Back in 85 or so this skinny black cat started showing up at my apartment door. I started feeding it, then let it in when my sister wasn't home, only to sneak it out before she got home. She caught me a few times, yelled and eventually the cat grew on her and we kept in inside all of time.

Then in 99 she started getting really feeble. I took her to the vet and the vet said she was in the early stages of kidney failure and arthritis. The vet gave her a shot and the cat popped back to how she used to be. This would last a week or so. Then I realized she was in so much pain and the end was getting close. I made the appointment to take her to vet to put her to sleep, put her in the car and had to turn around and cancel the appointment.

Going to the vet was such a terrifying event for this good old cat, so I got on the internet and looked for ways to put a cat to sleep at home. I wanted her last moments not to be of fear, but of safety. Some asshole put on the internet feeding a cat valium would do the trick. So I tried that and all I got was a stoned and feeble cat.

So I made a new appointment and took the cat in and the shot only took a few seconds. The kindly doctor was very understanding (later I found out he was so well known as a true animal lover that one wealthy couple paid to have him flown to their house to care for their pets) and I brought my cat home and buried her in the backyard.

Oddly, I never named this stray and she was just known as "cat" and she was a great cat.

My suggestion is to run out and get a new dog or companion as soon as possible. It helps fill the void.