How to put down a cat without an injection (preferably at home).?

Question

My friend has a 21 year old cat suffering from numerous ailments including an aggressive mammarian tumor. The cat is so old, her veins are no good for a lethal injection. My friend refuses to have her cat's last moment be the panic of a direct heart injection. Is there something she can get cheaply to either OD the cat at home or knock it out for the last trip to the vet? She has very little money. Web site references are helpful. Thank you.

For the record, I am not a pet owner and was unaware of any crime issues; thank you for pointing them out.
The cat has been sedentary for years and is expected to live 2 weeks. My friend wants to put her down before the cat suffers any more from the cancer.
Now I'm glad I did this for her to shield my friend from some of the answers!

Answer 1

There are some options open for your friend:
some of the humane societies might be able to help, but I would recommend that she call her vet and explain the situation.
Yes I agree that giving an injection into the heart is painful, and yes the veins CAN be difficult to hit in a cat that old and sick, but it is possible to give a general anestetic in a muscle and then, while she is asleep, give a lethal injection into the heart or liver. This is what I would do, if I were your vet. Some vets will do this in the home, but that might cost a bit more, as the travel time has to be paid in some way.
Or the vet might be willing to prescribe some drug to calm the cat during the trip.
Do not, I repeat: do not, *ever* give a cat human or dog medicine - except if prescribed by your vet - some innocent seeming medicines are lethal to cats - e.g. paracetamol and aspirin - but it is *not* a good way to kill a cat, they will die slowly with great suffering as the liver and kidneys stop functioning. (Think of those peolpe that drink so much that their liver stops working - it is a really ! bad way to go). Please do not try to OD the cat yourself, it can lead to a really painful death for the cat!

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How to put down a cat without an injection (preferably at home).?
My friend has a 21 year old cat suffering from numerous ailments including an aggressive mammarian tumor. The cat is so old, her veins are no good for a lethal injection. My friend refuses to have her cat's last moment be the panic of a direct heart injection. Is there something she can get...

Answer 3

I heard a story once, don't know if it's true, but a woman set up a box with a hose connected to the tail pipe of her car. After giving the gravely ill animal a muscle relaxer, she put it in the box, started the car and closed the box. This is the same as the gas chamber isn't it? People really make a big stink about animal control using this very method to put down animals. And, if it isn't illegal, it should be.
She really needs to talk to her vet or call several local vets to see what they can offer. If the cat is truly suffering then certainly the vet can find some way to minimize the cat's discomfort. Many animal control offices, rescues and shelters do not charge to euthanize pets if money is the issue.

Answer 4

I suppose you could give the cat sleeping pills (That they give animals for long car trips) this would reduce the amount that the animal was cognitive to the injection.

I can assure you ODing an animal on some form of medication would cause it more pain and open you up to Criminal Charges

Keep in mind many of the options that have been suggested to you are much more panicing to the cat. we used to use Cloroform on rabbits to knock them out for testing (Not to kill them) They make a sound very similar to Screaming before they pass out. not sure if the animals remember it but the person doing the cloroform definatly does. Having a vet do it is the most humane way as they are trained how to.

Answer 5

I had to have my cat put own because he was terminal and stopped eating/drinking nd could not get up anymore. I had a vet come to my home. He gave a shot in my cats leg. Waited about 3 minutes. Then gave a shot to the heart. It took seconds and he was gone. I certainly did not like having him put down this way but given his fragile state and the fact that I wanted him to pass away where he was in his comfort zone and not being driven to a strange place to die. This was by far the most difficult thing I have ever done. 3 months later and I still cry when I think about it. It is never easy. :(

Answer 6

The injection they use at the animal clinic does not scare the animal , its by far the most humane thing to do when you have to put down an animal, anything you were to do at home would not be as good (they dont sell things like that as far as i know) and besides can you imagine how hard it would be on the owner to have to do that to there pet? i had to put down a dog one time because he was hurt badly and i was so far away from anywhere i didnt want him to die slowly , it was REALLY upsetting to have to do it and ill never forget it, just take the cat into the animal clinic and have it done.

Answer 7

This is really sad. Unfortunately I cannot think of anything over the counter that would do the job, nor anything commonly around the home that would be anything even remotely humane.

I once drove 8 hours to a new home with my cats. A friendly person at work gave me some of the Valium they got from a vet to make the car ride more tolerable. I think your friend should share her concerns with her vet and see if the vet will give her some kitty valium. It really does knock the cat out - they just don't care about anything. That way your friend can take her peaceful, unaware cat to the vet so that the humane thing can be done.

Please go with your friend to the vet - she will be in no condition to drive herself home.

Good luck.

Answer 8

Maybe talk to a vet about an inhalant? I used to use them on bats when I needed to euthanize them for rabies testing. Chloroform, I think. Tell her to discuss this with her vet. the Veterinarian could ALSO use an inhalent to anesthatize the cat and then to an intercardial stick, so the kitty won't feel it. I am sorry that your friend has to do this. Maybe go to a different Vet and ask for help. Intercardial sticks are very painful to the animal, there is a sheet of nerves that run over the rib cage and if they are punctured, it is painful!!!!!

Answer 9

It may sound like the way the vet is suggesting is cruel, but any other way is less humane. She can ask the vet for some valume to give the cat prior to bringing it in to have it put down. That won't know the cat out but it will relax it alot more. The panic you're talking about is more human's panic than the cat's.
Any pain the cat would be in would last only fractions of a second. Your friend should take it in to the vet and allow them to humanely put the animal to sleep. It's the least cruel and least painful way.

Answer 10

First of all, I have to say that Jason is a sick little freak with too much time on his hands.
As to the poor kitty, the vet can give you a tranquilizer in pill form, so that the trip to the vet will not be so traumatic. Perhaps in a high enough dose that she wont even know whats happening by the time he has to do the injection into the heart. Poor thing, she must have really bad veins, huh? I used to work for a vet and we always tried to make their passing as peaceful as we could, it is a hard thing to have to do, but it sounds like your friend is doing the loving thing for her cat. good luck!