I need opinions..Do we euthanize our cat or let her die naturally?

We have a cat that was the runt of the litter...skin and bones. When she got her first abcess we took her in to the vet and had her tested for leukemia and feline aids. The next couple of abcesses came and she healed fine. Although each time she seems weaker and is of dimished capacity. She doesn't seem to be "there" if you know what I mean. She will respond to petting and such.......but just seems to be weaker and not a happy camper. My question is do we let her get possibley weaker and get more infections... from which she might not recover? Or do we euthanize her to release her from her misery? She is very loved and we are having a difficult time deciding. The vet goes either way...... Thanks for sharing your opinions!

blacktiger o ..Im not sure what you are referring to. Euthanasia..? That is not what they do ....at least not our vet

If she's not in pain and still seems to enjoy her life, responding to the love you are showing her, then you are justified in keeping her with you.

If she seems to be in pain and is no longer able to appreciate life at all, it becomes your responsibility as her caretaker to end her suffering.

It sounds like you are walking a line right now where it's hard to tell what's best. Perhaps you should give her more time, and enjoy that time with her. If she seems to still be enjoying it too, even if weak, then you've done the right thing.

If she starts to deteriorate and the situation calls for it, or if she is in obvious and apparent pain all the time, you can always amend your decision. But if you do it the other way around, there will be no opportunity to amend.

Put her under - you're both suffering evidently.

There is no benefit to prolonging suffering. I'm sorry to hear you have to make this choice.

Aww, poor thing...put her to sleep.

I know this is a difficult decision, but if it were my cat, I would opt to euthanize. She's just going to suffer and waste away if you don't. Why not give her some peace...

If its a painful death or suffering death YES! If not then NO!

ive had 3 cats and 2 dogs die in the last 7 or 8 years and only 1 died natuaally and thats cuz she was in no pain and died in her sleep, the other s we put down cuz they were in increduous pain, if she is in pain put her down, take anotehr 2 days and love her and take pics to always remember her etc.. if she isnt in pain let it go for now GL on your decision i know it is hard

As long as she responds to you and doesn't seem to be in any pain--crying--let her live and love her like crazy.

this may sound mean but put her out of her misery.

sorry about your cat.

As awful as it sounds, I vote putting her down.
If she seems like she is in pain, why let her go on in it?
I'm sorry about your kitty. :(

release her from her misery(euthanize) awww poor little kitty. Sorry to hear that.

Don't let the cat suffer anymore...put her to rest. It will be easier for everyone.

I know if I could afford to help an animal survive, I would. I do know, however, that vet bills can be expensive. My cat swallowed a string once, and the vet wanted 1,000 to do surgery on him. Turns out he passed the string fine. Give the cat a chance, and see if she can pull through. Do what you can for her medically, and try to get her to eat. Hope it goes well!

it may be more humane to let her go to sleep. You don't want to continue seeing her suffer, and I'm sure it tears you up inside each time she has another problem.

I've had two cats who were put under- one had a stroke and was paralyzed from the waist down, and the other had kidney failure. I know it's tough to go through... get a new kitty right away. Their antics will make you laugh, and the laughter helps to ease the pain of losing the other kitty.

I'd put her to sleep. That way you won't have to see her suffer anymore....

naturally because now they put acid inside and let them burn from inside out

If shes not suffering let her be, let her live as long as she can it's only fair. Why take her precious little life away to soon. I know its a hard decision but think of all the good times you've had with her and there could be more days to come.

I think it depends on how much you think she is suffering. If you were in her situation, would you be ready to go? If so, then give her a peaceful passage. But if there are still times when she seems to be happy and enjoying life, you might want to hold off, just as you yourself would hold off.

It's a hard choice. I grieve for you. I have had to make a similar decision with a family member recently. (Morphine to ease her breathing, even though it brought the end on sooner.) It hurts.

