Putting Your 14 Year Old Cat to Sleep

This may sound silly, but you'll know when it is time. You truly will. If you're still questioning it, than it's not time. I've had to have three cats put to sleep and for each, I agonized for weeks but then one day, I looked at my cat and *knew* that we were both ready.

Many hugs to you as you go through this.

It's never an easy decision to make, even when you know it's the right one. I had a cat that I bottle fed from three weeks old, and had to have her put down at 16 years due to arthritis so bad that she could barely get in and out of the litter box anymore. I let her linger longer than I should have because I just couldn't bring myself to put her down. When I finally did, I knew it was the best thing, and I still cried for weeks after.
When you do it, stay with him and hold him while he's getting the injection. Yes, it will be hard for you, but at least the last thing he will know is being in the arms of someone who loved him.

My cat died when he was 14 years old.
It was old age/age related health issues.
Mainly tumors/cancer.
He was very weakened and could not go through any surgery.
He deteriorated rather quickly, lost weight, could not eat etc. and could not control his bowels etc.
BUT through sheer will, he would make himself, come near us for comforting and just would lay in the middle of the family room, because that is where everyone would be and he could see us, and be with us.

He was in pain.
He was miserable.

We waited as long as we could... making him comfortable and loved.
I felt real bad for him. He was in pain.
One day, we put him in a box, got in the car, to go to the Vet, for a pain free putting him to sleep.
He KNEW that.
On the way to the vet.... he (to me and knowing him), he willed himself to die. I kept my hands on him, hugging him as my Husband drove, and all he did was look at me without blinking. He let out a pained meow.... and died. Right there. As though he was saying his last good-bye to us. In the car.
He did not want to leave our home... to die.
I felt sooooooo guilty.
I thought I was making the right decision... because he was in so much pain... to take him to the vet for a humane, putting him down.
I did not want him to be in so much pain, anymore.
It even hurt, when we'd pet him gently. His body just was so weak and sensitive already by then.
He kept himself alive by sheer will, and died by his own will.
He could not eat anymore.
And barely could take in anything by that point.
But he wanted to be home... to die.
Driving him to the vet in the car... he knew what was happening and why we were taking him.
It makes me sad, still.
I should have kept him home, to die. But I didn't want him to suffer anymore.
It really is a hard decision.
My cat, was a stray wild cat. I found him motherless as a baby... his Mom was dead, nearby in the bushes & I tamed him and he became a totally good pet. I was his Mom.
He was a very special cat.

I am sorry for your situation.
Just letting you know what happened in my situation.

all the best,
Susan

Remember, pets don't plan for tomorrow. Is he still enjoying his moments today? If not, then it is time. You really don't want to say you waited too long and the end was all pain filled. Says the daughter of a vet and owner of 4 fur babies. We put our lab down 2 years ago--it was hard, but we were able to be there with him, rather than him dying alone and possibly suffering a lot at the end. so sorry. we still miss our lab. I understand!

If he's not eating he's probably uncomfortable. That is the last part of the body shutting down. I used to work at a Vet hospital and we saw people all the time who waited too long. I would go with your gut. If he's not eating it's bad. I'm so sorry.
A.

Just a few weeks ago I had my 17-year-old sweet kitty euthanized. I agonized over the decision. For a couple years now she has had thyroid problems (my ex is a vet and removed her thyroid, but her problems persisted). She was skin and bones. I justified keeping her going because I didn't really consider that she was suffering. My sister-in-law who is a vet tech visited me in July and observed the cat and asked me why on earth I was continuing to let her struggle. It snapped me out of my indecision about her. I knew I couldn't keep her going just for me. It was a tough decision but I sure felt better after it was all over and I knew she was relieved of her pain. I'm sorry you are going through this. Hugs to you. Deep down you know what is best for your cat, but it's hard to decide when to do it.

Oh dear. I put my dog down today. He was in a lot of pain, unable to walk well, unable to pee easily, having a hard time breathing last night......

I can't really say it was easy to be there when the vet did her job, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. In the end, I know that he was in pain and he needed that it was just his time. He was 11 yrs old.

