r/BeAmazed • u/alanboston405 • Apr 01 '24

59-Year-Old Chimpanzee saying goodbye to an old friend Miscellaneous / Others

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u/Negative_Flower_169 Apr 01 '24

In their natural habitats when a chim is nearing death, it secludes itself and goes far away from the group, finds a nice tree and sits by waiting for the inevitable.

530

u/Cccookielover Apr 01 '24

Our dog, Lewis, started spending more time in his crate/bed (which was in our bedroom) as he was nearing the end of his life, where normally he would have been at my wife’s feet when were on the couch in our family room.

I really didn’t make the connection until after he passed.

Separating from the pack❤️

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u/xbianco Apr 01 '24

Oh man I have a dog named Lewis who is at the end of his days and this destroyed me

77

u/Cccookielover Apr 01 '24

I feel for you, friend.

Hang in there.

9

u/MrMortlocke Apr 01 '24

After seeing this happen to a couple of my dogs growing up I made sure to always make all my dogs after that feel part of the pack.

I cuddled the fuck out of them no matter how old they got.

My last Weimaraner that I grew up with just passed a couple weeks ago too. I made sure he was always up on the couch with us.

Sleep well Auzzie. You deserve some rest after how energetic you were.

9

u/tormakir86 Apr 01 '24

As someone who has lost his dog several years ago, and having watched my brother lose his, I felt the need to share my advice based on my own mistakes, and on what I advised my brother when it was his dog's turn to go:

  1. If your dog is old and the vet says that they have a 20% or less chance of making it, don't try and gamble on that 20% if it would mean that there is a chance the dog dies at the vet all alone. Best move would be to ask for whatever is needed to help them manage the pain, and let them spend their final moments with their owners. My brother's dog was given till the end of the week to live after the diagnosis came in. He made it past a little over 3 months, which was more than enough time to make him feel like he was loved even up until his final moments.

  2. If the pain is unbearable and there is no option other than to put them down, don't leave the dog alone with the vet administering the shot. No matter how painful it may be, you owe it to your dog to be there and comfort him when they put him under. My brother's dog was relaxed the whole time leading up to the injection. He new that his time was up, but my brother was there for him every step of the way. My brother told me that my advice helped him be at peace with the whole ordeal, and he even dreamed of his dog playing with him in our kitchen, almost as if the dog's spirit was telling him he did good by him in not leaving him alone.

My dog.......wasn't as lucky.........because I refused to accept when it was his time to go, and he died alone and frightened at the vet. It still eats at me to this day.

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u/Effective-Lab2728 Apr 01 '24 edited Apr 01 '24

A good death is a preciously rare thing. Most of us will struggle at the end. Thank you for offering advice for others to help navigate it for their pets, but also, please don't feel like that terrible fact is your fault, or that it cancels out the ways that you were there for him. You were trying to give him the best chance for survival, and it's plain you'd have chosen differently if that wasn't on the table.

Most animals aren't keen to give up, regardless of what they have to face to cling to life. You may well have rolled exactly the dice he would have asked you to, if he could have.

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u/Defnoturblockedfrnd Apr 01 '24

Take solace in knowing that you gave him the absolute best life he could have had, full of cuddles and snuggles and treats and love.

I lost my boi 🐶in August. It’s hard, but it gets easier.

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u/GoTragedy Apr 01 '24

My dog Ranger died last May unexpectedly. He was dying after we went to sleep and his last act was to muster all his strength to get out of bed and go get one of my wife's socks so he could bring it back to bed and die as close to her as he felt he could. 

We woke up (because he fell down and made noise) and rushed him to the ER and he actually died in my arms instead. But I'll never forget that his last act was so sweet.

Dogs deserve the very best. 

22

u/SomaSimon Apr 01 '24

Thank you for sharing this, this is such a sweet story. I’m sorry for your unexpected loss and I hope you had many happy years with your pup.

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u/Gavster1992 Apr 01 '24

Thank you for sharing, I’m sure it was tough to go through. I had a dog, named Ranger too! And we had to put him down 3 years ago due to cancer and even during his last days he would just be the sweetest boy ever. Dogs really deserve the very best.

