Once I realized what was going on, there was no other choice. Until that day, I never quite understood how any pet owner could put down their beloved pet. But now I completely get it. I was in that room waiting for the vet to come in there, and Dante was nervous from hearing other animals in there so I held him close. He relaxed and I was holding him and looking into his eyes when he was put to sleep and he went peacefully. It was much better than watching him suffer and him feeling the pain of dying by starvation and his organs shutting down. I even beat myself up for not seeing that he was dying when he stopped eating on Monday. It was not until the vet visit Friday morning that I accepted it.
The reality is that the fluid was building for YEARS and I failed to recognize it because I just did not know. All my pictures of him show an abnormally enlarged abdomen. He came to me that way. Monday started the end stage.
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I loved Dante. I came to work the morning after taking him to the vet and dropping him back at home and hearing the bad news. I broke down at work and could not stop crying. They sent me home and were very understanding. My first experience with euthanasia. I grieved most of the 4th of July weekend, and so did my other cat Siete. he hid all of the next day after looking everywhere for Dante and not finding anything but a lingering smell where he used to sleep and eat. 
He is in a better place and no longer in pain.
