OT how do you know it is time to put your pet cat down

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OT how do you know it is time to put your pet cat down

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When they start doing this:

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- walks very stiff contort last few years
- doesn't eat much only treats or wet food and then just a little
- vomiting today and tried to go outside littler box never done that
- random vocalization at night lately

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When I focus in on the cross hairs with my .22 Marlin

Our 18 yo cat did all this for months and then finally pissed all over herself and was just miserable and disoriented- we put her down and my wife wishes she would have done it a little sooner to spare her the misery. Vet can help decide

OP - first off, sorry to hear you're dealing with this. it's never easy. there really is no way to know for sure that it's time, but i think the general guideline is when it seems that they are suffering. i had to put my dog down three summers ago that i had had since i was a single guy with no kids. he became a family dog as i became a family man. it was brutal. but it got to where he couldnt get around, he was clearly in pain, and he got very confused and scared easily. that said - he always knew me and that look of total trust and love in his eyes was always there up until the very last, and that makes it so damn hard. but i knew he also trusted me to do right by him at the end - and the right thing was to not make him suffer so that i could selfishly avoid grieving his loss for a little longer. and i think that's how you know - if you are keeping them alive longer so that you can avoid grieving despite their suffering...it's time.

I would never let my pet suffer.

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- doesn't eat much only treats or wet food and then just a little
- vomiting today and tried to go outside littler box never done that

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Uh...these are major red flags with all domestic animals. I'm sure you know that, though.

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- random vocalization at night lately

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Our 20+ year old cat (who just moved inside this winter after living life outdoors for the 23+ years prior) does this. I'm curious why. I assume dementia of some sort, not knowing where it is when it wakes up.

Could you tell what she threw up?

Is she losing weight?

Does she purr, pee, poo, preen, play?

I suggest taking her in for an exam.

I had two cats for about 16 years (they were brother and sister), and when they got to the end the vet told me that if felines live long enough, their kidneys will always fail. That's basically what happened to both of mine within the span of about six months of each other.

The boy cat went first and I had the vet put him down. It was rough. The girl cat went second and I put her down myself (as humanely as possible). But they were both suffering a ton and getting frail and sickly. So I knew it was the right decision, but man that was tough to do. 16 years is a long arse time with an animal. I miss them both a lot, but I'm also glad I no longer have animals too.

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Why’d my post get deleted?

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They got me too, must not like crayon eaters.