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(Sorry if this isn't the right place for such a post - it concerns cat death/euthanasia, but I didn't want to hijack the Crossing the Bridge forum - feel free to move elsewhere if necessary!)
I'm in the middle of a frustrating and confusing moral dilemma regarding cats and euthanasia, and wondered if any of you had a different opinion or wanted to play devil's advocate...
Long story short: today I saw a post on one of my local pet groups, by a woman who recently had to move back to her home country, but had to leave her two cats here in foster care while she tries to fundraise for their plane tickets. One of the cats has been terminally ill for a long time and is now in critical condition (like, she's going to die within a day or two). The woman is broke, but had found a vet clinic willing to euthanize the cat for very cheap with a payment plan. So, since she's not in the country, she posted begging someone to go get her cat from the foster home tomorrow and take it to that specific vet to be euthanized. However, the foster home happened to be 3 hours away from that vet office. Even if someone with a car offered (let alone taking the subway/bus), that's an extremely long and stressful journey for a dying cat.
I felt so sympathetic for this poor little cat, and it seemed really urgent, so I immediately messaged her and offered to do it. I just got my paycheck recently along with a bonus, so I offered to just take her to a local vet nearby the foster home, and said I would cover the euthanasia costs completely. That way, the kitty could pass peacefully under minimal stress, and the woman wouldn't have to worry about finances. To my shock, the woman declined, but asked if she could still take my financial offer and use it to fund her other cat's plane ticket instead (while also still asking me to take her dying cat on the subway/bus for 3 hours to the cheap vet office).
I was stunned. I thought about how traumatizing it would be for this cat... already suffering and dying, then taken by a complete stranger, forced to endure the noise and chaos of subways and buses for three hours, constantly jostled around in a carrier with all the transfers I would have to make, then taken into a vet office and poked and prodded and then finally dying. I didn't say all of that to the woman but I expressed my worry that she could possibly die during the travel, or at least experience a hellish last few hours of suffering, and reiterated that I was willing to completely cover the costs of euthanasia at a local vet and make sure that her baby experienced the best possible quality of life for her last few hours... But again, she declined and said she'd rather use my "financial gift" to pay for her other cat's flight ticket. Didn't even address my concerns.
I still haven't replied to her, because I honestly don't know what to say. As much as I want to help this cat, I don't think my conscience will allow me to do as the owner is asking. I just can't let a dying cat suffer needlessly in immense stress for 3 hours, when I am fully capable of letting her rest and be at peace within 20 minutes. Honestly, she might be better off dying quietly at the foster home in a familiar place than potentially dying on that awful subway ride. I felt a bit guilty because I did technically offer money to help her, but I offered it with the specific purpose of helping this dying cat's last day go more peacefully, not to just give this woman money to be nice.
I feel awful for this kitty... and I still wish I could just help her get to a local vet and be with her when she passes... but I just don't think I can do the 3-hour subway/bus thing, morally. It feels wrong to me. I just couldn't put a living creature through that, knowing that I had full capacity to prevent that suffering. I hope the woman finds someone else, maybe someone with a car who can drive the cat at least... but I just don't think I can say yes to her request.
What would you do? Do you think I'm being too judgmental about the owner's choice in this situation? When does practicality of the whole situation become a higher priority than an individual creature's quality of life?
I'm in the middle of a frustrating and confusing moral dilemma regarding cats and euthanasia, and wondered if any of you had a different opinion or wanted to play devil's advocate...
Long story short: today I saw a post on one of my local pet groups, by a woman who recently had to move back to her home country, but had to leave her two cats here in foster care while she tries to fundraise for their plane tickets. One of the cats has been terminally ill for a long time and is now in critical condition (like, she's going to die within a day or two). The woman is broke, but had found a vet clinic willing to euthanize the cat for very cheap with a payment plan. So, since she's not in the country, she posted begging someone to go get her cat from the foster home tomorrow and take it to that specific vet to be euthanized. However, the foster home happened to be 3 hours away from that vet office. Even if someone with a car offered (let alone taking the subway/bus), that's an extremely long and stressful journey for a dying cat.
I felt so sympathetic for this poor little cat, and it seemed really urgent, so I immediately messaged her and offered to do it. I just got my paycheck recently along with a bonus, so I offered to just take her to a local vet nearby the foster home, and said I would cover the euthanasia costs completely. That way, the kitty could pass peacefully under minimal stress, and the woman wouldn't have to worry about finances. To my shock, the woman declined, but asked if she could still take my financial offer and use it to fund her other cat's plane ticket instead (while also still asking me to take her dying cat on the subway/bus for 3 hours to the cheap vet office).
I was stunned. I thought about how traumatizing it would be for this cat... already suffering and dying, then taken by a complete stranger, forced to endure the noise and chaos of subways and buses for three hours, constantly jostled around in a carrier with all the transfers I would have to make, then taken into a vet office and poked and prodded and then finally dying. I didn't say all of that to the woman but I expressed my worry that she could possibly die during the travel, or at least experience a hellish last few hours of suffering, and reiterated that I was willing to completely cover the costs of euthanasia at a local vet and make sure that her baby experienced the best possible quality of life for her last few hours... But again, she declined and said she'd rather use my "financial gift" to pay for her other cat's flight ticket. Didn't even address my concerns.
I still haven't replied to her, because I honestly don't know what to say. As much as I want to help this cat, I don't think my conscience will allow me to do as the owner is asking. I just can't let a dying cat suffer needlessly in immense stress for 3 hours, when I am fully capable of letting her rest and be at peace within 20 minutes. Honestly, she might be better off dying quietly at the foster home in a familiar place than potentially dying on that awful subway ride. I felt a bit guilty because I did technically offer money to help her, but I offered it with the specific purpose of helping this dying cat's last day go more peacefully, not to just give this woman money to be nice.
I feel awful for this kitty... and I still wish I could just help her get to a local vet and be with her when she passes... but I just don't think I can do the 3-hour subway/bus thing, morally. It feels wrong to me. I just couldn't put a living creature through that, knowing that I had full capacity to prevent that suffering. I hope the woman finds someone else, maybe someone with a car who can drive the cat at least... but I just don't think I can say yes to her request.
What would you do? Do you think I'm being too judgmental about the owner's choice in this situation? When does practicality of the whole situation become a higher priority than an individual creature's quality of life?