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Original poster

Would you have your cat put down because

78 replies

LadyRussell · 18/06/2018 22:29

She is 17.

She has lost 1/3 of her body weight in the last 4 months but blood tests which cost £250 are really good, clear and nothing wrong with her kidneys or liver.

She is eating twice what she used to eat and scavenging for food constantly and shitting all over the house even though she has a litter tray - tonight she curled a massive shit down in the middle of the dining room table.

What do I do Sad

OP posts:
Somethingsfallendown · 18/06/2018 23:21

Meant 'their'. Must be tired.

MorningsEleven · 18/06/2018 23:21

I also think keeping elderly pets alive as long as possible in a sorry state is just about meeting owners' needs, not the animal

I agree.

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 18/06/2018 23:23

My friends cat has diabetes lost lots of weight always hungry eating far more than normal and would always be scavenging for food and really erratic behavior

It took a while to diagnose and then get her insulin right but she is fine now

But I would have thought your cat would have been tested for this maybe i missed that post sorry if I have

Wolfiefan · 18/06/2018 23:24

If a cat is suffering it is time.
OP hasn't tried lower litter trays, different litter, more trays.
Thyroid appears not to have been ruled out.
PTS without doing that first is jumping the gun.

BlankTimes · 18/06/2018 23:24

One of mine is stressed sometimes, not old, so I put puppy pads in all the corners of a couple of rooms so if she finds the always kept clean litter trays not to her taste, at least the clearing up is easier for me. B+M do 100 pads for £12.99

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 18/06/2018 23:28

I had my old cat pts she was 13. She had treatment for poor kidney function and the vet said she could have it again but she was miserable staying at the vets and it made her very weak. I decided to think about it but over a few days she deteriorated and I just felt it was kinder to let her go. It was very quick and peaceful and the kindest thing to do she had a wonderful life

There is no need for animals to suffer

YoThePussy · 18/06/2018 23:29

We had an old boy of 19 who started peeing and pooing in the house. I took him to the vets to have his claws clipped (couldn’t get about much so wasn’t wearing them down) and asked their advice. They suggested to see how he was over the summer when he could go in the garden readily. He had a lovely last summer sleeping in the garden and doing his business. Come the colder weather he was back in peeing and pooing. It was soul destroying to watch a formerly lovely clean boy become incontinent. We kept him going for as long as we felt he was happy, eating and purring. Deaf as a post too so used to chirrup loudly when he saw me. One day he was not good and had been beaten up by a neighbours cat who came in and stole his food. The vet said he could could be kept going for another six weeks with antibiotics etc but agreed it would be a kindness to let him go.

In short if you can let your girl have a last summer and have a garden do it. She can always be kept in one room at nights so she doesn’t get into mischief in the garden overnight. Good luck, it is a horrible and sad situation to be in.

StillMedusa · 18/06/2018 23:32

My oldest cat is 18 and a half. In November I was sure she was dying...she is in slow kidney failure, thin as a rail and was peeing (and pooing) everywhere.
But the vet gave her meds which perked her up, and I changed the litter for soft grit, got low trays..put an extra upstairs as she was peeing on the bath mat, and low and behold she is still with us.
She is a bit deaf, and has some degree of dementia (does a lot of old lady yowling) but still purrs at us and still enjoys pottering in the garden.

It took a bit of time to get things right for her, and she does still pee in naughty places, but I figure she has been our faithful little bossy boots for 18 years and I can ride it out until her quality of life is poor.

DO get the vet to check for hyperthyroidism... thin and hungry is a very usual sign!

MamaMiapartytime · 18/06/2018 23:32

I had mine put down. Rescue and at least 18, possibly over 20. Losing weight didn't leave bathroom, going to toilet everywhere. Dementia.

And yes- if that was me I would have wanted someone to end my life.

Original poster
LadyRussell · 18/06/2018 23:32

Thank you for all the info it’s so helpful x

OP posts:
BlitheringIdiots · 18/06/2018 23:33

My cat has put on weight in the past month. Increased weight by a quarter. Howling all night. Talking to us a lot. Keeps shitting and pissing outside the litter tray but right next to it. She's 16. Vet is doing diabetes bloods. Hope to hear tomorrow. Hoping it's not that because not sure insurance covers the meds plus don't fancy doing twice daily injections as DH is needle phobic and im off away soon.

TBH she's now annoying me but still wouldn't have heart to put her down unless cancer. Plus DS would be devastated.

Watching thread with interest.

lookoutcoshereicome · 18/06/2018 23:34

You know her best really and only you can make that choice if you feel it's the right one- no one here knows your pet like you do and you will know when it's time for her. The worst thing people do is let a pet live a miserable life because they can't face letting them go. It's done out of love though, I know.
I'm sure she's had a wonderful life and you will do your best for her until the very end, whenever you decide that may be.

musketeersmama · 18/06/2018 23:35

Sorry haven't RTFT but our old girl had very similar symptoms and was diagnosed in the emergency vets with an enormous undiagnosed tumour and was dead 8 hours later. Such a shock. Maybe do more tests? But maybe your instincts are right xx

Honeyroar · 18/06/2018 23:36

I did. We'd adopted an elderly neighbour's cat when he went into a home. It was 15, had been a beloved and much pampered cat and had to adjust to living with us and two dogs. It coped, but didn't thrive. She'd always gone to the loo in our neighbours house, but she got worse, pooing on kitchen work surfaces, weeing on our bookcase and dining room table plus carpets. The house constantly reeked. She was starting to lose weight. At the age of 17 we had her PTS quietly at home (she'd never been to the vets in her life). I got flamed on another forum, but with hindsight I'd do absolutely the same thing.

