I chose to have our cat put to sleep, now my wife is upset?

-Our cat was 16 years old, and needles to say my wife and I have been together for 11 years, so the cat had been around longer then I have, and not to mention she was a great a loving cat and really a big part of our family. She had became very sick, see had stop eating, her fur was falling out and she was over 16. After many visits to the Vet and several tries to fix her it came down to a very expensive surgery that the poor kitty had at best 10% survival given her age or condition, or have her put to sleep. My wife was unable to make the decision, and left it up to me. It was easy, I was choosing if I was going to put down a member of our family or not, and even the Vet agreed that the best thing to do was just to put her out of her pain. Now my wife is very upset with me, do you think she has the right to be? Or, is she just venting because she lost a big part of her life?By the sounds of things I think you were right to put your cat to sleep given its chances of surviving. One point to note though is that cats are known to live until 18-21. However I do understand in your case the circumstances are different. Your wife should not be taking it out on you when she made you make one of the most difficult decisions. I think you ought to sit your wife down privately and remind her that she asked you to make the decision in the first place as she was incapable of doing so and she has no right to criticise your decision. and how difficult emotionally it has been for you aswell as her and the kids. Also she needs to know that the only way she can get past this is as a family together supporting each other.



As far as your kids go - don't rush into getting another cat so soon - they are not like toys and this will give the wrong message to your daughter that they are easily replaced when they are not....all cats are different individuals and she needs to learn this. Your 3 year old won't understand so easily, I guess you can explain to him about the cat being "In Heaven" and that some day another little specvial life will enter into your lives.



Good Luck !It is never an easy decision, and some will always hold out hope. I am providing a site that your wife may find comfort in visiting, and there are further links from the site.



Cats become members of the family, and if both your parents are alive, most likely this is her first close experience with death.
Your wife will realize with your empathy that you chose that putting a "beloved" creature out of its misery aside from how much the "fix" cost is the lesser of two evils. Let her mourn with respect. I've always had to make those decisions and you weren't at fault. giving the cat a little burial might help her with closure. She'll b ok in time.
She's probably just venting. You definitely made the right decision.

Personally, I think that if a pet has less than a 40% of surviving, they should be put down. Really, anything below 50% is iffy. I'd rather their life be cut a little short than prolonged and full of suffering.
She'll get over it and realize that you made the right decision. As difficult as it might be to not argue with her, let your wife vent it out and mourn the loss.. and let time heal. She knows already in her heart that it was time to let her cat go.. but that doesn't make it any easier. Death of a loved one - pet or otherwise - is emotionally draining. Good luck.
You made the correct decision - the cat is no longer suffering, and your wife should think of that.

Would suggest you adopt a kitten for you all to enjoy.
You did what was best for the cat.



Fluffy can now live in peace.



Your wife will come to terms soon
Venting. You chose the better of two evils.
You wife is blaming you simply because she misses the cat a whole lot and doesn't know what else to do. You're a big guy so just let her and know she doesn't hate you for it. Making the hard decisions is always going to get you blamed--but someone has to do it and you were simply taking the cat's quality of life into consideration. But don't go rushing out to get a new cat even though your kids may want a new one; you should first have a deep, serious discussion with your wife. She may not be emotionally ready for a new cat (new cat's habits, new cat's needs, etc.) since some people (like me) need a little time to grieve and to start feeling that void where a cat should be. Unfortunately, our little furry family members don't live very long so you have to accept that they will pass on and you may have many of them during your own life time. You did the right thing. Part of the pact you make with your "pets" is that you will be brave enough to make the final tough decision when the time comes, you will take all diagnoses, remedies (if there are any), and the quality of his/her life into consideration and decide how to give your pet the best. I mean, when you yourself get to the end, you'd want someone to do that for you so you won't suffer needlessly. Let your wife grieve in her own way but in the privacy of your own room, make sure you comfort her and let her know you understand, empathize, feel the same way too. In time, you may feel the need to get another cat and then it can be a family decision which one to get so it will be the family's cat together.