Dying cat

pastoralia · March 2009

My cat of 14 years is not doing very well. She's lost a lot of weight and is now just skin and bones. She pukes everywhere and has recently started defecating under the bed and in corners of our apartment. I can't really tell if she's miserable or not because she's always hiding. She still has a good appetite but she sort of just binges and purges.

I'm not sure what I should do but I think she needs to be put down. I don't really want to do it but I don't think there's a better option. I don't know how this works? Do I take her to a vet and have them do it? Do you just walk in and say "She's sick"? Has anyone else has to do this? Any recommendations on where to take her? And, yes, I am going to ask it in these tough economic times: how much will it cost?

She's had a good life and traveled with me all around the country but I think it's time.

pitu · March 2009

sorry about your cat, pastoralia

Why don't you go to Hope Vet and have her checked out -- call and make an appointment. Either there's something they can do for her, or you can have her put down.

There's a few threads about this topic on the Brooklyn Pets board of Brooklynian. I've never dealt with this with cats, but dogs sure let you know when it's time if you're paying attention. Good luck.

apresvu · March 2009

Defintely go to Hope. I take my cat there and fortunately she's never been in as bad as shape as your kitty(who's also 14) Who knows if they can treat your kitty but a few of my friends have had to put their pets down and they said Hope treated them very well when it comes to that sad time. Check it out soon because it sounds like your kitty is highly distressed. I don't know how much it costs to put a cat down but treatment for a very sick animal can quickly add up.

scarlett · March 2009

pastoralia, that is so sad. So sorry!
I worked at the Humane Society and people would often bring in their pets to be put down at a similar stage as your kitty. Some people prefer to deal with the mess and try to make their pets as comfortable as possible at home until the end, and some think they must be suffering and it's better to bring them in. It's a really personal decision.

bookistan · March 2009

I also recommend Hope. We had a dog on his last legs (literally) a couple of years ago and this vet was recommended to us. I suggest you call in advance to explain the situation. The vet there is very sympathetic and everything is handled in the best way possible, even down to the environment of the room in which the pet is put down. You will be sad but you'll know you did the best for your cat.

legoflambchop · March 2009

i highly recommend Animal Kind over Hope. the staff there are caring (esp. dr. morehead!). for all you know, your kitty just needs a checkup and some meds to regulate a chonic, manageable condition like thyroid dysfunction.
i urge you to bring her in for a checkup and find out what's wrong before putting her to sleep.
good luck with her. i hope she gets better.

veets · April 2009

There is a reality of economics here. I agree that the cat needs to be examined before any decision can be made about whether her condition means that the humane thing to do is euthenasia. If you have given her regular vet care then you do owe the cat and you one last exam before any decision could be made. if you have no regular vet then the recommendations of Hope and Animal Kind are god ones. However, I do understand that if the money is not there then what you are loking for is a humane way to end her suffering and what you describe definitely bespeaks that the animal is suffering.

peanuts · April 2009

So sorry...but you do need to bring it to the vet...I love Dr. Maddon at Park Slope Vet care on 5th...but you just need to bring it somewhere. (and it may be a thyroid condition). Please keep us posted...I feel for you.

the chipster · April 2009

Cats do not provide milk nor wool or meat.- Dwight Shrute

legoflambchop · April 2009

chipster - you are a heartless fool.
ditto for that shrute fella.

seriously, when you adopt a pet, you take on the financial responsibility that comes with it. hopefully by now you've taken her to the vet to find out what's wrong with her. if not, make an appointment ASAP.
wouldn't you want your caregiver (which is what you are to your cat) to do the same for you if you were sick?

caseopele · April 2009

The Chipster wrote: Cats do not provide milk nor wool or meat.- Dwight Shrute

Cats provide something greater than milk, wool, or meat as anyone who shares their home with a cat can tell you.

Pastoralia, I have no better advice for you, just know my heart is with you and your girl.

withachaser · April 2009

hey, best wishes for the most humane outcome for you and your furry and human family. as many posters have suggested, a checkup and diagnosis are necessary first steps, regardless of final outcome. it MAY just be an easily remedied problem that can be treated with meds.

that being said. i put my big gorgeous german shepherd down exactly a year ago, a few months shy of his 10th birthday. i believe in my heart i did the right thing at the right time. he was suffering. he was also, at times, full of love and life during his decline and some thought i did it prematurely for this reason. economic factors are a reality and they also played into my decision. aside from the considerable expense of the diagnostic testing and other procedures he had to endure over several months, he was also on $1500 a month meds for the last 2-3 months that just made him more ill, albeit in different ways.

i decided to euthanize him when he was unable to enjoy being a dog more often than not and elected to discontinue intensive medical treatment in the distaste for prolonging that status (and incurring additional huge debt in the process, also). i did it at animal kind and the only regret i still have is that i didn't get them to come to my home to do it (they offer this service) so that he wouldn't have to deal with the anxiety of going to the vet for the last time. it's not that expensive if you dont opt for post-mortem options (a couple hundred dollars).

peace in your decision.

brooklyngigcenter · April 2009

When animals are ready to go, they'll often go into hiding, or out into the woods to die. It's unfortunately a clear sign with your cat.

I'm also a cat owner who really loves his cat, so please accept my sincere sympathy for what you're going through.

peanuts · April 2009

MODs, I think Chipster's post should be deleted.
Pastoralia - I really feel for you. I've been through a lot of illness with one of my cats recently (he seems to be a survivor) - and I did have to euthanize one many many years ago..it's really hard but you do know in your heart it's the right thing to do.

slope4-35yrs · April 2009

So sorry to read your post. I've been through this more times than I want to remember (I've had about 5 generations of kitty-companions)
I've had Animal Kind as my vet for the past 20 years and am satisfied with them (esp. Dr. Mateyak, but is she still there?)
My last kittie-girl was 17 and had been diagnosed with kidney disease 2 years before she finally passed away. She needed daily hydration which Dr. M. helped me administer and when the time came that that didn't work anymore (the night before Thanksgiving didn't help) we went down to Animal Kind and I held her while the dr. gave a shot. She died in my arms. It was clean and serene. They sent me her ashes which I have on my mantle.
Another cat was diagnosed with cancer and before I could get her to the vet she died in my bed, a very much more traumatic scene to see her take a gasp and die!(my friend came and took away the body; twenty years later he told me he buried it in his mother's back yard on SI)
The day before she died, though, the cat jumped out the third floor window and huddled on the ledge next door. I had to frantically ring doorbells and climb after her on adjacent ledges.
If you've not had much experience, you should know that cats - maybe other animals too - try to crawl away to die when they don't feel well. I had a friend whose cat wedged itself behind her stove and died.
So, of the alternatives, if it is that time, I think it's more humane to take it to the vet.
Condolences.

veets · April 2009

Dr Mtyryak is still at nimal kind and I san't say enough great things about her and the care she has given to all my pets.

Dying cat

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