Cats

How To Put A Cat To Sleep Yourself

How To Put A Cat To Sleep Yourself
Written by Mehwish Imtiaz

The euthanasia means easy death, and this is a Greek word where “eu” relates to good or easy “Thatanos” mean the end or dying. It is an act of ending a pet’s life for some unavoidable reasons; the process can be done at home by following a few simple steps. It is taken as “put to sleep”, “euthanize” the animal for some possible reasons of miserable life. It is a form of mercy killing practiced to end the suffering of some poor creature by making it accessible by using several drugs.

When To Decide About Euthanasia?

It is always a personal choice to decide euthanasia for your cat rather than quite a heartbreaking and challenging procedure. You have to do with a heavy heart who probably desires to spend some more time with your beloved pet, but unfortunately, it is not in cat’s best interest.

You can always consider your choices, don’t need to make any rash move in haste. Better to discuss the ongoing events with the entire family and friends to find the best possible solution. Consult the vet about your pet’s health conditions to ensure that it may not be a wrong choice to quit the life of your cat.

If you feel a sudden change in your pet habits like less eating, slow walking, and lethargy, it is a warning sign for underlying health problems. Shortness of breath is a symptom that the animal is suffering from a chronic illness that is leading to such weakness in the body.    

When cats start eating less, their stomach gets upset due to anorexia, as this animal is quite sensitive to sour stomach disorders. Cancer, Kidney disease, and inflammatory bowel syndrome can rapidly destroy the animal’s digestive system, so he will start losing his appetite. If your pet has to fight the battle for survival soon, here is the time to consult the vet for finding the best way out of this situation.

Do I Need The Help Of Veterinarians?

The cost of euthanizing depends on the services you are going to take for your pet. You have too many available; one is to make your pet to the vet for euthanization. Another option is to call the vet at home for a more costly procedure than his office services. Most people want their animals to euthanize at home; they want to make these movements memorable for the rest of their life. In the case of home euthanization by yourself, you have to consult vet officers for the management of the process. 

How To Prepare You And Your Pet For Euthanisation?

Prepare Your Cat

Euthanasia is known as putting your cat to sleep through the overdose of the drug. It will help your cat go into a permanent deep sleep; this method is expected to be painless.

Sedation helps calm down the animal in a few circumstances as pre-medication is not suitable for every cat. It will be better not to terrify the cat with an IV placement, and it will stress the cat for further procedure. Specifically, if the animal is already sick, this IV can make him anxious while better to let all this happen peacefully.

A dehydrated sick animal has narrow veins that will make IV more painful for the poor creature. Sedation before medication can help you to make things comfortable for the family members and cats.   

It is imperative to relax and prepare your animal for the peaceful accomplishment of euthanasia. Don’t realize that something unusual is going to happen within a few hours. Chasing to pull out from corners will add more to the anxiety of feral cat.

Prepare Your Self

When you are about to start the process, pick him up, and cradle him in your arms to give the feeling of safety to your baby.  Dim lights and soothing music will be supporting to calm down the fractious cat. 

You have to keep all things arranged for the quick action, for as soon as the cat will feel the pain of injection, he can react to make it tricky for you. Be gentle to make it less traumatic as sedative works; he will completely fall asleep to make things easier for you.

If you are going to perform it without a vet, you must need some family members to take part in the process. You can seek the help of a professional nurse for injections, and it will prove too costly for you to afford. Be alert if the nurse is coming to help you, she must come in front of the cat to terrified him as a stranger. Either way, keep the cat in your hands and let the nurse inject it in the leg muscle to ease him.

How To Start The Process?

Euthanizing gives a peaceful end to your cat; such techniques are described to reduce pain and to release stress. Being a concerned cat owner, it could be one of the difficult decisions to make. The only reasonable thought that may help euthanize the cat is that you cannot see your beloved pet suffering. It could be awful to see your darling pet reaching to the end of the road painfully.

The Internet has become flooded with techniques by which you can end up your pet’s life easier. Whereas articles might be well-meaning, they can also be misleading. It’s all your responsibility to act reasonably in this matter. Preparing your mind for all this before taking any action is wise. Give your cat some valuable and loving last moments. Spend some petting and comforting time with it. Take a little more to decide the best suitable method for euthanasia but decide sensibly. Decide such a technique you are sure that you can handle well.

What Can Be The Safest Method To Euthanize Your Cat?

If a pet has to euthanize, it should be done so that it causes less pain and helps the pet pass away swiftly. The safest way of euthanizing your cat is to take it to the veterinary doctor. Apart from being the most reliable method, it is very costly, indeed. Animal control facilities can also perform the euthanizing at a comparatively lower cost. They are experienced at this, so it can be considered a humanely way to put your companion to its painless end.

An alternative to visiting a vet and contacting animal control facilities is to carry out the process by yourself at home. Before taking this step, you should have complete knowledge of how to do it. This procedure can also put your pet in trouble if not done wisely.  

Here are some safe ways by which you can help your pet get rid of all the tribulations.

1- Euthanize By Using Aspirin

Unlike humans, cats retaliate sensitively on the consumption of aspirin. Cats take 19 times longer to digest aspirin. They are unable to break it down and eliminate it from their body efficiently. A more extended stay of aspirin in body cause poisoning. You will need 2 to 3 times the amount to put your cat to sleep without any pain. You can give approximately 5 tablets to your cat; it will pass away swiftly. All the misery your pet suffering through will walk away.

2- Euthanize By Using Insulin

Insulin is a lifesaver drug for diabetic patients. It is readily available at Amazon. In comparison, insulin can also drop the glucose level to such extent that it can result in diabetic coma and eventually death.