I am so sorry for your situation. I have a checklist the vet gave me, which I just found online by searching "HHHHHMM Scale" (Hurt, Hunger, Hydration, Hygiene, Happiness, Mobility, More good days than bad). I am glad I didn't type out the whole paper my vet gave me. On this website, it looks like there's one for dogs and one for cats. http://pawspice.com/qualityoflifescale.html

D. -

My heart is with you right now... As animal parents, we have the opportunity to give our babies a gift to NOT suffer. The problem is exactly what you said - its so final. Its a big decision and not one that is made lightly. I have done this now 5 - 8 times and it doesnt get easier. But I can tell you that its a process. From the moment you realize that your animal is sick, trying to get him to eat/drink/eliminate, to watching him deteriorate, to spending as much time with him as possible... Its a process that involves you and your family coming to terms with the impending loss, and KNOWING when the animal has finally had enough. I notice that each time - they are telling me goodbye. I hold them and talk to them, cry with them and ask them not to go. Then as I see them suffer, I realize I am being selfish asking them to hang on, then I ask them to go so I dont have to decide. At some point, it clicks in me and I see it in them, we have made peace with each other and they know, and I know, our friendship on this earth has come to an end, but that we will be together again one day.

Be strong. Be loving. Be thankful that we can stop their suffering. And work your way through this process. Best of luck to you!

I had to put my 17 year old cat down a couple years ago with the same issues. She was my "first child" also. It was very sad and emotional. We couldnt afford the $200 that the vet wanted to do it, so I took her to the humane society. At the vet they would have given her the shot and I would have gotten to sit with her while it took affect. At the humane society they carted her off and I had to leave. In retrospect, I wish I would have skipped a bill rather than abandoning her.

I'm sorry you are going through this..... we had to make that decision with our oldest cat some years ago.... she was older than my kids!

She had been losing weight, and I took her to the vet, and it turned out she had lost a lot of kidney function. We were able to maintain her on a special diet for several months, but she continued to lose weight. One day, it just looked like she had "shut down" ...... I took her to the vet, and they also agreed, that she really needed to be put to sleep. She had reached the point where she was just giving up.

It was such a hard day... I was working at a school when I talked to the vet, and I just bawled after that.

She was 18...... I still remember that feeling!

If anyone tries to tell you she's "Just an animal".... don't believe them... they are family, they love you, and you love them! (You won't be able to convince that person that, though... they don't understand the bond people have with their pets.)

Again... hugs to you, and your Shelby.

I so sorry about Shelby. Cats can be great companions.

When my cat was getting sickly, I looked for two things: "Does the cat eat?" and "Does the cat still seek interaction with the family?" Cats try to hide when their bodies are shutting down. Wait for the "no" answer for both questions.

Hugs.

It's very difficult because our pets are part of our family. I was a vet tech for many years and euthanized many animals. You will know when it is the right time but don't be selfish and wait too long. You will be emotional but don't worry about him....if I could go this way I would. Good luck.

I'm so sorry. I know it's hard but try and think about what is best for him. :(

If he is still active...I wouldn't until he shows signs of not willing to go to the bathroom on his own or has difficultly walking...he he seems to be in pain...then it's time.

We had to make this very difficult decision, too, but we know it was best for Kitty because she was suffering so much. You'll feel better letting her rest in peace once and for all, or at least we did. It was sad to say goodbye, and we miss her but she was miserable with pain and starving to death, so we did what we thought was best.

It's so hard and I'm so sorry! I had to put my 18 year old Boo down a week before my first child was born, and it STILL hurts -5 years later! You know when it's time. It's hard to admit at first, but if they won't eat, can't use the litter box, and are basically just lying there miserable without hope of coming back -you'll do it. It's one of the hardest things on this earth to do! I prayed for 3 nights that Boo would just die in his sleep, but he didn't.

It will be okay, and ultimately you will know that you did the right thing for your loved one. Take him back to the vet and get them to check him out, and that will give you some idea if he's gone into organ failure or what's going on. Sometimes it's fixable! When Boo was 15, he had liver surgery that gave us 3 more wonderful and frisky years! If it's not fixable, just get a good timeline from the vet and really watch him so his suffering is not prolonged.

Updated

It's so hard and I'm so sorry! I had to put my 18 year old Boo down a week before my first child was born, and it STILL hurts -5 years later! You know when it's time. It's hard to admit at first, but if they won't eat, can't use the litter box, and are basically just lying there miserable without hope of coming back -you'll do it. It's one of the hardest things on this earth to do! I prayed for 3 nights that Boo would just die in his sleep, but he didn't.