I have done both and will never let my cat suffer a slow death again. While it is mildly traumatic at the vets office, you can be there and once the medicine hits them, they just go peacfully. I have also read books that suggest that our pets understand, and forgive us and are happier "on the other side" (for whatever that is worth).

Put her to sleep, her suffering will only hurt you in the end.

well, what does the doctor say about her condition, will it get better in the future, or will she be sick forever, try to get a second open from a different vet if u can... but if she will eventually recover keep her, if she will suffer forever then i don't know, i'd still keep her...

This is a tough decision for you and your family to make. Although I don't think there is a right or wrong answer, I think that one way that will help you decide is to talk to other people who have euthanized their pets because of old age problems and such.

In my experience, my best friend had to euthanize his dog and he regrets it. He wouldn't recommend doing it ever again. Many people have different insights on this matter. Hopefully you can find someone who has dealt with the same issue and their experience can help you through this tough time.

On the same note, looking at some other people's answers, although this does have to do with you, ultimately it's not about how much YOU will suffer. It's about another creature's life, and how it's in your hands. You should do what's best for your KITTY. :)

How old is she? Make the desision, your the one thats with her and viewing her everyday. Is her life a happy one? Can she still have fun being a cat? Do you think she has pain? Take a piece of paper and write down the pros and cons, of her health. Could she get better? From the sounds of it she will only get worse, and make things harder for your family.

Please takecare of this cat ,Prophet Mohammad said that you can enter the heaven even if you takecare of a pet ,so do your best to takecare of it.

I had to make the same decision when my cat went into kidney failure. As hard as it was, I decided to let the vet put him down. He was in pain, and would have had to go through medical procedures to keep him alive. I still miss him, but it would have been selfish of me to try to keep him alive at that point. I am sorry that you have to go through this.

I am so sorry you are going through this....well actually for you and the cat. There is never an easy answer. But I feel if we domesticate animals, then we have a duty to make their lives as pleasant and possible. And if they are obviously suffering, we should not let them go on like that. They count on us to do the right thing.

It is hard to make that decision, I've been there. The best thing you can do if you do decide to put her to sleep, is to be there with her during her last minutes. It will bring her comfort.

Good luck with whatever you decide....bless your heart.

My daughter has been a Vet tech and 4 yrs of college now. She adopted a leukemia positive cat years ago. She keeps her inside and shots up to date. She has had her 7 yrs now, and the family was going to put her down (put her to sleep). She has been a very loving and healthy cat. One eye pupil is larger and she is going blind in it but she is in NO pain.
Your kitty however, sounds like she is to far gone. If she acts like she is not in pain I would let her die on her own, you never know, she may pull out of it. There is a high vitamin tube-food you can put on your finger and feed her to get her better. With this disease, the immune system shuts down.

Animals should die of natural death. Just let her get the infections and give her time to either recover or pass away. If you feel it is too much too handle, just euthanize her.

If there is anything the vet can do for the cat (like medicine) then try that first! You should try everything you can to help the cat get better as long as it will help the cat in the long run! If the cat cannot be helped and is possibly hurting/getting sicker (every1knows how it feels to be sick... it sux!) then it should be uthenized! Many believe you should let them die naturally. However, when a person is dieing in the hospital they are not dieing naturally nomatter what you may think, they are having chemicals, machines, and pain pills helping them go through it easier! Where as, an animal does not have that luxury unless you give it to them! If the cat is hurting and can't be helped let her go! :0)

Be humane & put her out of her misery.

If she's suffering which it sounds likely that she is.
Best 2 let her go.

I understand how U feel & I know how tough that decision is.
I had 2 part with my Bill. A beautiful Heniz57, he was my best friend & I still miss him.
I had 2 put myself in his shoes & consider his quality of life.
Unfortunately he was unhappy, pained & scared.
I had 2 let him go, which I've never regretted. He feel asleep in my arms & the Vet was so kind.
The only advice I can give U is imagine if U were her, what would U like your owners 2 do?
Thinking of U
Big hug 2 U all because sometimes life's really horrid.