Is it true cats choose not to die at home?

Question

OR is it an old wife's tale?

Answer 1

It does seem that cats, being the independent, solitary animals that they usually are prefer to go somewhere nice and quiet when it is time to die. They always seem to hide which is why I always worry when I cannot find my kitty that is getting up there in years.

Although I have had 2 cats that didn't hide. I came home to find one right in the middle of the kitchen floor. The other, who was 23, was dying and she chose to curl up in the dog crate and pass on. The dog crate was in the kitchen as well.

Answer 2

My pets have always died at home only one thankfully I had to help :-( She had just had her 2nd B'Day and she had a very bad heart which couldn't be treated ... :-))))))

I found this after a bit of research ...

Question - Hello,
A longtime pet of ours died recently. A Maine Coon
cat of 15 years, and strictly an indoor pet.
The evening he passed, he picked himself up from
the floor, walked
unsteadily into another room and crawled under my
desk.
This room is cold in the winter, so I picked him up
and put him on his
favorite soft chair where he was dead within 5
minutes.
People have told me that cats will try to hide when
they know they are dying. How can this be true?
-----------------
Hi Chris!
I will give you an answer that is not based
in proved scientific facts. It so happens
I am very fond of pets and had many (mostly cats)
during all my lifetime, so one observe.
The(domestic)animals seem to look for a quite place
to die, what is natural. If they have companions
these dont get close if they feel their "friend"
is dying. But if they are very close many times they
try to help and stay around. And when the death comes
they mourn and miss a lot.
Why? Maybe some day the specialists will find many
more similarities between the Superior man and their
less developed siblings in this Earth.

Sorry for the digression.
Mabel
(Dr. Mabel Rodrigues)
=====================================================
I had lunch with two vets today and brought up your question. The answer to this question
is obviously not going to be answered without first communicating directly with a cat.
Right!
One idea is the animal may be wanting to seek some shelter protection because of feeling
very ill, a natural response like reacting to seeking
shelter from rain or seeking protection with the perception of fear. The second may be a
natural (similar to the first) response to seeking some enviuronment that brings the same
comfort like that the mother cat provided in early kitten hood by seeking a closed area for
birthing and raising the litter.

Who knows!?

Steve Sample

Answer 3

I have heard this before, but common sense would tell me that a cat will probably pass on when it's time and where it happens.

I have noticed that a really sick animal, like a cat, will prefer to get away and be on it's own in it's final hours.

AS a related suggestion, try going on to the site www.snopes.com and looking this up in their data base. The best site out ther for urban myths, rumors and other odd stuff explained!

Answer 4

Yes this is usually true but of course only if your cat goes outside. But when they know it their time to pass on they do wander off to do it because they do not want to upset their owners. For some reason they would rather die alone :(

Answer 5

I'm not saying that it can't happen, but I have never seen it happen. I live in the country and have inside and outside cats. Every one of my cats have always come to me when they are sick and have died in my arms.

I've even had stray cats dropped off here. I feed them, but they won't come close to me. Just about a week before last Mother's Day a stray cat that I had seen around, but wouldn't let me get close enough to pet, suddenly was at my door.

He was ate up with ticks. I picked at least 50 or more off of him. I started feeding him by himself, he was so skinny. I came home from dinner on Mothers Day and he was gasping for air obviously dying.

I held him in my lap for about an hour petting him and telling him how much I loved him although he wasn't even a pet of mine. I knew he was near death and nothing I could do but hold him and love him before he died.

I think most pets would rather be with a caring human than go off and die by themselves. Watching him die, killed me, but at least he wasn't alone in the end and knew someone cared.

That's why I don't believe that cats go off to die. It seems to me that instead they come to me to die. It is hard, but I'm glad they love me enough to come to me than choose to be alone when they die.

Answer 6

When one of my cats was in alot of pain, before we knew anything was wrong with him, he stayed in a dark closet till I found him and took him to the vet. The vet said he was doing well, but when I went to pick him up he had died. Anyway, maybe some cats kind of hide out or go away when they are about to die. My mothers cat recently died and he stayed on her lap and passed on.

Answer 7

We had 2 strays that we fed and took care of as best we could and both considered our house as their home but when they got sick they would stay away for a few days and come back but then never did. So I think for outside cats then yes it is true.

Answer 8

The answer is generally found in the flight or fight theory. When cats know they are sick, they know they cannot defend themselves. When they go to hide, it is not actually they're wanting to be alone, but they believe that solitude will be safer against predators. They hide in order to keep safe.

Answer 9

I think its really a question of how close they are to their owners.......sometimes they choose to die at home at others if they are less domesticated they choose to die alone.......speak to your vet, they will give your more of an indication as to your pets behaviour as theyre all different.

Answer 10

I believe it is an old wives tale. my baby Ben died at home in my bed.