It will be okay, and ultimately you will know that you did the right thing for your loved one. Take him back to the vet and get them to check him out, and that will give you some idea if he's gone into organ failure or what's going on. Sometimes it's fixable! When Boo was 15, he had liver surgery that gave us 3 more wonderful and frisky years! If it's not fixable, just get a good timeline from the vet and really watch him so his suffering is not prolonged.

I am so sorry to hear your story.

I had a beloved cat who was 18 when I had to put down about 3 months before I got pregnant. So that was 5 years ago and I still tear up thinking about it. He had thyroid disease his whole life and had been on tapazole and was getting a bit decrepit in 2004 (he was 16) when we got a labrador retriever puppy. Well that just perked him right up - for some reason he loved the puppy dry food we fed our pup and the pup always let him eat first - and I always said it was getting the pup that put some life back into him for a few years - he was always playing with him. But about 2 years later he started declining, lost weight, stopped eating. I brought him in to the vet, he was in to get fluids and tons of tests - nothing was wrong he just wouldn't eat or drink really. I gave him saline injections under his skin, they swore they got him to eat baby food but I couldn't get him to eat anything. One day soon after I came home and he was just laying in the litter box - he had gone in but couldn't get back out. I felt I had no choice - he couldn't even stand up anymore. I finally brought him to the vet and had him euthanized. It was very painful and I felt like I didn't have any choice because there was nothing left to do for him.

The bottom line is you have to use your own judgement and feel ok with your decision. If he's still drinking and getting around and doesn't appear to be in pain it may not yet be time.

I'm so sorry. It's such a hard journey, that last trip to the vet's....
Cats are very stoic, and don't show much discomfort (at least that's my experience). So don't wait until he really seems to be suffering. Pick a day when he's doing okay and make that the goodbye day (or plan it ahead further). Give him tons of love (in whatever way he & you deem best) that day and then take him in. Make an appointment to take him in, so that you're not waiting in the waiting room, stressing him & you. Plan ahead where you want to put his remains (ie, cremate, or bury or leave with the vet). Take a friend with you to drive you home if you think you won't be able to (I was crying so hard after I could barely breathe, let alone drive....)

Also, you can try giving him the tuna "juice" (water drained from the can of water packed tuna), or chicken or beef broth to gry to get him to drink.

Animals don't understand suffering or understand that there might be an end to it or a "higher purpose," so IMO, letting the cat go before he really seems to be utterly miserable is a kindness for him (though it's a lot harder on us, because there is no definite "This must be the end" moment for us to clutch on to).

It is such a hard thing to do. I've had to do it more times than I ever wanted to, but each time I just knew it was time. You can see it in their eyes that life just isn't enjoyable for them and they are suffering. Each time it started with not eating, it is the cats way of saying it is time for me to go. I'm crying now just thinking about my babies over the years I've had to put to sleep. I agree, take a day and say goodbye. You will be glad you did it years from now but the pain is terrible.
Best of luck.

So sorry you have to go throught this. Our fur babies are a part of the family. You have gotten lots of good advice here and I concur with most of it. Just don't let the kitty suffer. Google the poem, The Rainbow Bridge, where it tells how when they leave us they are young and healthy and running free again and are waiting for the day that we join them there. It will make you feel better, hopefully.

OMGoodness, I am so so sorry. My beloved cat became unexpectedly sick & within two days of us finding out of her ailments we had her put to sleep. One night, I discovered a mass on her chin, the next day we were in the vet's office w/them telling me she had a very aggressive tumor, the day after that we put her down. When they told me she was sick and it was only about a week before she really began to feel the pain and become unable to eat, the decision was easy...I knew we had to ease her pain. I hated to do it, but, it just had to be done. We had planned to bring her in a couple of days after her diagnosis, but, that night, she couldn't even swallow her food, so the next day, I was rushing to get her in b/c I just knew she was ready. She was in so much pain. I feel bad b/c all this came up out of nowhere and it was just a shock.

DH and I had ALWAYS agreed that if our pets were suffering from any kind of old age or a life-threatening disease, that we would make the decision to ease their suffering and put them down. No, it's not ideal, but, it's just not fair to prolong their life & allow them to be in pain just to have them with us another day. Putting my cat down was one of the hardest things I had to do, but, it was for the best.