When should I put a dying kitten to sleep?

now

@willbrawn And why? Such a brief answer needs some context. Or do you just hate cats? :)

simple,so it dose not suffer anymore

It should be the decision of the vet.

If she has lost control if her peeing and isn’t eating/drinking her body is shutting down.
If it were my pet, I wouldn’t wait much longer.

With each cat, it has seemed to me that there was a moment when we knew. The balance tipped. Until that moment came, we cared for them in every possible way and put up with the problems they had toward the end. As long as they seemed to be enjoying life and were aware and responsive, as long as they could still snuggle and purr, the answer remained “not yet.”

I know others would do it differently. This is what we did. I don’t regret it.

[Edit] I have to agree with basp that the moment is not far off. Soon she will be unable to keep herself warm and may not be able to avoid or clean up from her messes. Don’t let her go on like that.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c123/HarmonyAlexandria/icon_cry.gif

@HarmonyAlexandria Sorry to be a downer. We are all really sad about it.

Ugh, seriously, this makes me want to cry. That’s not at all a statement to make you feel bad, simply that I strongly empathize with your situation. It’s so sad and I imagine it’s very hard to go through. I get very, very attached to my pets and I can’t imagine being in your situation. :(

I think what basp and Jeruba said is pretty right on, I would do that in combination with whatever your vet recommends. I wouldn’t want to hang on to her past the point where she begins to suffer; it’s a really terrible decision to have to make, but ultimately, the last thing I would want is for my lovey kitty to suffer.

Now I am crying! Baaah. I’m such a bleeding heart when it comes to animals. Big hugs, hang in there.

I am sorry for your loss. You know the situation better than any of us sitting on the other side of a pc screen .
You know what is best. Go to the vet tomorrow. They will help you with this tough decision. You will always have the memories.

I’m so sorry.
I thin if your cat is not eating, and not drinking..she will not make it. It is less painful to go to the vet. The vet will asses the sitatuon, and determine if your cat is ready.
I so know how hard this is, I recently lost a cat. She had thyroid issues, then multiple strokes and could no longer walk. We knew it was her time. (((hugs)))

I’m so sorry.

Bring her to the best vet you can afford and let HIM tell you. When my dog of 18 was to be put to sleep, I brought him by cab to a big animal hospital in the city to hear what THEY had to say. I had him put to sleep. To this day I regret not holding him while he was put to sleep.

I, too, am so sorry.

I’m so sorry you (and your kitten) are going through this. It is not easy to decide the right time; however, I think you know that she will only go down, from this point.

The cat I had growing up had feline leukemia. Once he hit the stage where food and water were something he declined, he progressed to the next stage, quickly. As I look back on it, I wish, as a family, we had made the decision a few days earlier. He was cold, shaking and he was feeling the pain. His body was shutting down and he couldn’t maintain a safe body temperature.

You love this kitten and it’s an incredibly hard decision to make, but it’s made out of love.

Again, I’m sorry this is happening. My thoughts are with you.

Thanks for the kind words of sympathy, all. We have a wonderful vet, but, of course, the decision is ours and I really appreciate the heartfelt advice. I wouldn’t ask just anyone this question.

I would recommend the “old yeller” but I think that would leave a mess with a kitten…
sorry I couldn’t help it. Sorry about your kitten.

@madcapper You are lucky I am not easily offended. Sounds like a comment my drunk friends would make. The kitten is still hanging in there.