Here’s the cat in question, resting on her brother: http://imgur.com/fqEPThV
So, she’s 17 closing in on 18. She’s had breast cancer before and had a good chunk of her abdomen sliced off 3 years ago. Went to the vet today and she confirmed that the cancer is back.
I am trying to get the money angle (500$) out of it but I’m not sure it’s wise to.
Even without the aspect of money, she barely made it out of surgery last time, had a pretty bad time after the surgery and I really don’t know how much it would spare her suffering and prolong her life to undergo surgery again.
So, I’m looking for input on when it’s time to euthanize her.
I’m assuming you’re asking because you plan to skip the surgery and let the cancer run its natural course, and you want to know when it’s time to call an end?
At any rate, the standard answer involves quality of life. Is she still eating and drinking? Peeing and pooping? Grooming herself as much as possible (accounting for arthritis etc.) and responding normally when petted? The fewer of those things are true, the worse the animal is feeling.
Cats, even old gimpy blind cats, have a “usual” behavior about them, which of course varies wildly from individual to individual because cats are Teh Weird. So as the person most familiar with this particular animal, it’s up to you to notice signs like not purring when getting scritches where she used to like it (or passively ignoring affection if she used to hate/avoid it*) and hiding in dark corners instead of being sociable at usual moments, things like that.
Pretty kitty, by the way. I love calico girls.
Not saying that’s the case for your cat, just trying to keep the generalities.
I agree with purplehorseshoe. My criteria is “Are they eating, drinking, pooping and purring?” If the answer is “no” to one or more of the above, then it’s time to go. (Considering the advanced age, of course.)
And PLEASE, whatever you do, stay with her until the very end. It’s heartbreakingly difficult but the very best thing you could ever do for her.
In my opinion, too many people wait “too long”; ie until the pet is having significantly reduced quality of life, or hurting (and many animals are quite stoic and will carry on with their usual behaviours while actually being in chronic pain and distress.
Last time I euthanised a dog I adored, she’d been diagnosed with bone cancer. Which is almost always fatal within a year and also extremely painful. She was feeling pretty good, I just noticed the limp and brought her in. She was, however at risk of her weakened leg shattering and her being in agony. She was the third Rottweiler I’d had with bone cancer and earlier that same year I’d spent a significant amount of money (which was fine) trying to buy more time for my boy. He died within three months of dx.
I decided that Daphne wasn’t nearly as mentally strong. She was a sweet older Rottweiler. Why put her through the stress of treatments, amputation and inevitable pain when she had a slim chance of meaningful survival? I didn’t want her to hurt, not at all. I had her pts when she was still feeling good, with my vet’s blessing.
Not much more to add than what has already been said, but here’s my personal anecdote:
I had a 14-year-old male cat whose rear end was pretty arthritic. It was obvious his rear wasn’t stable, and sometimes it would seem he was almost dragging it. We took him to a vet for an opinion, and while she didn’t exactly come out and say it in as many words, the inference that we got was to go ahead and put him down.
We decided not to because. . . he didn’t seem to be in any pain. He just couldn’t walk particularly well, and could no longer climb and jump. But he was alert, still eating well, and still doing his business, and would still start purring immediately after being touched.
We had him almost two more years until in some unknown accident, he broke one of his front legs, and while we didn’t want to go thru with it, we realized that given the circumstances, not going thru with it would have been worse for him.
That can be a really tough call to make. If it was my cat, at that age, with having a recurrence of cancer, I wouldn’t do any medical treatments. I would just take her home and make her as comfortable as possible until she starts to fail the quality-of-life tests, as others have mentioned.
Here’s an online quiz to check out how well your pet is getting along. If she has cancer, but she’s still eating and drinking and seems to be more normal than not, I’d hold off for now. When she starts missing those critical things, I’d start thinking about taking her in for The Last Visit.
I have a 15 year old cat who was diagnosed with kidney failure in May - I’m keeping a close eye on her, too. Best wishes for all of you.
Speaking of the last visit, as as a pet owner who’s lost a dog and three cats in the last few years, in most populated areas you can find vets who will come to your home and take care of things in friendly surroundings. My cats hated traveling, and my dog did not love going to the vet, so it made me feel a lot better about things that in each case, the last day did not involve a scary car ride and vet office.
Particularly for my dog, who really liked visitors and really liked this vet, it was a nice happy moment for her. Lots of treats and plenty of attention from old friends. And a nice nap.
My philosophy is if you are wondering if it’s time than it’s probably time. Animals don’t experience time the way we do, they live in the moment. They can’t think of a future where they might feel good again, they just know they hurt now. If I feel like I’d rather let them go a little too early, when they can still have a nice happy last day, than let it go too late and let them suffer. I’ve never thought I put an animal down too soon, but I definitely let one go too long, and I still regret it.
Oh and see if your vet will do a housecall. I’ve done housecalls for all the planned euthanizations and it’s really nicer on everyone.
Just dropping in to say I’m sorry to hear it. You’ve given her far more than most people could, she’s lucky to have had such a good life. Don’t wait until she’s miserable; if you can see it coming, act soon.
I don’t think there is a “right” or “wrong” time. Do what you can to keep her comfortable and when that doesn’t work, make her parting as painless as possible. It sounds like she has had a long and loved life, but at her age and condition, treatment or surgery with a dim prognosis would probably be a mistake.
I totally agree. I believe strongly in the idea of the Last Good Day. The last day should be one in which they enjoy all their favorite treats, sit in all their favorite spots, get petted and loved-on, and indulge in things which are normally not allowed (walk on the counter! lick the butter! go for it!). A day of fun and pleasure.
It is hard to put an animal down when they still doing “okay” but waiting too long an seeing them suffer is a mistake you’ll regret far more. Better a day (or a week or a month) too early than a day too late. God forbid she have a crisis late at night or on a sunday. Rushing a pet in distress to an unfamiliar vet isn’t an experience I’d wish on my worst enemy.
I just went through this between Christmas and Thanksgiving. I kept trying to hold on, but Slick want eating or socialising, so I made that decision to do what was best for him and hardest for me. Is the hardest part of owning pets. Best wishes.
My former vet (I loved him and still hate that I moved away) said that he’s never seen someone make the call too early, just too late. Given the number of times I sobbed in his exam and waiting rooms, he might have been just trying to make me feel better, but I doubt it.
Speaking of having a “last good day” - I read somewhere (likely Imgur, so may have come from Reddit) that on his cat’s last day this guy took a red thread, balled it up and led her to it with the laser pointer.
I’ve always heard that you should make a list of 3 things your cat likes to do. Say, she likes to eat, she likes to nap in a sunbeam, she likes to play with a toy. When those three things are gone, it’s time.
I have developed a different point of view. When those things are gone, it’s way past time. I don’t oppose letting nature take its course if the animal isn’t suffering, but if it is (or will be soon) then I think the Last Good Day policy is best.
Ah, she’s a beauty. Don’t put her through treatment; I can’t imagine that it will be worth the pain for her at her age. As for knowing when, remember better too early than too late and trust that as someone who loves her, you’ll know.
So, she’s being euthanized in less than 5 hours. I’m not torn up over it because it’s the best option for her at this point and I’ve done about as much as I could to give her a good life.
I do expect to feel quite sad though. This will be the first mourning I go through. I’ve lost family members in the past but I wasn’t emotionally attached to them. This cat has been with me most of my life.
The person I would usually rely on for emotional support is going through a depression.