Last Sunday, my parents Facetimed me. With tears in their eyes, they told me that my cat, Omar, may not last through the night.

I knew he was having kidney problems, and my parents were doing almost everything in their power to try to help him heal. They even went so far as to set up their own “kitty dialysis” right in our kitchen using an ironing board, ladder and vet-supplied fluid and syringes.

But despite all their efforts, it didn’t help. His kidneys were failing and there was nothing we could do about that.

Well, he did make it through that night, but my parents were then faced with an extremely difficult decision. Do they wait for him to pass on his own or do they take matters into their own hands? As anybody who has ever faced this choice before could tell you, this is one of the most difficult decisions you will ever have to make.

I know it sounds trivial and you may be thinking, “It’s just a cat. Put it down if it is dying,” but it’s not nearly that simple.

In case you didn’t know, unlike humans, cats can’t talk (I know, shocking, right?), so they can’t tell you what they are feeling. Omar couldn’t turn to my parents and say, “I’m O.K., I think I could last a few more days” or “Please, put me out of my misery.” Therefore, the decision was left entirely in my parents’ hands.

In my opinion, putting down a pet is one of the most selfless things a person can do.

The pet owner can’t think about their own emotions. They can’t think about how much they want to keep their cat alive until their children came home from college in a few weeks. They can’t think about how awful and painful it will be not having him in the house. They can’t think about all the tears that their children will shed when they put him down.

They have to forget about all of that and do what is best for their furry baby.

Although Omar lasted through that Sunday night, my parents could sense that he was in pain; they knew what had to be done.

On Tuesday morning my parents texted my brothers and me saying, “We have made an appointment for Omar today. It does not seem fair to him to prolong this anymore, as tough as it is for all of us. We will be with him, holding and loving him up, through the procedure. I know you all know it’s what’s best for him.”

They were right; both my brothers and I knew that was the right decision. And it suddenly dawned on me that this was a real test of maturity, putting my own feelings aside and being selfless for the sake of my pet.

I cried for hours on end, as anyone would, but behind my tears, I felt comforted in that Omar would no longer suffer. I’ll miss my baby every day, but I’m just happy he is no longer in pain.

I applaud my parents for their selflessness, and I know that if and when I face having to put my own animal down one day, I will thank them for instilling this selflessness in me. Also, I am praying that my dog and my other cat are immortal so we don’t have to deal with this again anytime soon.