Making a plan for when the nine lives run out
Deciding when to send Fluffy to the hereafter is not a pleasant prospect, but many Kiwis drag their heels when it comes to euthanasing their cats.
Massey University’s Kat Littlewood is studying how her fellow vets can offer better guidance, saying many owners put off the decision and regret it.
‘‘It’s such an emotional time, they can see their animal going downhill and they just don’t want to make that decision. With animals we can make that decision.’’
The questions are similar to those for MPs debating Act leader David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill.
Is medical technology prolonging life beyond natural life expectancy? And at what point does a life become so painful and miserable doctors should be allowed to end it?
Palmerston North vet Malcolm Anderson said making life and death decisions for a pet was not something any owner was prepared for.
‘‘I had to say goodbye to my cat recently, and it was still pretty hard.’’
His cat Millie lived to 17 years, and still had quality of life, but on balance he felt the decision had to be made.
‘‘You’re ending your pet’s life, but you’re still helping them. People think they are terminating a life, so you have to help them with that, too.’’
Chief SPCA scientific officer Dr Arnja Dale said if an elderly cat was suffering unnecessarily and veterinary advice was not followed, including for euthanasia, it could be an offence under the Animal Welfare Act.
Lisa Poulson, of Feilding, took her Sam for a senior cat vet exam on Friday. He passed muster, but Poulson said there was some trepidation as he got older.
‘‘He was sick a few years ago, and the vet said if we have to come in again for that treatment then we’d really have to think about euthanasia.’’
For her study, Littlewood hopes to interview owners who had an elderly cat euthanised in the past six months to ask about the vets role in their decision.
Where there is no strong conclusion the animal is suffering, it is no longer considered good practice to authoritatively tell owners when to put a pet down, she said.