss, and you will even laugh at some of your late friend's antics...in time.

I wasn't there when my Crotchet was put to sleep, but my mum was. She just lay down and died in her arms, peacefully. Two weeks later and the pain is still fresh, though I'm not crying so much.
I miss her. She was such a big part of my life, and now she's gone I find it hard to think of anything else. Time does heal, but never properly.