Owner whispered one final message to her cat during euthanasia — even the vet couldn’t hold back tears

A veterinarian was not prepared for heartbreak during her work hours while performing euthanasia on an ailing cat. Dr. Nicole Fein, DVM, DACVM, opened up about a gut-wrenching story she watched unfold during her shift in the hospital in a viral video shared on @dr.nicolefein. With a deep sigh of exhaustion, the expert said she had a cat with end-stage renal failure in the veterinary ER, with slim chances of recovery. The owner’s final message before her pet was put down left the vet saddened. 

“The owner was amazing, hospitalized the cat for 24 hours, we rechecked kidney values, and unfortunately, there was no improvement whatsoever,” said Dr. Fein while sitting in her car. While the vet had planned to wait another 24 hours, the owner noticed something odd. Her cat was not behaving the same and seemed detached. The vet guessed that the pet cat must have been a “snuggly, vocal cat and he just was kind of like detached and not present enough.” His strange behavior indicated he was not feeling well, prompting the owner’s decision for euthanasia.

When the vet prepared to perform euthanasia, the cat owner had one last message for her beloved pet that moved Dr. Fein to tears. “As I’m pushing the drugs, the mom leans down and whispers in the cat’s ear, ‘Say hi to dad for me,’” the vet shared. The cat owner comforted her dying cat by suggesting that her dad was waiting to reunite with her in heaven. The woman later told Dr. Fein that her husband had passed away in his sleep a few months ago, and now her cat, whom the couple had gotten together, was also gone. 

“This job is not easy…I felt like that was such a sweet story,” the vet said, noting how compassionate the woman was toward her pet. She did everything in her power to save her cat, but it did not work in her favor. “Give everyone you love a big hug and kiss your pets,” Dr. Fein concluded. The post with 252,000 views struck a chord with several people on the internet. @lestadkins said, “It’s veterinarians like you that we animal lovers are grateful for. Thank you.” Likewise, a fellow vet (@dta.angelo) shared, “I understand! I euthanized a dog the other day. The owner was elderly and had adopted the dog with his late wife. The human-animal connection is heart-wrenching when broken! I know we aren’t supposed to cry, but I cried while hugging the owner.”

Another pet owner (@cheeky_chops86) penned a touching note. “When my Nola passed away, the vet’s office sent a condolences card. It may not seem like much, but it meant a lot to me that they took a few minutes to recognize losing Nola mattered,” the comment read. The post resonated with many, highlighting vets’ efforts to care for pets while recognizing owners’ grief.

You can follow @dr.nicolefein on Instagram for more videos.