# Putting an animal "to sleep" at home **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 27, 2002, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-an-animal-to-sleep-at-home/134099 "2002-10-27T11:13:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ginger\_Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df788c/32.png) [@Ginger\_Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ginger_Ale)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-an-animal-to-sleep-at-home/134099/21 "2002-10-30T18:49:20Z")
/cry I’m SO sorry to hear that 7. Reminds me of my childhood cat, George. He was 17 years old, toothless, blind, slept all the time and in the end was unable to move to the cat box in time. Dad had to take him in. He gave him a pill… I forget what it was. He didn’t suffer in death like he did his last few months. The vet gave him a shot… it was all over within a few seconds… so said Dad. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-an-animal-to-sleep-at-home/134099/22 "2002-10-30T23:26:43Z")
Call your vet and ask him this same question. He may be able to give you pills or something that will make the cat actually sleep, so you can then bring him to the office to be put to sleep. (Not that pilling a cat is a nontraumatic experience for human or cat, but he would probably forgive you during the time before falling asleep. You may even be able to get something topical - a number of cat medicines can be applied to the ears). Or you may be surprised at the low cost of a house call - a lot of vets are big softies for easing a dying animal’s distress any way they can. They wouldn’t be in the job if they didn’t love animals. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-an-animal-to-sleep-at-home/134099/23 "2002-10-30T23:30:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Super Gnat \* > \*\*I’m not sure about that. I remember a case around my way a year or two ago where a whole family died of carbon monixide poisoning from a running car in the garage. Admittedly I don’t know what kind of car they had, but it was prob not circa 1969. \*\* I’d assume that if you find that story and look more into it you’ll find the car was in a garage in a closed in basement while the rest of the family was asleep. That would be the most likely possibility. The family goes to sleep (here is the extended period of time) and the gas builds up and seeps into the house. Oh, and I’d bring it to a vet. I wouldn’t do it myself for fear of only hurting it more. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-an-animal-to-sleep-at-home/134099/24 "2002-10-31T00:31:54Z")
Just to clear up, I wasn’t really planning on a “home cure”. I too would be afraid of messing it up and having Crazy Bean on the floor gagging and puking like a junkie. I was mostly wondering if this is something someone has done before and what options there were. I really like the idea of Crazy Bean just going to sleep on the bed he always sleeps on,. but just not waking up. I think I can still achive this with pills from the vet right before I take him in. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-an-animal-to-sleep-at-home/134099/25 "2002-10-31T01:06:01Z")
You might want to try giving your local animal shelter, humane society or similar a call. They will quite often perform veterinary procedures for the public at a lower cost than a regular vet. Under no circumstances attempt medicating your own animal - apart from the likelihood of getting the doses wrong, different animals respond differently to different drugs. Yes, plenty of people had had their animals put down at home. the only problem I see with the scenario which you envisage is co-ordinating the time when Crazy Bean is maximally tranquilised and out of it with the vets visit to euthanase him. I think you’ll probably find that there are even services available which will come to the home, euthanase your pet and arrange cremation or burial. I hope you find the solution you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-an-animal-to-sleep-at-home/134099/26 "2002-10-31T01:10:56Z")
I just did a google on the topic, and got [pages](http://www.google.com/search?q=pet+%2Beuthanasia+%2Bhome&sourceid=opera&num=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8) of hits. I hope at least some of them will be for services located near you. ---
**Author:** ![Ak2001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/34f0e0/32.png) [@Ak2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ak2001)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-an-animal-to-sleep-at-home/134099/27 "2013-01-03T21:03:28Z")
You people are sick bastards you are So cheap you have to kill your animals if thats The case don’t have any animals at all setting A hamster on fire that’s so peaceful… NOT how would u like to be set on fire or beat To death with a hammer take it to the vet like normal People oh and suficating is not peaceful The only peaceful way is to be put down by a Vet. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-an-animal-to-sleep-at-home/134099/28 "2013-01-03T21:12:19Z")
That post is a decade old. No point in responding. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-an-animal-to-sleep-at-home/134099/29 "2013-01-03T21:13:23Z")
We’ve learned a lot in 10 years. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-an-animal-to-sleep-at-home/134099/30 "2013-01-03T21:47:28Z")
It’s a bit early for the SDMB poetry contest Isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-an-animal-to-sleep-at-home/134099/31 "2013-01-03T21:50:41Z")
Since this is an old thread that has been revived pointlessly, I’m closing it. Colibri General Questions Moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-an-animal-to-sleep-at-home/134099.md?page=1)