Do you think it is wrong of my parents to put our family pet down?

Question

We have a very old cat that is about 17 or 18 and pees all over our house. It is extremely skinny and we pay A LOT of money to medicate her thyroid problem and we have to put medicine in her ear twice a day. My parents are fed up with her peeing on the floor because she does it a lot. It smells up the house. She's not as alert as she used to be. If you're about to step on her she doesn't even move. I don't want them to put her down because she's been such a nice pet and she's very cute despite her age. I suggested keeping her outside and making her an outdoor pet but i live in vermont where it snows and gets very cold so she couldn't live outside in the winter. do think it is wrong of my parents and what would you do in this situation?

also...should i go with my parents when they do it? idk if i want to cause it might be too hard on me.

we have another cat as well. these two cats are as good as married. they would be lost without eachother.

kay so i realize i should let her go....but should i go to the vet's office on the day of her euthenization

Answer 1

I know that you don't want to lose your pet this way, but think of it like this:

The cat obviously has problems and I'm sure that she can feel the pain and doesn't even have bladder control. She can't live life like she used to and probably how she liked it and will just keep getting worse no matter how much medicine and love you give her.

All im saying is that even though you don't want to lose her im sure that you would rather have her be laid to rest while she is in minimum pain and can still move rather than having her die slowly and in a painful process that you will have to watch and bare until she finally passes. My cat was 18 when she died but she was in pain until she passes, for instance, whenever she walked down the stairs her hip came out of her hip socket *gross, i know*...i hated watching her go through this pain knowing that there was nothing i could do. And when she did pass she looked peaceful and waited until we got home from a vacation we took just 3 days before she died.

Give her her peace and put her down so she doesn't have to suffer anymore with more pain on the way. It's okay, you'll eventually heal. Just know that if you do do this, that you're doing the right thing no matter what others tell you.

Answer 2

It's not a right or wrong thing, it's what is best for the cat and for your family. She wouldn't be peeing all over the floor if she could help it--obviously she either can't remember how to use the litter box (they can be senile) or she is too sick or weak to get to the box. Is she eating and drinking OK? If she is that skinny, when was the last time she had bloodwork done? Her thyroid medicine dose may need adjusting (and the ear creams may not be absorbed as well as oral medications). Can you confine her to one room, like a laundry room and put down pee pads for her? It has to do with quality of life. If she is still eating and drinking and seems happy, then have the vet re-evaluate her condition--there could be other problems such as kidney or diabetes. If she is not happy and isn't feeling well, then for her sake it might be best to let her go. I know it's very difficult because you love her, but you have to do the right thing. Putting her outside in her condition and at her age would not be a kind thing to do.

Answer 3

I put the kitty down too. You've got to understand your parents can't have their house ruined, due to cat pee, and it WILL ruin the house.
My cat is 20 years old and started doing that too, I had all the bloodwork done on her, because I felt I owed that to her before giving up. In my case everything came out to be like a 5 year old cat, so I ended up putting a littlerbox in the place she peed most and that solved my problem for now.
The only problem with pet is they don't EVER live long enough, I suspect the cat's kidney's are failing and if that's the case, it is cruel to keep her alive. I know it's hard, but you have to do right by your cat, she gave you many years of love and it's not right to let her suffer.
I'm sorry. :(

Answer 4

The reality is her time is very close. I had to put my 19 year old cat down last year due to kidney failure and thyroid problems (same as your cat). Your cat cannot survive as an outside cat in Vermont - and she is even in danger in summer from wild animals. I think your parents are seeing that her quality of life is very poor and its time to let her go. The fact that she is still cute is not a good reason and if she has been a good pet then you owe it to her to go gently and not suffer. I do know how hard it is and sometimes it's hard to know when the right time has come. But based on what you tell me, that time is here or very close.


ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

As hard as it was, I was there. I wanted to be the last person she saw and wanted her to know that I knew I was there for her when her time came. I thought about her feelings, not me. I did the same for my dogs. It's hard but I felt the right thing to do. Death is part of life.

Answer 5

Putting her outside would be deadly for her. The outside is dangerous for cats - period - but for one as old as your cat and with compromised health she would last long out there at all.

Your cat has gotten to the point where it's unable to control where it goes to the bathroom and you're saying it's difficult for her to move. Cats are very clean animals by nature so I'm sure not being able to make it to the litter box is very upsetting for her. Having her put down would be the kindest thing you could do for this cat. I don't think it's wrong of your parents to suggest that it's her time. And if you love her you will realize that it just may be time to let her go. ((((HUGS)))) I know it's hard - but this is your final act of love for your pet.

As for whether you should go with her or not - that's up to you. You can say your goodbyes and they can go without you or you can be there. After the injection the cat just goes to sleep - so it's actually quite peaceful. And a nice feeling to know that you've ended your beloved friend's suffering.