If a cat is injected with enough insulin, it can cause an unusual drop in the cat’s blood sugar level. It will unconditionally lead to panicking body condition, which may include lethargy, shivering, weakness, and dizziness.

3- Euthanize By Sleeping Pills

Giving sleeping pills is somehow the best way to provide you with a Dearest pet cat, a painless death. Pentobarbital Sodium is known to be a high anesthetic drug. It can be served in two ways either by injecting in the body or by oral consumption.

For even quicker results, add any government-approved sedative into the sleeping pills. This short procedure will put your cat into a rapid sleep. By adding sedatives, you can approximately reduce more 15 to 20 minutes of your cat’s sleep. Moreover, painkillers help them to kick the bucket in a relaxed and less painful way.

Saying Goodbye

When decided to make this decision, it must be a tough time for the family to say goodbye to your cat forever. After euthanasia, you may bury your cat in the home garden or nearby pet cemetery that can arrange burial. Some council has a prohibition for home burial, better to ask the local authorities prior so you can make necessary arrangements.

Things To Consider

Putting your beloved down forever is not going to be easy for you. Most people don’t feel that things have a higher probability of going wrong in the emotional state that will make things difficult for you.

If you are not confident about making such a big move at home, consider taking a vet. During the process, if something miserable happens to the cat, it will add to your mental suffering. You want to spend some precious last movements with your cat that doesn’t mean making things chaotic by experimenting.

Only decide for home euthanizing if the grief is not a hurdle for you to complete the task smoothly, as any mistake will make it inhumane for animals.

What Are The Alternatives To Euthanizing?

When you notice your cat is no longer able to do its favorite things. It is getting older or if you see a cat in pain or a dreadful disease. It is time to say goodbye to your lovely pet. Though it is a hard decision, some hard choices are the best. An easy and painless death refers to mercy killing. The best way to give your cat sleep is to take it to the vet. The Veterinary will provide it with some sedatives and relaxants. As soon as drugs get into the body of the cat, it will shut down the brain and the heart of the cat. A vet will allow you to sit beside your companion while he is processing. He is a well-trained and well-experienced entity who can deal with your pet through complete care and sensibility.

Besides visiting a vet, you can call an animal control faciliatory. By this method, you can reduce the stress of visiting a vet. Cats hate getting into the car and visiting a pet. Animal control facilitators have expertise in dealing the pets. Animal control facilitators may visit your place and euthanize your pet at your home. They have complete kits. In contrast to home euthanizing, it is a more professional way.

Is Euthanizing Lawful?

A survey of around 50 states euthanasia laws unveils that multiple states allow non-veterinarians to do euthanasia on pet animals. In some cases, the euthanasia technicians are required to undergo certain hours of training before being allowed to perform euthanasia on any animal. On the other hand, in a few states, even non-certified workers of animal control facilities are permitted to perform the procedure without proper training.

Animal shelters, animal control agencies, and humane societies in several states have a permit to own the chemicals used for the euthanasia of pet animals and veterinary clinics. Often a state has established procedures for the storage of the substances, and in some cases, a state requires a licensed veterinarian or certified euthanasia technician as staff to receive a permit.

The method of euthanasia is relatively standard across the 50 states, with most states authorizing sodium pentobarbital injection or a similar formula. However, some states allow the use of carbon monoxide chambers, often mandating that the animals must be of a certain age.

Across some borders, it is strictly prohibited to euthanize your pet by yourself at home. This act can lead you behind the fence, waiting for your trail.

How To Manage Your Loss?

You have just bear the loss of a loved family member, and it is reasonable to get emotional by recalling sweet memories with your cat. Nature has its cycle of rebirth by removing some members and replacing them with new acquaintances. Acceptance is the key to lead a balanced life free of depression, making adjustments with upcoming changes can release the burden from your heart.  

You might need to spend more time with kids to comfort them with your presence. Children are susceptible to such happenings; perhaps more time and attention will likely develop more stamina to heal from the loss of a family member.

Remind all of the family that it was the best possible decision for everyone involved. Cats “go hide to die” if they wandering off and being so weak not able to get home back. Dying off at some unknown place due to hunger and dehydration can be heart ranching for the pet owner. You took this responsible decision to avoid such a horrible situation for the future. At least things will not mess up in your supervision, might be they can go wrong if it would roam freely and get lost someday to dye alone miserable.

You shared a special bond with your lovely cat that gifted you with an exceptional warmth of feelings you would love to describe. Always share these nostalgic movements with all dear ones to come out from the trauma of death. Things will get fine as you will heal yourself from the past. Your cat is not in your life anymore, but her memories will always stay in your heart as a unique gift.

Key Takeaways

   It is a sad movement of your life to bring your cat to unnatural death while this is adopted some avoidable conditions. The animal is so sick not able to walk or eat properly, either the cat is so old not to enjoy any bit of her life, just dragging to spend a few more days. Euthanasia is the solution to bring relief for a suffering animal by making things easy to get relief.

These steps to be followed

  • Consultation: Vet, friends, and family
  • Preparation: equipment, instruments,
  • Sedation: if required
  • Euthanasia: Insulin/ slipping pills/ Aspirin
  • Disposing : home/ cemetery burial

Here we talked about some essential aspects of this action which might help you find answers to some frequently asked questions as

  • Is it legal?
  • What are the methods?
  • What more to consider?
  • What are the other alternatives available?
  • How to manage the loss?

After recovering from your beloved’s loss, you can make up your mind to adopt a new pet. It will be a great initiative to move ahead in your life with a new spirit. Memories of the dead cat will be your ally during the journey of life.