When do you put it down?
Discussion
Afternoon all,
We have a cat that is ~15yrs old. We have had her for 13 (unsure of age as she was a rescue cat).
Went to the vets in March for various reasons, who said to keep her alive as long as she was eating/drinking/purring.
She is now completely blind (can run into things), has winky rear legs (arthritis) and has now developed a natty trick - insists on sleeping on the chair arms - but will fall off with a thud, then get back up and do it all over again.
She still purrs (not as much as she used to).
When is enough enough?
Thanks
We have a cat that is ~15yrs old. We have had her for 13 (unsure of age as she was a rescue cat).
Went to the vets in March for various reasons, who said to keep her alive as long as she was eating/drinking/purring.
She is now completely blind (can run into things), has winky rear legs (arthritis) and has now developed a natty trick - insists on sleeping on the chair arms - but will fall off with a thud, then get back up and do it all over again.
She still purrs (not as much as she used to).
When is enough enough?
Thanks
No vets should refuse your wishes with her medical problems and age. If her quality of life is worsening and watching her is distrssing to you (and I know how hard it is to watch them struggle) then if you made the decision today it wouldn't be the wrong one but still very sad. However if you believe she still enjoys her life, eats well, is quite mobile, toileting normally, and good body condition and if the above episode is occasional maybe you don't have to decide just yet.
I do believe a little sooner is better than too long. When our cat was diagnosed with a brain tumour we made the decision before her symptoms became too severe, she would've have lived another couple of months at least but she wouldn't have been the same cat that we knew and loved and couldn't see the point of watching her worsen knowing there was nothing we could do to make her better
I do believe a little sooner is better than too long. When our cat was diagnosed with a brain tumour we made the decision before her symptoms became too severe, she would've have lived another couple of months at least but she wouldn't have been the same cat that we knew and loved and couldn't see the point of watching her worsen knowing there was nothing we could do to make her better
Black Cat is like this, his kidneys are slowly packing up, he's FIV, and skinny, but we think that while he's still eating (even if it's not much), wants to go out and lie in the sun, and wants to be tickled, he can stay around.
When he stops wanting to do any of these, we've agree he's going to make jis second last journey. The last one will be to the bank where we've selected his last resting place will be.
"kin dusty in here all of a sudden.
When he stops wanting to do any of these, we've agree he's going to make jis second last journey. The last one will be to the bank where we've selected his last resting place will be.
"kin dusty in here all of a sudden.
Had to pick the time for four over a few years a few years ago. All went the distance and some. We looked for discomfort and took the advice of the vet. The 19 year old and survivor of the car hit many years before, was hard seeing as what he had survived but he just stopped eating. Another was a tumour so the point where she was past any quality of life had to be picked. Number 3 was kidney failure and happened so quick we had to make the choice, 4 was a long fight with an illness.
But all of them the vet helped make the choice but they relied on our input knowing cats, taking into account how the cat felt, you know when they are not happy. For what it is worth a relatives cat lasted a good while whilst blind.
BTW Vet came to the house as well, less stress in the last moments.
But all of them the vet helped make the choice but they relied on our input knowing cats, taking into account how the cat felt, you know when they are not happy. For what it is worth a relatives cat lasted a good while whilst blind.
BTW Vet came to the house as well, less stress in the last moments.
Roger Dodger said:
She still purrs (not as much as she used to).
Still purring and eating? Then she's fine IMHO. Once her quality of life is terrible - be that too much pain or not eating, then it's time.A blind cat will soon learn their way around the house - just don't move the furniture.
Falling off a couch? Well, I've known a couple of cats that just do that, even when they were kittens - I used to have one who would leap onto the back of the couch, then walk along it, and just fall off........
Jasandjules said:
Once her quality of life is terrible - be that too much pain or not eating, then it's time.
A blind cat will soon learn their way around the house - just don't move the furniture.
there is no black and white rule to when an animal should be put to sleep. Quality terrible, to me, means too long, ... declining quality of life, I think means an end is coming. I have an 18 yr old moggy, who has the memory of a goldfish, is 99% deaf, but has learnt not to go out near the road, eats and sleeps, happy as larry if you give her a tickle or even better some juicy food. I hate ot see her getting old and decrepit, but I believe she is happy enough to say ahe is enjoying her last year or whatever. She has learnt to anticipate some of the challenges of being deaf, I hope she doesn't go blind as well. A blind cat will soon learn their way around the house - just don't move the furniture.
I would strongly advise anyone unsure of their pet's prospects, to think how they would feel if they were the pet. No hope, incontinence, progressive weakness, then I wold want to be PTS. They can't choose, we can choose for them despite no written rules, and if you disagree with the word of some professional like me then go ask more people for a consensus, just cos you're a vet doesn't make you right, we should only be offering advice.....although in some cases, people are DUMB, hence my visit to court in a month for stunning indifference to an animal's condition. Hey ho, look after your friends as if they are.
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