My beloved Cat died recently of heat exhaution/dehydration. My brother was soppossed to be taking care....?

Question

of her. He didn't call me til the day she was sick to tell me she was suffering.

He lives over 2000 miles away and I was helpless at the time to go and rescue her. I had gone to another state to take care of our sick mother and I couldn't bring my cat with me.

He had put my cat in the garage witch was over 100 degrees and forgot to give her water. I feel guilty because he told me last week he was putting her in the garage and I knew how hot it was out there but I don't know I thought she would be okay. I asked him to take her inside the house but he started acting like a jerk saying she was being punished for pooping on the floor.

I was hoping he would let her in the house and she would be okay. She ended up staying out in that garage for over a week and didn't get sick to the very end. I would call him every couple of day's and he would say she was ok.

When he told me she was sick and said he didn't have time to take her to the vet I was so freaked out I was gonna book a plane trip to his house to go rescue her. He started laughing and saying that's stupid and said well you can come out here but your gonna be picking up a dead cat. Saying she was doing so bad she would be dead by the time I got there.

Well, while I was in the midst of booking a plane trip to get her he called and told me she died. I have been so sad and sickened since then. That was three day's ago.

Although I don't think he did it on purpose. My brother thought it was funny that I was concerned about her and started laughing about it when I was on the phone with him, Saying I was to attached to my cat. After she died he said it was my fault because I should have told him that she needed water.

I knew my brother had problems but I didn't know they were to this extent. Most of my family doesn't talk to him but I always felt sorry for him and when her offered to take care of my cat I thought she would make a good campanion for him and give him some good company and maybe some happiness. I'm so angry and sad. I didn't know how crazy my brother was until now.

Anyway, do y'all think she suffered much before she died? It's like dying of thirst I guess. I'm so devastated. :(

Answer 1

honestly ? she will have died in terrible agony. what you did was irrasopnsible to leave her in the care of an idoit  but i believe you left her in his care with the best intentions.

i know no one will be able to make you feel as cr*p as you do now. you have learnt your lesson and sadly your cat had to die for you to learn it.

now as for your brother? if i was you i would f*cking kill him , i would beat the sh*t out of him and then cut off all contact with him. i dont know about your laws but if you can sue him into oblivion. he was left in charge of another creatures life , which he agreed to do. in my opinain he should pay.

*edit* call me a freak but your question made me cry =[

Answer 2

I'm sorry for your loss, that sounds so horrible.

Your brother could actually get in trouble for animal torture. It is common sense to give any living thing water.

I know it is hard to think about her suffering, but try not to...she is no longer in any kind of pain, so it is a good thing, in a way.  Even though you are in a lot of pain, she is ok now.

I hope things go well with your sick mother as well.  Chin up! Think positive, even though it's hard to.

Answer 3

Wow, what a horrible thing!  Just imagining what your kitty (and you) went through brings tears to my eyes and I'm so sorry.  As for whether or not your kitty suffered, I'm really not sure.  I don't think that dehydration causes a painful death, but I know it couldn't have been a pleasant experience!  I know you're really angry with your brother (and you should be), but your focus right now needs to be on being kind to yourself.  Don't beat yourself up over a decision you made with the best of intentions.  I'm sure your kitty is in a happy place right now and she knows that you loved her and didn't mean to put her in harm's way.  If you get another cat, you now know that you can't trust your brother to take care of him/her if you have to go away.  There are lots of great boarding kennels where the staff loves animals and cares for them as if they were their own, so that's what I would advise for the future.  

Just a couple of suggestions to help you through the grieving process:  be extra nice to yourself.  Buy yourself something special that you wouldn't normally buy for yourself.  Get a professional massage.  Write a letter to your kitty and just pour your heart out to her (I know this might sound silly, but it actually helps).  Donate money (or items such as towels, food/water bowls, etc.) to an animal shelter in memory of your kitty.    

I wish the best for you!

Answer 4

How devasting! I am so sorry. If you do decide to get another cat, I recommend getting a licensed pet sitter. I use one in Phoenix, AZ when I have to leave my cat for any period of time. Again, so sorry. Take care.

Answer 5

that is so terrible! i am sorry that you had to go threw that!  I am sure she suffered i hate to say, but there was nothing you could have done, with him telling you so late into the situation, if you ever get another animal, don't let your brother take care of it, you would be better hiring your next door neighbors 10 year old......

Answer 6

I lost my cat a couple of years ago and I took it pretty hard.  She died from lead poisoning in my apartment and I felt so bad because I couldn't get her to stop eating chipped paint and l*****g things off the floor.  Your brother should be ashamed of himself.  The cat probably pooped on the floor because she didn't like your brother.  Animals sense things in people that we don't and she probably formed an opinion of him and it wasn't a nice one.  I don't think we should punish pets like that.  They depend on us to feed and take care of them and yes protect them too.  I'm so sorry about your cat.

Answer 7

I am SO SORRY this happened to you...

It is ALL YOUR BROTHERS FAULT... he was was the negligent one... NOW YOU KNOW WHY all the others dont' talk to him... now you can add yourself to the list.

At this point it does't matter wheather she suffered or not... because she is gone... and you would be beating yourself up because of it...

So just know she is not suffering now// or hurting or anything.

It is hard to rid yourself of a family member but on this one I sure woudl do it.

Sorry about this ... go to the shelter and rescue a nice kitty that needs someone to love them.  

Answer 8

People like your brother are the reason we have the death penalty in the US. He's a sociopath. He enjoyed torturing your cat and enjoyed your reaction to news of him neglecting your cat. I suggest you turn him in for animal cruelty and sue him in civil court. From now on, you need to distance yourself from people like him. Also, I'm afraid your cat suffered quite a bit. IMHO, dehydration is one of the worse ways to die. I hate to be so blunt. If you want to ease your guilt, I suggest you donate some time or money to a local no kill animal shelter.