PS: GREAT advice from Shadow Student. Much better to have her put to sleep now that to die in agony - you definitely don't want that. And shame on you to the person who said to "stick her in a room" and just let her die naturally - that's cruel.

Answer 6

You've brought up a sore spot from my own experience. When I first got divorced, I went into a small apartment and adopted a fairly large and lovely cat, already named Nippy (for the obvious reasons) and we fell in love. I fed him every time he wanted, and from his initial 14 lbs. photo when I picked him up from the Humane Society, he was spayed and declawed, which was required he blossomed into a huge 24 pounder. That was 12 years ago.

He was the boss of my home(s) everywhere I lived, and tolerated no-one or nothing else. I had loved him and never thought he would need to be let go, but he grew old, and started to do all the things your cat has been doing. No-one likes to admit that the time has come to put a sad and possibly ill animal to sleep, but that's what I did, and it made me feel more guilty as there was a new kitty in the wings needed to be adopted, and I wanted her.

I have photo after photo of Nippy, all my friends in my apartment building loved him, but like my tuxedo lady I have now, he never was allowed outside, (no claws, too dangerous) and cats can catch many illnesses and be run over outside, and this kitty, Flash, tears all over the house, gets exercise, and sits in my window 4 floors up loving it.

You will feel bad about losing your lovely old kitty at first, but he sounds as if he's on his last legs, and isn't enjoying life much, and you have been giving him lots of love.

Life goes on, unfortunately, with or without our most loved loved ones, so suggest your Mum and Dad get another kitty just for you, when she goes, and you take care of it, and that'll mean much more to you, being responsible for a pet from beginning until the end of its life. Better still, adopt a cat, and save its life.

Incidentally, cats seldom live much longer than yours, so don't feel too bad.

Answer 7

Recently I had to have an older dog put down, she was like
one of my kids. Literally, she had to be put out of her misery,
because she was in pain and I couldn't help her. I would
think your cat may be miserable too with all her ailments.
As a parent, it is torture to have to make that decision when
your children are also involved -- but what seems wrong
to you, could very well be what's best for the cat. I guarantee
that your parents aren't taking this lightly.

If you want to attend I think you should, but by no means
go if you can't handle it.



I'm sorry about your cat -- keep a stiff upper lip

God Bless ya

Answer 8

German Shepherds were originally bred to herd other animals. It sounds like your GSD has a very high prey drive, and may not have been properly socialized to not herd or harm other small animals. What your dog is doing with the horses, is trying to herd them into going where they want them to go, and doing what the dog wants it to do. My GSD tries to herd our other dog, and will nip at her all the time. No matter what we have done, how much exercise she has gotten, we cannot break her of this. We sometimes have to separate them during play time if Bella gets too nippy with Fattie. If your dog does not have any aggression towards people, I would say that euthanizing her, would be unfair. She should be put in a home where there are no other animals, and with someone who understands how to handle her. If she is aggressive towards people, I would have her evaluated and talk to a vet about possible euthanasia (putting her down.) I am very sorry to hear about the position you are in. I hope everything turns out for the best for your family, and your dog.

Answer 9

As far as going to the vet, this is definately a decision that only you can make. I'd say you will probably want to consider if saying goodbye to her at home would be okay for you, or if you feel like you'd like to be with her until she has died. I think, you want to think about what will feel the best for you in regards to having some closure with your kitty.
It can be a tough decision, and I'd imagine whatever you do will be hard. I'm sorry this is an experience you have to go through, and I hope you have supportive people to be there for you.

Answer 10

Jess-I'm sorry for you, but I don't think your parents were wrong. I've had a lot of pets and eventually I've had to put everyone one them down. Sometimes I waited too long and the animal suffered. This is a very tough decision, but what kind of quality of life did your cat have? She led a long life and is in a better place now. I want you to do me a favor. Google "rainbow bridge" and read the 1st and 2nd hits. If there are no animals in heaven, I don't want to be there either. EDIT; I've also been in the situation where my 2 cats and /or two dogs were close to each other whnen one had to be put to sleep. I noticed that the healthier one knew the other animal was dying. When I had to put down my first dog, the cat, who was very close to him, searched for the dog for a couple of hours, but seemed to know how sick the dog was before we put her down. My Labrador had cancer and the other animals in the house helped her but pretty quickly moved on when I had to put her down. She was the hardest for me. She was only 8, but the cancer was very aggressive and I waited too long. I don't think your other cat will mourn her long. Your other cat already knows she's dying. Should you go? Honey, I don't know. I've always gone and held them when they fell asleep (I'm started to tear up as I write this). It's not painful and its not violent, It always breaks my heart, but they all gave me so much love, I think they deserve my love in there final moments, Did you read the "Rainbow Bridge" yet?