Euthanasia... Knowing When The Time Is Right

"Courage is a kind of salvation"   Plato

​Many people secretly hope that their cat will die quietly in their sleep. Unfortunately the harsh reality is that this rarely happens. Most sudden deaths are limited to heart attacks and road traffic accidents and when it happens it can be far from peaceful. 

Cats are renowned for being hardy and determined creatures and do not give up their right to life easily. Sadly this means that we as their guardians must make the difficult but brave decision to ensure that our cats do not suffer and that their end of life experience is dignified. It really comes down to making a judgement call about your cat's quality of life.

Is your cat...

• suffering from pain, distress or serious discomfort which cannot be effectively controlled?
• having difficulty walking or balancing?
• spending most of their time sleeping or lying down?
• finding it difficult to eat and drink enough to maintain good bodily condition?
• suffering from tumours, which cause pain or serious discomfort, that are inoperable or untreatable?
• having difficulty breathing?
• incontinent or having difficulty urinating?
• constipated or passing diarrhoea?
• vomiting frequently?
• unhappy/depressed (this could be showing no interest in what used to give him/her much pleasure, but can include hiding away/spending less time with you or conversely following you/seeking extra attention)?
• are there more bad days than good days?
• suffering from unacceptable behavioural problems that cannot be resolved?

Are you...

• unable to cope physically and emotionally with any nursing or medication that will be required?

If the answer to any of these questions is "yes", then it could be the right time to discuss whether euthanasia may be the best option for your cat.  This is the hardest decision you will have to make as a cat owner. It may be that it is not the right time for euthanasia just yet and there may be an option for end of life palliative care to sustain quality of life until it is the right time for euthanasia. I can help guide you by assessing your cat's quality of life, a process that starts with arranging a phone consultation, followed by a visit. Please contact me to arrange a suitable time for a phone consultation.