Years ago when I was about 12-ish there was a stray cat in my area. It seems they had cancer since a tumor-like lump was on their belly. We fed the cat for no more than a week but since we already had a cat we couldn’t take her in. My family decided to take the cat to a different neighborhood (we didn’t want the shelter to euthanize her) and let the cat find a new home or be adopted (I’m not sure why my family decided on this). It’s been 13 years later and I still feel terrible about this. I feel so bad for the cat you have no idea. Did my family do the right thing? Should I feel as guilty as I do? Did we abandon the cat? This has been weighing on my mind for a very long time.

Hi ROC, I honestly think that you shouldn't suffer for your parents' decision. As you wrote, you already had a cat, and maybe you couldn't afford the vet fees. You actually gave her another chance. She may be have been founded by someone who then saved her.
Also, your pain proves that you're a good and emphatic person, so you actually cared for her life, and that's love. You worried about her, so I'm sure you haven't done her anything wrong.

>>3 Thanks. My family was also very concerned for the cat and tried the best they could. Sometimes I think if maybe the shelter would have been better. But they euthanize cats and we didn’t want that. The thought of “maybe that’s what we should have done” lingers in my mind and I’d like to think we gave her a second chance but at the same time I think we may have done more harm than good. Maybe someone good found her. Maybe she died peacefully. Or maybe... I don’t want to say what else but you can paint the picture of what else could happen. Thanks again for this. I’m just an emotional mess whenever I think about the cat.

Hey, anytime.
We can always help each other, so don't ever feel ashamed about talking with someone about your feelings.
When I feel down, I try to help others, and that makes me feel better. I'm sure that if you look around, you can find people you can help or just listen to, making them feel better