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This shutdown
may hasten the end through dehydration. Other
organs may also close down and, if you are lucky,
the cat will fall into a coma and be unaware of
anything more. If this is the case, place the
comatose cat somewhere warm, quiet and dark at
floor level if it has not already chosen its final
place (often under a bed or in a cupboard/closet).
Every few hours check to see whether breathing has
stopped. Breaths may come in gasps at long
intervals, but as long as the cat is unconscious
it is not suffering. You may choose to take your unconscious cat to
the vet to hasten its journey. This will usually
be done with a gaseous anesthetic, or possibly by
injection directly into the kidney or heart rather
than trying to find a leg vein.
Facing The Inevitable
Finally, you might not be able to defer the
decision any longer. Modern drugs are extremely
fast-acting and the end is very peaceful. The
final stages of a terminal illness, however, can
mean a painful, prolonged end. If, during its
life, your cat has been well-cared-for, you owe it
this last duty - a gentle death and not a slow
one. Previous sections will have given you an idea
of warning signs.
In making the decision it is helpful for owners
to understand how euthanasia is performed.
Euthanasia in domestic pet clinics is by
anesthetic overdose, usually by injection into a
vein or kidney, sometimes by gas if the animal is
distressed by handling. Unlike the horror stories
about human executions, it is very swift because
of the animals low bodyweight. The knowledge that
euthanasia lives up to its literal translation of
'easy death' and is painless and fast while a
'natural death' may involve convulsions,
hemorrhaging, starvation/dehydration and, in the
terminal stages of many illnesses, pain, may be
the decisive factor.
Sometimes it is possible to delay euthanasia
for a day without causing suffering for example
where he has a terminal illness or is extremely
old and the euthanasia is planned in advance. You
may wish to give him a last night of pampering,
his favorite foods or foods which were normally
forbidden. This is a time in which to say goodbye
and reassure him that he is very much loved.
However, if he is suffering, or is already under
anesthetic, he will not enjoy having his misery
prolonged.
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