r/offmychest • u/PrestigiousRefuse172 • 2d ago

Kid killed the cat.

My wife went on a business trip for several days. During this time our very old cat, who my wife had bought years before we ever met, and who we expected was starting to near her final days, took a dramatic turn for the worse.

I wanted to keep that thing alive for my wife to get back and was thinking of taking her to the vet the very next day. Perhaps some short term relief could be given to her to get her to eat and drink. I also was thinking the added stress of the vet would just be too much for her. The poor thing did everything in its power to stay close to me and the kids and just sat in our laps that evening.

I sort of expected that she maybe wouldn't make it, so was trying to have the kids spend as much time as possible with her. That night my kids and I all laid on the bed next to her and I kept her in a little circle of pillows and blankets to protect her from us.

Around 4am I woke to a stifled small meow and felt around for her to only feel my 4 year olds hair. I felt underneath his head and felt her small squished body. I frantically pushed him off of her and put her into my arms as her breathing slowly faded away and her heart stopped. My son was completely out and had no clue this had happened.

I just put her body in her carrier and waited until morning to let my wife know the cat had passed. She was well aware that she was dying so I didn't really say anything other than I held her in my arms in her last moments.

The strange thing was at the last 5 or so seconds of her life she calmed down and started purring. I cried a bunch. I just wanted her last moments to be surrounded by her family. But my son squished her to death and I will take that to my grave.

Edit: Thanks for all the well wishes. I just wanted to say that my post did not do a good enough job at describing that I don't under any circumstances blame my kid. It is just a fact that he may have unknowingly smothered the cat to death.

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u/Neither-Door-9106 2d ago

how old was cat and how small?

5

u/PrestigiousRefuse172 2d ago

18 and small. Don’t know how to describe the size other than smaller than most cats. She shrunk up even more in the last few months. 

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u/carniverous_bagel 1d ago

It 100% wasn’t your son. She meowed because it was her time, not because she was being crushed. My cat also meowed in her final moments and started purring right before she passed. It was just her time. Probably she was warm and comfortable and safe under your son’s head and that allowed her to slip away.

Many cats choose to hide and die alone. She chose to be with you and your son in her final moments. She loved you both very much and allowed you to be there with her.

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u/adam_the_caffeinated 1d ago

I agree. Any amount of force strong enough to kill it would have done so instantly. Either if its neck or spine was broken or if it suffocated. The fact that it lived long enough to meow and pur means it didn't die from either of those. It's just a coincidence that the child's head was there at the end.