Euthanasia in cats: how to know when it’s time and what to expect
Deciding to put a cat to sleep is one of the hardest decisions anyone who loves them can face. There’s no exact formula, but there are ways to assess their quality of life, a vet to guide you, and a few things worth knowing so that those final moments are peaceful for both of you.
An act of care
Euthanasia literally means “good death”. When a cat has an incurable illness, pain that can’t be controlled or a decline that prevents a dignified life, helping them die without suffering can be the last act of care you give them. It isn’t giving up or abandoning them. Many vets say it’s better to make the decision a little too early than a little too late, while the cat still has good moments, rather than waiting for a crisis. And almost everyone who has been through it says the same thing: the hardest part is deciding; afterwards, knowing they’re no longer suffering brings a certain peace.
What the law says
In Spain, under Animal Welfare Law 7/2023, a pet may only be euthanised by a vet, using a method that avoids suffering and ensures immediate loss of consciousness, and on veterinary judgement, when the animal has an illness or injury causing suffering that cannot be relieved. The national law doesn’t mention written consent, but in practice clinics will ask you to sign a consent form, and some regional rules require one. This means the decision isn’t yours alone: your vet is with you, assesses the clinical situation and helps you decide. If you have doubts about the diagnosis or prognosis, asking for a second opinion is perfectly reasonable.
How to assess their quality of life
Vets use quality-of-life scales to help owners look at the situation more objectively. They consider things like pain, appetite, hydration, hygiene, mobility, mood and whether there are more good days than bad. Some questions you can ask yourself: is your cat eating enough, even with help? Are they drinking and urinating normally? Can they move around to reach the litter tray, their food, their favourite spot? Are they grooming? Are they still interested in you or in what’s around them? Is their pain under control? If the answer to several of these is no, and no treatment can improve things, it’s time to talk it through with your vet.
The good days and bad days calendar
A simple and very useful tool is to mark on a calendar, every day, whether it has been a good day or a bad day for your cat. A good day might be one when they eat, move around, purr, sunbathe or seek your company; a bad one, a day when they don’t eat, hide, are in pain, vomit or don’t get up. When the bad days start to outnumber the good ones, that’s a clear sign. This record helps you see the trend with more perspective, because when you’re very close to the situation it’s easy to cling to the last good day and think tomorrow will be the same or, the other way round, to be carried away by one especially bad day.
Pain in cats isn’t easy to see
Cats are experts at hiding pain, an instinct that protected them from predators. So a cat that doesn’t complain may still be suffering. Signs of feline pain are often subtle: hiding, no longer grooming or over-grooming one area, sleeping hunched up with the head low, no longer jumping, moving little, half-closed eyes, ears held apart or a tense mouth, eating less, becoming irritable or, on the contrary, very subdued. Researchers at the University of Montreal developed a scale of facial expressions of pain in cats that helps people recognise it. Ask your vet whether your cat’s pain is truly under control.
What the process involves
Knowing what happens helps take away the fear. Usually the vet first gives a sedative or anaesthetic, which sends the cat into a deep sleep within a few minutes, unaware of anything further. Then, once they’re completely unconscious, the euthanasia drug is given, normally into a vein, and it stops the heart within a short time. It’s a peaceful, painless process. It helps to know that after death it’s normal for the eyes to stay open, for there to be some reflex muscle movement or a last deep breath, or for the bladder to empty. This doesn’t mean they’re suffering: these are the body’s reflexes, when the cat is no longer conscious.
Should you be there or not?
There’s no right answer. Many people want to stay with their cat until the end, stroking them and talking to them, and feel it helps them grieve. Others feel they couldn’t bear it and prefer to say goodbye beforehand. Both choices are valid, and neither says anything about how much you loved your cat. If you decide to be there, the vet will explain each step and give you all the time you need. If you’d rather not be present, say a calm goodbye beforehand and trust that the veterinary team will treat your cat with kindness. If there are children, consider their age and maturity when deciding whether they take part in the farewell before, during or only afterwards.
At home or at the clinic
Many vets offer euthanasia at home, which spares the cat the stress of the carrier and the journey, and lets them say goodbye in familiar surroundings, in their favourite spot, with their family. It’s a much-appreciated option, especially for cats that get very stressed at the clinic. In Spain, the procedure usually costs between 60 and 150 € at the clinic, and between 120 and 300 € at home, depending on the area and the time of day. Cremation, communal or individual, comes on top of this. Ask your vet what options they offer and, if you can, decide these details in advance so you don’t have to at the last minute.
Preparing to say goodbye
If circumstances allow, you can choose the day and prepare for it. Some people spend the last days spoiling their cat with a favourite food, even one they wouldn’t normally be allowed, letting them sunbathe at their window, holding them or having them on the bed. The people who matter to them can come and say goodbye. Ask the vet whether your cat should fast beforehand, because of the sedation. Think in advance about what you want to do with their body, so you don’t have to decide in the moment. And give yourself permission to be sad: you don’t have to be strong that day. Veterinary staff are used to supporting families at these times.
Afterwards
It’s normal to feel a mix of sadness, relief that they’re no longer suffering and guilt at having made the decision. All of these emotions are part of grief. Remember that you decided with the information you had, with professional advice and with their wellbeing in mind. Many people feel, with time, that it was the right decision, even if it seemed impossible at the time. If you have other animals, keep their routines going. And if the pain becomes very hard to bear, talk to someone you trust or to a professional. The first days are the hardest, but little by little the memory of the good years gains ground.
Euthanasia is an act of care when your cat’s suffering can’t be relieved. Assess their quality of life with your vet, keep track of good and bad days, and don’t wait for a crisis. The process begins with deep sedation, is peaceful and painless, and can be done at home (in Spain, 120 to 300 €) or at the clinic (60 to 150 €).
Educational content from Michipedia, translated from the Spanish original. It does not replace the advice of a vet or a feline behaviour specialist. Every cat is an individual.