Knowing When to Let Go
Preparing for the Euthanasia Decision for Your Cat
Letting go of your feline companion is never easy. Often
just the thought of it brings panic. Unfortunately, though,
your cat will probably die before you do and you may even
have to make the decision to help him or her to die. Death
is a difficult subject for many people, but avoiding the
topic isn't helpful to you or your cat. Cats, particularly
indoor cats, are now living longer than they have in past
years. There are also so many advances in veterinary care
that many cats develop chronic health problems that can
be handled with treatments at home, such as administering
fluids under the skin. Doing different treatments at home
may seem difficult at first, but the staff at your veterinarian's
office can usually instruct you so that you feel more comfortable
with it. Treatments for some diseases, such as radiation
or chemotherapy, can't be done at home, are expensive, and
have greater risks and side effects.
Plan Ahead, if Possible
The time to think about how far you'll want to go with any
type of treatment or when you would feel the time is right
to euthanize your cat is before he or she becomes ill. Once
an illness strikes, we tend to go into crisis mode and our
thinking isn't as clear as it is when we're not stressed.
The answer to the question of treatment and euthanasia will
differ from person to person. One way people have found useful
in making these decisions is to ask, "If this was ME in my
cat's situation, how much treatment would I want? How much
pain and suffering would I be willing to endure if there was
even a chance that I'd have a better life? When would I just
want to say, 'Enough'?" You may find that you have different
boundaries for two of your own animals. For instance, when
my Remi developed congestive heart failure, I knew that because
of the type of dog he was, that he would go a long way with
treatment before he'd want me to stop. Towards the end of
Sheffield's life, however, as his kidney's started to fail,
I knew that he wasn't the type who would want to endure subcutaneous
fluids and other treatments. It's important to choose a veterinarian
that you trust and have a good relationship with. People who
do, often find it helpful to listen to the pros and cons that
their veterinarian gives them and then say, "And if this was
YOUR cat, what would YOU do." Most veterinarians will be very
honest with clients about this.
Considering the Cost Factor
Sadly, cost is also often a factor in making a decision. Many
people want to help the pet overpopulation problem by adopting
a lot of animals. I advise people to consider the costs involved.
It's not just the food and litter, but also the veterinary
bills, especially as animals get older (although younger animals
can develop costly illnesses, also). Veterinarians don't make
as much money as you might think when you look at their bills,
and they have bills of their own that they have to pay, both
business and personal, so very few are able to treat your
animal inexpensively or for free. Very few are able to allow
you to delay payments, either. It would be nice if there were
an easy checklist that you could refer to that would tell
you exactly when to let go. Unfortunately, there isn't, but
there ARE some guidelines. Quality of life is an important
issue. If you know that your cat is suffering and has no chance
of returning to even an adequate level of quality of life,
it's time to talk with your veterinarian about euthanasia.
If the side effects of a treatment are going to mean that
your cat will be very ill from it and there's less than a
50% chance of returning to a good quality of life, you should
talk with your veterinarian about whether the treatment is
really in the cat's best interest. Again, ask your veterinarian
what he or she would do if it was their cat. Sometimes it's
hard to let a creature that we love so much leave our life,
but once a reasonable level of quality of life is gone, the
loving thing to do IS to let go.
The Euthanization Process
Some people have never had to euthanize a furry family member
and have no idea what the process is like. Your veterinarian
will give your cat a shot to calm him or her and then take
your cat to the treatment area to insert an IV. Your cat will
then be returned to you and when you're ready, your veterinarian
will give an injection that will stop the heartbeat and breathing
and your cat will peacefully slip away. Afterwards, your veterinarian
will ask you if you'd like to spend some time with the body.
Many people are confused or even upset that the eyes don't
close or if there are some last movements after death. This
is all normal. Some people choose to have a veterinarian come
to their house so that their cat can die in familiar surroundings.
Handling the Remains
Another issue that you should think about long before the
time comes is what you'll want to do with your cat's body.
There are many options. If you want to bury it on your property,
you must check the laws in your area, as this is illegal in
many places. Some cities have pet cemeteries and you can get
information on cost and services offered so that you can make
a decision about this. Some people prefer to have the body
cremated and returned to them. Many companies sell beautiful
urns that are made specifically to store pet ashes. There
are people who believe that the soul is important and the
body is meaningless. These people will tell the veterinarian
they do not want the ashes returned. Instead of the cost for
cremation or burial, they will often make a donation to an
animal charity in their cat's name so that an animal who is
still on the earth can benefit. There are also "virtual cemeteries" on
the web, such as www.rainbowsbridge.com that some people find
comforting.
Take Time for Yourself
Once your cat is dead and you have dealt with the body, it's
important to take care of YOURSELF. Some people are lucky
enough to have friends who realize what a difficult time this
is and send cards and flowers, or make contributions to animal
charities in your cat's name. Many charities have beautiful
commemorative cards that are then sent to you to let you know
about the gift. If your friends don't understand the relationship
you had, you may want to find a chatline where you can communicate
with people who understand. The Rainbows Bridge site has one
and you can find others on the internet. You may want to make
a "Memory Book" and put pictures, poems, prayers, cards, and
other mementos in it so that you will always have it to remember
this time. There are no rules for making one except that it
should have meaning for YOU. Putting a Memory Book together
can be very healing. Some people may choose instead to get
an inspirational candle that is sold for this purpose and
have a special prayer or "good-bye" service. Any ritual that
helps you is a good one. There are also many books about dealing
with pet grief that you can read and get comfort and ideas
from. No one wants to say good-bye to a furry loved one, but
there is great peace in knowing that when the time came, you
were able to do the most loving thing.
Kari Winters in an RN in the Los Angeles area and does
rescue work with CA. Siamese Rescue (www.siameserescue.org).
CASR is one of many rescues across the United States that
has beautiful commemorative cards. Kari can be reached through
her website at www.shelterpetsink.com.
All rights are reserved by the author.
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