Cats are real sources of happiness in our lives. They are part of our homes and the many memories they offer us represent a tiny part of the attachment that grows with them over time.

When they suffer from an illness and their general condition gradually deteriorates, despite treatment and care, we sometimes have to make the decision to proceed with euthanasia to offer them a dignified and painless departure.

What are the signs to look out for in making this decision? What is the right time?

Euthanasia is a full-fledged veterinary act which consists of the injection of a powerful anesthetic to cause the death of an animal. It is often the last resort to end a serious and incurable condition. It is thus a way to relieve the animal and make it leave gently, which also offers a rest for the distress of the owners of a suffering animal.

Many cases can lead to consider euthanasia:

• a chronic terminal disease (such as kidney failure in an elderly cat whose general condition is deteriorating day by day despite treatment);
• the diagnosis of a severe disease that seriously affects the cat’s quality of life (such as generalized cancer);
• a serious accident which leaves little chance of survival to the cat despite a surgical operation.

The question can also arise for relieving a suffering animal when any treatment option is too expensive to be supported by owners. Each situation is of course different and requires specific thinking.

The main parameter to take into account is the well-being of the cat. For this, we can assess the quality of life. Indeed, a lifestyle too impacted by disease or age is a real suffering for the animal and in the absence of a viable treatment solution, a medicalized end of life must be considered.

Here are the main points to observe and the questions to ask yourself on a daily basis to help you assess your cat’s quality of life:

• Pain: is your cat showing signs of pain? Can he breathe without discomfort or difficulty? Is his suffering reduced with treatment? ;

• Appetite: Does your cat continue to have an appetite? Is he drinking enough and staying properly hydrated? ;

• Hygiene: does your cat continue to wash? Does he suffer from incontinence? Does he manage to move around to defecate? ;

• Mobility: does your cat manage to move around without your help? Does he get up to go to do his business? ;

• Behavior: is your cat stimulated and interested in his environment? Does he continue to interact with you and his community in a positive way? Does he continue to follow the routine he had?

All the answers to these questions will allow you to have objective criteria to estimate the quality of life of your cat. A quality of life which is too diminished and / or which continues to deteriorate without possible treatment is a sign of a call to listen for a medicalized end of life.

In addition, if you wish, there are evaluation grids created by American veterinarians which take these elements precisely and make it possible to establish an objective score for the quality of life of animals at the end of their life.

Veterinarians are the guarantors of animal welfare and will always be concerned about offering a solution to limit the suffering of your cat. Do not hesitate to discuss these questions with your usual veterinarian who remains a privileged interlocutor to help you make the right decision if you are considering euthanasia for your cat.

Thanks to the cat’s history and the course of the disease, he / she will be able to assess the prognosis for the cat’s survival with or without treatment and will help you determine if the cat’s quality of life is satisfactory. But the final decision will be yours.

The discussion with your veterinarian can also allow you to discuss the modalities of euthanasia in order to choose the location of the intervention (at home or in a clinic), its course but also the fate of the animal’s body.

The end of a pet’s life is a difficult ordeal for the whole family. Resorting to euthanasia is often the only solution to end the suffering and diminished quality of life of a cat that cannot be cared for. Your veterinarian is the preferred contact person to assess the health of the animal and make this final decision.