Saying Goodbye: Euthanasia and Your Cat
Making the decision to say goodbye and euthanase your cat will never be easy, even when your cat is old or very sick. As cat “parents”, we have a responsibility to maintain a good quality of life for our cats, and sometimes euthanasia is the last caring act we can do for them.
One of the frequently asked questions we receive is “How do I know it is time?” Well, you are certainly the best person to make that judgement as you are in a uniquely close relationship with your feline friend. To assist you in making the decision at the right time, a Quality of Life scale can be used.
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Quality of Life Scale |
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| Cat caregivers can use this Quality of Life Scale to determine the success of pawspice care. Score patients using a scale of 1 to 10, with a score of 10 meaning an excellent quality of life in this category.
e.g. score 10 for “hurt” means no evidence of any pain, score 10 for “hunger” means your cat is eating normally |
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| Score | Criterion |
| H: 0 – 10 | HURT Adequate pain control, including breathing ability, is first and foremost on the scale. Is your cat’s pain successfully managed? Is oxygen necessary? |
| H: 0 – 10 | HUNGER Is your cat eating enough? Does hand feeding or warming the food help? Do they require a feeding tube? |
| H: 0 – 10 | HYDRATION Is your cat dehydrated? For cats that are not drinking enough, use subcutaneous fluids once or twice daily to supplement fluid intake. |
| H: 0 – 10 | HYGIENE Your cat should be brushed and cleaned, particularly after elimination. Avoid pressure sores and keep all wounds clean. |
| H: 0 – 10 | HAPPINESS Does your cat express joy and interest? Do they still purr and enjoy attention? Are they responsive to things around them (family, toys, etc.)? Is your cat depressed, lonely, anxious, bored or afraid? Can their bed be close to the family activities and not be isolated? |
| M: 0 – 10 | MOBILITY Can your cat still move around without assistance or do they need human help? Does your cat feel like going out into the garden/cat run? Is your cat having seizures or stumbling? (Some caregivers feel euthanasia is preferable to amputation, yet an cat who has limited mobility but is still alert and responsive can have a good quality of life as long as caregivers are committed to helping the cat.) |
| M: 0 – 10 | MORE GOOD DAYS THAN BAD When bad days outnumber good days, quality of life might be compromised. When a healthy human-animal bond is no longer possible, the caregiver must be made aware the end is near. The decision needs to be made if the cat is suffering. If death comes peacefully and painlessly, that is okay. |
| *TOTAL= | *A total >35 points is acceptable for a good pawspice |
Adapted by Villalobos, A.E., Quality of Life Scale Helps Make Final Call, VPN, 09/2004, for Canine and Feline Geriatric Oncology Honoring the Human-Animal Bond, by Blackwell Publishing, Table 10.1, released 2006.
We are always able to help you with this decision. By making an appointment with one of our veterinarians they can examine your cat, discuss possible diagnoses for their problems and give you an idea of their chances of recovery. While we cannot make this serious decision for you, we are happy to answer any questions you may have.
Once you have decided to have your cat put to sleep, you may like to arrange for family and friends to say goodbye. Depending on the seriousness of your cat’s condition, this could be through a final night at home, or by having your family meet you at the Cat Hospital. Please feel free to ask us if you would like to arrange this. With prior notice we can usually arrange an extended visit. Every person is different when it comes to saying goodbye and expressing grief. You may prefer to remember your cat when they were healthy and not be there for the procedure. This is absolutely fine too.
It is usually best to decide beforehand what you would like to do with your cat’s body afterwards. There are several options available. You can:
- Take your cat home for burial – be aware the council discourages burying them in your backyard due to groundwater contamination concerns. There are pet cemeteries in operation in Perth. Euthanased animals must be buried deep to prevent other animals potentially being exposed to the anaesthetic drug also.
- Leave them with us for group cremation. this means you do not receive their ashes back.
- Arrange for a pet cremation service to pick your cats body up from the Hospital and return their ashes to you (a separate fee is involved).
If you would like to be with your cat for the euthanasia, it helps to know exactly what to expect. Your vet will administer an overdose of an anaesthetic drug which is usually given into the front leg vein and shortly thereafter (within a minute or so) your cat will fall asleep and stop breathing. The vet will then check that their heart has stopped. In older, frailer animals, or very sick animals, it can be difficult for us to find a vein. In some cases a catheter may need to be placed in the leg or your cat may need to be sedated and have the anaesthetic injected into an organ where it is quickly absorbed. Most commonly this is the kidney. Even once the heart has stopped, sometimes they will appear to be taking deep breaths or twitching, these are due to nerve impulses and can be disturbing to see, but rest assured your cat is already gone and is not suffering.
For tiny kittens access to a vein is harder and the injection is usually given into an organ. We will endeavour to allow you to be present for the procedure but if gaseous anaesthesia is required to handle them, this may not always be possible.
While the process of euthanasia can be stressful for some animals, apart from the small pain of injection, this is a quick and pain free procedure. While it is happening we usually prefer and allow you to touch and talk to your cat to reassure them.
Once your cat has been euthanased, it may then take some time to come to terms with your loss. Talking with friends and family can certainly help to deal with this, but if you feel you need further counselling we can provide you with numbers to contact. The process of grieving is an individual one and while getting a new cat straight away may help some people; this should only be done after careful consideration.
Some helpful links for you during this difficult time:
Passing Paws Pet Cremations (grief counseling services available)
www.veterinarytrust.murdoch.edu.au/memoriam.html
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