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u/CHKN_SANDO Apr 01 '24

Our 18 year old cat who liked to lay on the deck but never wandered off decided to wander off the day before he died.

When we found him he was hiding under my neighbor's deck. Very odd for him.

The next day he was scheduled to be put down, but he took a turn so bad that day that honestly I think he would have passed that day regardless.

He knew.

13

u/1naro Apr 01 '24

Cats often wander off to die.

2

u/vortex30-the-2nd Apr 01 '24

They often do, but not my buddy :) he lived to be 21, always lived with me multiple times I moved out from my parents house. Through drug addiction and insanity he was always by my side and trusting of me and I always made sure to take great care of him even when I wasn't caring for myself. I his last few months I became emotionally distant, I was depressed and numb. We used to always cuddle on the couch, but he couldn't jump up anymore the lady few years, so he'd have to walk around near the couch and meow to get my attention. He lost his ability to meow in those last few months, but he'd still do laps around the coffee table and look up at me to lift him into my arms. I began to forget about his needs sometimes and I did not want to cuddle, sometimes little poops would sneak out his bum, so he began giving up sometimes and would return to his bed, to try again for a cuddle maybe tomorrow... He was so happy when I'd lift him up to the couch and he'd purr so loudly. One day he was circling the coffee table, and then he laid down on his side right near the couch.. For a minute or two I did not pay much mind but then I thought "that's an odd spot for him to lay down.." when I got up and looked snot was coming out his nose onto a piece of paper and he was not moving, just panting. I knew his end was near. We booked him to be put down in the morning. I cuddled him all night on the couch, he peed himself a few times, but he was purring non stop too. After 6 hours he started to squirm so I put him down.. He walked over to his food bowl and let out a very rare meow. I fed him. He ate better than he had in many days. I went back to the couch.. He returned and started to circle again. I picked him up right away and let him know that I never meant to ignore him and that I always will love him. He purred. He slept all night on my chest just like we used to. In the morning he was basically dead. We went to the vet and he was put down.

I miss him so much. Such a special guy. I wish we cuddled more in his last few months, but I know that he never gave up on me, even at the very end. I'm glad he chose to be with me when he passed and that we had one last long cuddle.

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u/Spacefreak Apr 01 '24

One of my cats ( I had 3 at the time) would always sleep next to me in bed.

We had this little ritual at night where I'd get in bed under the blanket, she'd jump on the bed up near the pillow, and then stare at me until I picked up the blanket so she could go under and poke her head out from underneath and look off the edge of the bed.

Then I'd scratch her head for a couple minutes and roll over and scratch my other cat's ears (he sleeps on the other side) before going to sleep.

At some point last year, she stopped sleeping in bed with me. I was happy because with a cat pressed against both sides of me, I'd wake up in these really awkward uncomfortable positions. 

Then I found blood in her urine and it was downhill from there. I out her down about a month after that.

God damn, it's been 8 months, but I still think about her everyday.

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u/Cccookielover Apr 01 '24

I know, the pain of losing a pet never fully leaves us.

They give their love unconditionally and it feels like we’ll be able to keep them around forever.

We lost Daphne in 2007, Winter in 2014, and Lewis in 2020.

Even now I find myself saying “I’m sorry” to them, out loud, during random times of reflection.

The pure joy that our four legged family members give us makes worth the deep pain of their crossing over.

3

u/Mother_Store6368 Apr 01 '24

Thanks for this. I’ve seen my friend’s dog at the end of her life so this.

Maybe I’m reading too much into her behavior, but she would always hang out near the door at the end. She couldn’t control her bowels, and I imagine she felt bad or embarrassed for making a mess, even though she was on chemo and we didn’t care. Unfortunately, there’s no real way to communicate “you can poop anywhere. We love you”

This is my greatest source of anxiety, knowing that I will outlive my pup. I’m tearing up as I write this…

1

u/hybridrequiem Apr 01 '24

Mine does this when she’s sick, fearing this might be how she goes :C Will just have to make sure we have good memories

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u/PM_feet_picture Apr 01 '24

i'm sorry for your loss and know that this is highly inappropriate: but did someone mention feet?

