When a family pet is old or has health problems, it is important to think about how to care for them in case they need to be put down at home.
It is common for cats to go into old age. Even if you take your cat to the vet regularly, it can still be forced away from its elderly care at this time. The most accurate way to determine when a cat has passed its time is when the cat cannot eat or drink anymore.
This is because dogs do not last as long without drinking and eating as humans might think. Some cats may even die of dehydration or pain while others may pass away peacefully. You can save yourself some trouble by doing some preparation early on.
Contents:
Find a cat euthanasia kit
A kit can come in the form of a phone app, a website, or can be opened at a pet store. The key is to find a kit that contains cedar, salt, and/or stomach binding. These are typically used to end the lives of older or sicker cats.
By using a stomach-binding product, you can put the cat to sleep more quickly. Some products contain hydrogen peroxide and potassium chloride, which works similarly to tear duct tape. Still others have no specific ingredients at all, just package information.
Surprisingly, some products do not have any information at all! Most pet stores will have at least one kit with no ingredients whatsoever. You just need to be aware of your vet’s recommended kits for you.
The best thing to do is find the most natural way to end your cat’s life.
Prepare the injection
Before giving a pet an injection, you must tell the pet if it has to have an injection at home, or if it needs to be taken to a vet.
Many times, cats need an injection at the vet because of medical issues. If you have a hard time taking your cat to the vet, this article can help!
If your pet does not need a medical injection, then the first step is to make sure it is comfortable. Check that its stomach is empty and that its breathing is normal.
If these conditions are in place, then try giving it some water and a foodbar or two to see if that helps make it more comfortable. If not, then you may need to bring in another cat for your experience and let them approach it so that they can put it down.
When trying to put a cat down at home, remember that this animal may be uncomfortable and may need help getting ready.
Choose the location
When hosting a cat at home, you have two main choices for where to send your kitty. You can choose to bring them to someone else’s home or can choose to take them yourself. Both options have their own set of considerations.
Both situations are very similar in that the main difference is how the cat gets to and from home. With both options, the owner brings the cat to a shelter or picks up at the shelter.
The second part of this discussion is how the owner chooses to handle the cat once it gets at home. Does it get lots of love and attention, or is it more violent? Do people with cats understand each level of behavior they have, or do we need another article on how to house a cat?
If you are taking your cat out in order to handle it, then this article is for you! We will talk about basic habits that determine what kind of pet you are (like whether they are good with other pets or not) and give you some strategies for choosing one over the other.
Make the bed soft
A cat will normally go to sleep more often if she feels safe in her space. A bed is a great way to make your home feel safe.
When you put your cat down, you should make the bed and then the floor as soft as possible. This means putting out a pillow, if there is one, or two piles of blankets one on top of the other.
A cats instinct is to chill out when he or she sleeps. If the bed is very soft, the cat may fall asleep more easily. If the flooring is soft, he or she may walk less easily through the house and room due to reduced stress.
If you are planning on letting your cat die at home, make the room and then the floor as soft as possible so they can get as much comfort they need before killing themselves.
Hold the cat
Most people think it is at a safe distance from humans when a cat goes to the toilet or comes home, but this is not always the case.
Many times cats feel like they are home away from home and need to be held and loved in this way. To keep a cat happy and healthy you must provide food, shelter, and love.
When you take care of a cat as if they were your own, it will pay off in the end. They will have more confidence in you when things are tough and they will let you know how much they love you by staying alive and being friendly when met.
If you want to try this out at home, first make sure your family is okay with cats as there may be things they don’t like or enjoy about them.
Give the injection
When your cat becomes too big, too heavy, or too old to be comfortable in the house, it is time to put them down. This is a delicate process that requires more than just you and a phone call or Instagram post can help save your cat!
Many experts suggest using a variety of strong pain killers like local anesthetic buprenorphine or pentobarbital. These can be administered in several doses, making it easy to test the amount of weight they have left.
If you decide to use this method, make sure you get the right drug for your cat. Some animals may not feel any pain and might not recognize their own death if they don’t receive it. If your cat does not seem like they are feeling anything, try mixing in some water or putting them in a different place to make sure they are still conscious.
Keep calm and carry on
When your cat passes away, it is important to be calm. You must carry on the relationship that they had with you before, so make sure to groom them, take them out for a walk, and so on.
Many people recommend putting your cat in a box and leaving them in the box for a longer time. This is to create a comfortable environment for them as they die in peace.
However, this is not a good idea. The box may be connected to you through the internet or even my cat’s family members when you have lost your cat.
The best way to have this cat die is at home alone. You can place them in their own room or whichever room they like the most and just leave them there.
Call the vet if you are unsure about proceeding with euthanasia
If your cat is exhibiting any of the following signs, it is time to put him or her out of pain and sadness:
Dull, heavy breathing
Irritability
Dehydration
If these signs are being exhibited by a companionate cat, the chance of aodesis is higher. The best candidates for putting an at-home cat down are a former lure champion or with some extended medical issues.
Generally, vet-assisted death for an at-home pet is not recommended as the process can be difficult to determine and there are potential legal and ethical issues involved. If this would be the case for your cat, then there are steps that can be taken to put him or her out of pain and sadness.
First, you must get the OK from your vet that you are ready to try this out. It takes time and effort to convince them it is okay to end their own pain, so they will give you their support.