Originally Posted By: Yah-Tah-Hey
Crossed the Rainbow Bridge where he will be made young again. You gave him a good life and it's very hard to let go. I think you probably kept him alive too long though. We have made that mistake too and learned from it.
You weren't there and second-guessing and projecting your own guilt is ungracious. I didn't lay out a detailed account on the exact health condition and the comfort level of our cat. Our vet saw the cat repeatedly over the last week before we had him put to sleep. At midnight, the same day the vet confirmed our belief that it was time, Rebel was put to sleep with Propofol, followed by a cardiac arrest-inducing injection of Pentobarbital via IV. He was gone within 30 seconds of being administered the second drug. Some may think dying by euthanasia is easy, but it's not. A few seconds after the Pentobarbital had been administered, the poor cat took one great heaving breath, eyes wide open and expired breathing out slowly, eyes still wide open. Before closing his eyes, we kept talking to him for a while because we believe that even though the heart has stopped he may still be able to hear for a little while until brain death has occurred. His ashes will be buried in a corner of our yard, and we will plant a tree, maybe an American hornbeam, in that spot.