Euthanasia

[WaltS]

When I struggled with the idea of ending the life of my first cat, I read some online comments from people who had experienced the procedure, and one comment stayed with me: "A good death is the last gift you can give to your beloved pet."

Yes, the decision is awful and fraught with guilt, regret, etc., but I just ended the life of my CRF cat last week, and knowing how he was suffering was enough for me.

I think a good vet can help. With my first cat, I was in tears and asked my wonderful vet, "Am I making the right decision?" He responded, "I'm the animal's advocate, and if I didn't think this was the right decision, I'd be arguing with you--and I'm not."

The vet won't make the decision for you--but they can be comforting. For example, with this recent cat with whom we tried SubQ, etc., my vet finally said, "The decision is yours, but I will come whenever you call and will not object in any way." What she was basically saying is that she knew it was 'almost' time, but as the animal's constant companion, I was in the best position to know when it should happen. I'd hoped to get a few more days with him than I did, but when it was time, I knew it. To keep him alive beyond that would be to make him suffer so that I wouldn't have to 'decide.'

In my opinion, that's selfish.

Agree 100%. I always think about what's best for the animal and not myself. I look at the quality of life of the animal. We don't know what level of pain an animal is feeling unless they're vocal but we can tell by their demeanor whether they're feeling pain or discomfort. For me the argument that we're deciding something that a human should not decide for an animal is thrown out the moment we start caring for the animals.

 

[nansiludie]

This thread makes me cry as I have had to make this decision too many times in my life. Just recently a week ago, for my poor Sylvester. FeLv had him weakened so bad, he was always a tough and prideful cat and he was then weak and not prideful. It hurt to see him like that and to let him go, but I couldn't make him stay, not for me, not like that. Not longer than he'd wanted to be. I feel badly for those that live with the guilt but let me tell you, the guilt of making them stay, longer than they would've wanted, is worse, far worse.

 

[valentine319]

The decision to put my little man to sleep wasn't for me. It was for him. Those of us that love our animals as family members we put their quality of life first. Yes, I still question if I should have done it earlier despite if I should have. I spent months feeding him every 2 hours hoping he could eat. Hoping it wouldn't pass through his system without him getting nutrients. I didn't sleep much. I cried a lot. I knew there would be a day to let him go. He was very vocal so the day I took him in he had cried and was tapping my leg that morning. I asked him if it was time and felt his crying and tapping my leg was a yes.

I stayed with him as he passed. I didn't hold him. He had been hurting and acted like the table he was on eased his pain. He had been poisoned years before from tainted iams. He got ibd and we're pretty sure he had stomach cancer. So at the age of 14, no you never get enough time with them, i let him go.

You feel so empty leaving. So many people who have never had a real relationship with an animal won't get the on and off crying. Many of us love them more than some people.

I lost my other cat just under a year later. She went to sleep and never woke up. Now from my experience euthanasia or them just passing both come with "what did I not do that could have saved them". We question if we did enough. What we didn't know. Mistakes we made.

Both ways there's never enough time. We always question well everything. It doesn't hurt less. It does take more strength to know they are in pain and to choose the time to let them go. It takes more to put them in carrier for the last time. To try not to fall apart because it might upset them. To finally take them back in the vet office and stay and let them go.

I do believe there needs to be more emphasis on society understanding how much of a loss this is to us. I've had relatives that I could care less that passed. Euthanasia is the right choice in certain cases. It's a huge loss. Your companion just passed how does that not count as horrible. It's death of a loved one. We do it because it's the best choice for them. It's one of the most selfless acts we can do for a suffering loved one.

 

[Miry-Mom]

I can't think of anything harder than say to goodbye to a loved one.

While I haven't ever had to make the decision to help a kitty over to the rainbow bridge, I did have to do so for our families Boston terrier last year due to cancer with heart failure and fluid in her lungs. She was the best pupper a family could ever ask for and my family was shattered at her loss. We were there to love on her to the very end and I know that I made the right decision to let her go peacefully and end her suffering.

Caring for our furbabies is a huge responsibility, but I think its also a tremendous blessing. Selfless love is a rare thing in this world, but our pets tend to give it with such ease. They teach us to the very end, don't they? So whether my loves are lost to old age and a peaceful sleep, or due to illness and the mercy of a good death; I will do whatever is necessary to ensure that I am always on their side.