Kolo · 18/06/2018 23:37

In my experience, if you need to ask, it’s not the time yet. I’ve always just ‘known’ when it was right. But maybe that’s too wishy washy.

I had 3 very elderly cats until 18 month she ago. One of my cats started urinating all over the house. It’s definitely a sign of something wrong. But you really need to try to identify what that isn’t before rushing into anything (as long as she’s ok in herself other than this?). It could be that the litter tray is too high, or too course, I’d try a tray with a lower lip and a different type of litter. Try changing it more frequently as they can get fussy? With my cat it’s was kidney failure, but we got medication and a renal cat food diet and she lasted years after that, she improved really quickly.

I wouldn’t want to see an animal in pain or with no quality of life, but it’s normal for elderly cats to lose weight and eat more (their digestion becomes less efficient) and soiling around the house can be a symptom of something that’s quite treatable.

Looking after elderly pets is sometimes heartbreaking, but also very rewarding. After so many years of companionship, you owe them to get the end of their life right. Speak to your vet.

steff13 · 18/06/2018 23:43

Hoping it's not that because not sure insurance covers the meds plus don't fancy doing twice daily injections as DH is needle phobic and im off away soon.

We had the same scenario with our dog. The insulin wasn't expensive here, but some pharmacies were much cheaper than others. My husband is also needle phobic, but he got over it. For the dog, not himself. Our dog developed congestive heart failure a couple of years after the diabetes diagnosis, and we had him put to sleep then, in the vet's recommendation. She said medication could possibly buy him another few months, but she didn't feel he would have a good quality of life.

steff13 · 18/06/2018 23:46

In my experience, if you need to ask, it’s not the time yet.

I disagree. I don't want to wait until the animal is so obviously miserable that it is apparent that there is no other choice. I think at that point the animal has likely been suffering for some time, with the exception of the onset of a sudden illness.

Cattenberg · 18/06/2018 23:47

We (well, my parents) had a 16-year-old cat who lost weight despite eating ravenously. She was diagnosed with thyroid problems, which the vet treated with pills. She also appeared to have dementia and would pace and wail, especially at night, She urinated in the house, her joints became stiffer and her sight seemed to be deteriorating.

Her decline was so gradual that it was difficult to pinpoint the time to let her go, but eventually she was put to sleep. With hindsight, we ought to have done this sooner. I would let your vet take some of the burden of deciding what to do.

It's always hard to see an old friend decline, especially one who lives with you and shares your life. My sympathies.

steff13 · 18/06/2018 23:48

When my mom was a young woman, she actually had a very yell at her for not having her dog put to sleep. He told her the dog's health was only going to get worse, that she was keeping him alive for herself, and the kind thing to do was put him to sleep.

I think in general vets are very candid about that sort of thing.

ToadOfSadness · 18/06/2018 23:53

Ask the vet if they still have some blood left from the last test and request a T3 as well as a T4, both are for thyroid and usually only T4 is done which doesn't always show up a problem whereas with both you stand a better chance of finding out if it is a thyroid problem.

Often the vet will say that kidneys are OK and not tell you the range of results so in fact you might have a cat with kidneys that are failing more than you think.

If you notice any yowling it could be either thyroid or kidney disease, I constantly requested thyroid tests due to yowling and it turned out to be kidney disease. My little one had serious heart problems but in the end we found she had renal lymphoma.

WetsTheVet · 19/06/2018 00:01

Yes I would have her put down if I wanted. I'm surprised so many people are against this.

WetsTheVet · 19/06/2018 00:02

They won't have blood left... doesn't work like that.

Kolo · 19/06/2018 00:08

@steff13 I don’t believe that’s the case in my experience and I don’t think taking one sentence out of my post represents what I was saying. I certainly dont advocate waiting till when you’re suggesting. I said to speak to the vet and find out if there is something treatable that will make this cat feel better.

DancingLedge · 19/06/2018 00:14

Most of us wait until we're absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, doing what's necessary.
So that we feel no guilt.

Usually, a station or two, or more , beyond what would have been a good idea. Just so we're completely justified.

We owe it to our pets/ beloved companions, to be braver.

Step off before life is a burden. Don't wait until it is.

In my book, incontinence that is not suseptible to simple management , means dignity has been lost, and a merciful end is kindness.

mostdays · 19/06/2018 00:20

Yes, probably. I couldn't bear the thought of them suffering. My mum had the family cat pts aged 17, he was incontinent and his back legs had just about gone and he didn't have any sort of life left. It was heartbreaking to know he was gone but would have been worse not to let him go.