Euthanasia

This can be a very difficult decision for most pet owners, as we often ask ourselves “if it’s the right time.” Cats are also very subtle when they aren’t feeling well. We offer ‘Quality of Life’ exams to assist you in making this decision. When you book a ‘Quality of Life’ exam, a veterinarian will examine your cat and make recommendations as to treatments, as well as give you an honest prognosis of your cat’s condition. If it’s time to consider euthanasia, we can go through the euthanasia process at this time, as well as the aftercare of your pet.

When we book a euthanasia, we do our best to work around your schedule. When you arrive, we’ll bring you and your cat to an exam room. At this time, if we haven’t discussed aftercare already, we will go through the options with you. These include communal cremation, having your cat’s ashes returned, specialty urns, and a ceramic memorial paw print. After the consent form is signed, a veterinarian and a veterinarian technician will come in with a sedative. This is often the worst part for your cat, as the sedation goes into the muscle (similar to people having a vaccine given). This allows your cat to relax and become sleepy, as it has painkiller and sedatives in it. After about 5-10 minutes, your cats should be fairly sleepy. At this point, we would come in with the final injection, which goes directly into the vein and works fairly quickly. Your cat will unlikely be aware of what we are doing at this point, and there is no pain involved with it. If you need more time to say goodbye, we try and give you as much time as you need. Once you leave, we respectfully look after your cat’s body.

Although house calls are not a service that we can provide, please call us, and we can assist you in finding a service that offers home euthanasia.

You are most welcome to stay with your cat through the entire euthanasia procedure. Not all cat owners are comfortable with this. If you feel you need to leave at any time, know that you are welcome to step out and a staff member will stay with your cat.

The cost of a euthanasia varies with the options you would like for your cat. These options include communal cremation, ashes returned, specialty urns, and a memorial ceramic paw print.

As pets are often considered family members, saying goodbye can be very difficult and it is not uncommon to need help in grieving a loss. If you feel that bereavement support would be of benefit to you, we can assist you in finding this service.