Cat Euthanasia

There are times when we all have to make difficult decisions, but for me the most difficult is and always will be, making the decision to have euthanasia on an animal. This was the decision I had to make this weekend regarding my cat Trouble.

As my long suffering reader will know, I have had her for over fifteen years and she was about two years old when I got her, and she has had very good health. But over the last couple of years she has developed Alzheimer's and has to be shown where the water and food is. Fortunately she never seemed to forget where her litter try was. Therefore when she would occasionally suffer from vomiting, I never knew if it was just that she had tried to over eat having allowed herself to get hungry or if she was really unwell.

Well it became clear that she really was becoming very unwell and was starting to suffer. It was this aspect that made me decide to have her put to sleep. I had tried to make her last days as comfortable as I could, but it was clear that this could not be put off any longer, as trying to keep her alive was adding to her suffering.

So on Monday I took her to the vets and she was put to sleep. I was able to stay with her while it was done too. Not something I enjoyed, but I could keep stroking and fussing her and I got to see for myself that it was genuinely painless and quick.

I got her from an animal rescue charity and it was in fact another cat that I was being shown but she started rubbing herself against my proffered hand. It surprised the staff as she had clearly been abused and normally would cower away from people. Well I took her on and while she had her moments when she would show the effect of that earlier abuse, she thrived with me.

I took her on knowing that she would be with me for many years, and fifteen years plus two or three, is a good age for a cat. We parted with me rubbing her face just as she had done when we first met.

I will miss the little pest too.