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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

friends elderly ill cat - vet won't put it down

12 replies

bookmark · 11/02/2012 15:03

just wondered on your thoughts on this. friends cat is very old (either 14 or 17, can't remember). been told it has had (i think) kidney failer and is on lots of medication. friend said that cat is in distress, cries off and on all night, wees all over the house etc. she went back to vet and said she wants her cat put down but vet said he won't do it. her take on it is that if they can keep it alive then that is what they will do although in her opinion and i tend to agree, even if the cat doesn't seem to be benefitting from the prolonged extra time (life). just because you 'can' doesn't always mean you should. in my ignorance, i always thought that if a creature ie cat/dog was ill in a way that could not be corrected and the cat, despite medication that was supposed to be helping it live a 'normal' life didn't seem to be working the vet would put it to sleep. but the vet thinks the cat is doing well although my friend, who does love her cat, knows her cat better than the vet and can see that it is not happy etc. wwyd

OP posts:

Samvet · 11/02/2012 15:05

This is simple. She asks to see another vet at the practice. It is unusual for a vet to refuse euthanasia in such circumstances.

kilmuir · 11/02/2012 15:08

Yes see another vet. Doesn't sound like the cat is having a great life does it? your friend is asking because she loves the cat.

Bossybritches22 · 11/02/2012 15:09

Second opinion def.

edam · 11/02/2012 15:09

How bizarre.

WyrdMother · 11/02/2012 15:12

If there is another Vet within a reasonable distance I would suggest that your friend gets a second opinion.

We've been in a similar situation and it was a careful and difficult assessment on our part of her quality of life from day to day but when the crunch came our Vet was happy to carry out our wishes because they trusted our judgement. If this cat is in clear distress then I am confused how the vet can reconcile their standpoint with their concience and responsibilities, it's not as if your friend is presenting them with a healthy cat who is enjoying life.

Second opinion, definitely the way to go.

Original poster

bookmark · 11/02/2012 15:12

actually, she said she has called two other local vets who said the same thing, that it is their job to care for the cat. she said that they seemed to interigate her and made her feel they thought she was being cruel/neglecting her cat. i have noticed a sense of suspicion on a few occasions by my local vet reception nurse. she questions me in a way as if i have done something wrong, makes me feel some how guilty when i have done nothing (i had this when i took in a newly rescued cat a few months ago but that's another story).

OP posts:

Lizcat · 12/02/2012 11:23

Firstly is your friend in the UK? My feeling as a vet is that once the diagnosis of Kidney Failure is made there is no wrong time to euthanase a cat. It sounds like your friend's cat is not having very good quality of life. I would find another vet and use the statement poor quality of life with the request.

feedthegoat · 12/02/2012 11:33

Second seeing a different vet.

We had our beautiful 16 year old cat PTS in august. He hadn't been ill as such so hadn't been to vets. But he'd gradually lost weight over the last couple of years (very gradually but was thin in the end). He also (again very gradually) went from being a really active cat to a little old man who just napped or watched the world go by from under a bush in the garden.

We took him at the first sign of him being unhappy with his lot. I suddenly realised he'd not been upstairs all week and his favourite spot was my bed in the sunshine. I only realised when I looked at him friday and he looked so unhappy. We took him friday and the vet just said she knew he'd had a fantastic life and did it without much question.

feedthegoat · 12/02/2012 11:33

Second seeing a different vet.

1fab · 12/02/2012 11:34

My cat has kidney failure and has started urinating in appropriately sometimes. She also walks around carrying her toy and crying. No way is she ready to be put down so those 2 symptoms don't necessarily mean the cat should be PTS. I was offered it as some owners won't tolerate their cat weeing in their house..

Original poster

bookmark · 12/02/2012 18:14

thanks for your posts, my friend made it sound that ALL vets would never put a cat down unless they were literally at deaths door and were of the opinion that if their life can be prolonged it should pretty much regardless so it has been really interesting reading your posts. i will tell her to call a few other vets if her cat really does seem awfully ill. must be really upsetting hearing your cat crying/howling, i couldn't bear it. our cat doesn't shut up but it is with purring/churping sounds :)

OP posts:

Dustinthewind · 12/02/2012 18:30

My cat is perfectly happy, and not in any pain,but since having a couple of surgical interventions and medication, his voice has changed to a penetrating Siamese-like yowl.
It's horrible and loud, but it's the only voice the poor bugger has now.
He's also awake at odd times of the night and hungry and fussing, fortunately we have nocturnal teenagers to deal with that.
Just saying that perhaps the cat isn't 'crying' because of misery or pain and that's what the vet might be meaning.

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