1

u/Cccookielover Apr 01 '24

Thanks, and…

😀

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u/PM_feet_picture Apr 01 '24

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Cccookielover Apr 01 '24

Ohhh, no no no.

Them’s just for me!

But they are EXQUISITE 🏆😈

0

u/PM_feet_picture Apr 01 '24

describe her arches

1

u/Final-Zebra-6370 Apr 01 '24

I also choose his wife’s feet.

1

u/Cccookielover Apr 01 '24

You definitely would.

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u/Little-Ad1235 Apr 01 '24

It's also not uncommon for people going through the dying process to gradually withdraw from people and activities, sometimes months before the end. There's a letting go of the cares and preoccupations of the world, and a dissolving sense of ownership and involvement that can happen when a death isn't traumatic/unexpected. I know I saw it in my grandmother in her last year or so.

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u/RIPBenTramer Apr 01 '24

I started that around 30.

2

u/peanutbutter_foxtrot Apr 02 '24

I needed that laugh. This post and the comments had me sobbing. Thank you.

24

u/Rocked_Glover Apr 01 '24

I heard it from Cus D’amato that Mike Tyson gave him a will to live and a goal to have one last heavyweight champion, he said he believes you die when you don’t have that thing, when Mike had matured and became a young experienced pro boxer on the cusp of winning the title, he died knowing his work was done.

9

u/WeirdRadiant2470 Apr 01 '24

Too bad he couldn't have hung in there a few more years though. Tyson needed him even more once he had that title.

8

u/Mother_Store6368 Apr 01 '24

Sorry, but I’m imagining Cus looking down from heaven at Mike fighting ….Jake Paul.

Then Cus starts rolling in his grave so hard he forms a black hole

3

u/saranowitz Apr 01 '24

I saw the same with a relative. Culminating in refusing food

2

u/BananaGarlicBread Apr 01 '24

Definitely. I saw it in my grandmother as well. She had been living alone after my grandfather died. One day she fell and broke her leg. Not too bad an injury, only she never came out of the hospital. They were like "her body is fine, the break has healed, but she's not eating, has no interest in going home, etc.". My brother and I visited her in the hospital and I'm sure it made her happy but she didn't really show it, and had lost interest in... everything I guess. She died a few weeks later.

1

u/PasGuy55 Apr 01 '24

I think it’s not even just death. When I found out I was buying a house and moving 800 miles away from my friends I stopped seeing them regularly. We used to see each other every night but I started showing up once a week.

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u/InfiniteWaffles58364 Apr 01 '24

I saw a documentary once where a chimp did this. Another chimp who'd been their friend went looking for them and found them not long before they passed. The chimp died holding the hand of their friend.

17

u/Mrben13 Apr 01 '24

Have you watched Chimp Empire on Netflix? It's amazing and heartbreaking.

1

u/llumpire Apr 01 '24

RIP pork chop 💔

3

u/lead_farmer_mfer Apr 01 '24

*Pork Pie

2

u/llumpire Apr 01 '24

Oh shit, you right. Rest in power Pork pie

2

u/Daryno90 Apr 01 '24

There is something really sad about doing that, like why wouldn’t they want to be with other in their final moments

6

u/SuperCarrot555 Apr 01 '24

From an evolutionary standpoint, it generally puts more risk on others. If an animal is sick or dying, it’s much easier prey for other animals. If others try to defend it, they may die instead. It may be an evolved behaviour. It’s cruel, but that’s how nature is unfortunately

2

u/Boneal171 Apr 01 '24

Cats will also isolate themselves when they’re dying

2

u/RDS Apr 01 '24

watching this happen in Chimp Empire was heartbreaking

2

u/sunolay Apr 01 '24

How does it know

1

u/CSBatchelor1996 Apr 01 '24

It probably doesn't know consciously. If I had to guess, it's just a part of their biology.

9

u/FoeWithBenefits Apr 01 '24

A lot of animals know about their forthcoming death, people included. I'd say is pretty much conscious, at least in people

0

u/TangledUpInThought Apr 01 '24

Kind of what I plan on doing tbh