How to Know When to Put Your Cat Down

It’s been 11 days since we had Elwood euthanized. He had kidney disease.

Since then, I’ve wondered if we waited too long to have him put down.

Knowing the signs of when to let a cat go can be tricky. Cats are resilient and great at hiding sickness.

Not being in denial of the signs can be even harder.

Cat Quality of Life Assessment

There are cat quality of life scales that can help determine if it’s time to say goodbye to your cat friend.

The more questions on the list, the harder it was for me to figure out Elwood’s quality of life.

I also reviewed information specific to cats dying from kidney disease.

According to the scales, Elwood was doing pretty well until the weekend before his final day.

On that Monday morning, when making an appointment for his lip sore, I thought, maybe this could be treated.

Looking back, I was in a bit of denial. However, by the time we left for the vet appointment, I had a feeling he would not be coming home.

Then I wondered if the quality of life scales let me down.

• Should he have been put down sooner?
• Did we let him suffer too long, unknowingly?
• Was it horrible that we didn’t take him to an ER vet to be euthanized on Sunday night?

The Comparison Trap

Elwood was not the first cat that we’ve lost.

I found myself comparing his final stage to the other cats to go before him even though they did not have kidney disease.

I doubt this was hopeful behavior on my part. Some of the previous cats had stopped eating, but Elwood was at least eating some.

And Buster had a sudden turn for the worse on his last day, making it easier to assess that he was ready to go over the rainbow bridge.

Elwood was declining, but he had no big red flags until his last 24 hours (terrible breath, a growing lip sore, and not wanting to eat treats).

How to Actually Know When It’s Time

I suspect if any friend had come over and seen Elwood, who hadn’t watched his slow decline, would have said he should be put to sleep.

He was skin and bones. I was shocked that he only weighed 4.5 pounds on his last day.

The truth is, sometimes you will not know when it’s time to put your cat down. Your love for your cat can also affect the quality of life scores and ability to assess the the objectively.

When cats like Elwood slowly decline, it can be harder to notice things when you’re the one living with the cat.

On the other hand, you also know your cat best and can tell when little behaviors have changed.

I took Elwood to the vet about a month before his final visit as I wasn’t sure of his condition. At that time, my vet felt that Elwood was doing okay.

When there isn’t an obvious sign, my best advice is to take your cat to the vet for a checkup.

Your veterinarian can assess your cat and let you know if they recommend euthanasia. Depending on the situation, they may also suggest bloodwork to check for new problems that may be treatable.

My goal is to give all my cats the best life possible for as long as possible.

And hopefully, I will trust my instincts to know when it’s time to say goodbye to each one. And when I can’t figure it out, be smart enough to ask a friend (that will tell the truth) and check with the veterinarian.

Read Next: Elwood, My Cat With Kidney Disease Died