Should I euthanize my cat?

Hey all, I'm new to the site. As the title says, I'm wondering if I should bring my cat in to be euthanized.
I'll give a rundown of the issues and symptoms.
So he was born in 2003. He's old. He's lived a full life. I'm pretty sure he's got bad arthritis and is in a lot of pain. No, I haven't confirmed this with a vet yet. However, he walks slowly now, almost kind of like he's limping.
He also used to sleep on our bed every night. That stopped about six months ago. I'm pretty sure it's because jumping up and down are painful.
He's also overweight which exacerbates this. We used to have him on a diet but stopped because we feel he is getting close to the end of his life and just wanted to let him enjoy it. He isn't just overweight though, he is a very large framed cat as you can see in this picture.
He's always had issues with bladder crystals so we've always had to feed him special cat food. He's associated the litter box with pain so he only uses it about 75% of the time. That's always been an issue though and doesn't really have any bearing on euthanasia.
We haven't taken him to the vet for this yet. I'm just curious if these symptoms show/mean his quality of life is poor or if I'm just overthinking this...

The pain of arthritis can be treated, and you can easily make or buy "cat stairs" so that he doesn't have to jump. Both would improve his quality of life, which is the main question when pondering euthanasia. I'm currently pet sitting an 18-20 year old cat with arthritis and chronic kidney disease. Her owner has arranged hassocks and storage containers so that she can easily reach the bed, sofa, etc.. She's old and slow, but eats well and is obviously enjoying her life.

he looks bright and alert. I strongly recommend a vet visit. There are treatments to help with pain. I have an older kitty who is same age as your kitty but we treat with meds for her pain.

They will do xrays to see exactly where the arthritis is.

Treatment=first thing the vet will say is weight control. So please go back to the old way of feeding=the more ounces on him the more painful. this is true for humans as well.

next- they can prescribe a few different things=some will be given nightly, some every other day or other way.

Glucosamine- there's a few brands- dasquin is the best in my opinion or they have injectable (adequan) if you are comfortable with needles=this one works faster than the pills. it's given every 4 days for 4 sessions then once a week for a month then every other week for a month/two then monthly. This also helps bladder issues so if there are issues with crystals/urine pain=the adequan can help restore the lining of the bladder at least that's what my vet told me.  Adequan has been used in horses for treatment of pain with success.

oral meds:

Gabapentin is the preferred pain treatment for long term issues. they make this into a liquid and you give orally. it's a compounded liquid.

Steroids= this could be a short term solution-given at one dose for 10 days then cut in half for another 10 days. then given every other day for 10 days. then every 3 days. The reason is we can't stop abruptly otherwise the adrenal glands don't catch up and start making their own stuff.

pain meds-this is last resort-if the above fails they could do this but they won't do this until weight is lost.

and in big cities they do have orthopedic surgeon that can go in and fix the arthritis. But they won't do the surgery on overweight kitties. I have been trying for months to get my girl to loose some weight and cutting back food but my other half insists on giving treats so for now we just do the steroids every other day and gaba nightly. she is moving around more and seems happier. never had issues with crystals but has had bladder infections so we have had to treat those.

I highly recommend looking for a vet who has treated elderly cats with a variety of issues. Your kitty looks bright eyed and alert. Once the pain is managed I think you will see him sleeping with you again.

there are other things you can do:

make a ramp for him to get on your bed=or move things around so he can walk up and down on the bed without jumping.

make it easier to reach the litter box=either cutting a hole in the side so he doesn't have to lift his legs up to get in=my Angel Floey had a baby catbox. it was only 2" high and she was a fat cat=she also took adequan for several months with success=she preferred her baby catbox,. only tipped it over once,. we have a piece of cardboard box underneath It to clean up litter spills=it helps.

make more places where kitty can drink water=the key to crystals=liquids and food types where those crystals won't grow. you can look at the files here for urinary issues but I found this article:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/feline-idiopathic-cystitis-how-to-improve-your-cats-quality-of-life

I know it doesn't talk about crystals but the treatments are similar=key to health is increase intake of liquids= canned food, water fountain etc.

also don't forget to interact and play with your cat. Even though he may not be able to run and chase=he will still enjoy the stimulation.

Please keep asking questions. We have a huge community who many of us have dealt with a variety of ailments. I hope you will reconsider this decision.

Euthanizing is a hard choice=when a cat has more bad days than good days then we try to see what we can do to help. 4-5 bad days in a row verses an occasional bad day is when they recommend. When the treatments are no longer aiding in your pets wellbeing or things have compounded into too much complications to keep the cat comfortable.

I can tell you I don't think this is at that point with your kitty. I think if we can find you a good vet and treat the pain then work on weight loss I feel that would be a better alternative than the other alternative. My cat has been on treatment for now almost 2 years. She is healthy and happy. she sleeps all the time but she eats and purrs when we pet her. She also enjoys her short jaunts outside on the deck. She curls up and sleeps in the sun. I too have wondered if this would be kinder to let her go but my vet said when she shows obvious signs of distress and treatment doesn't help then we will talk more about that.

Keep us posted..

I agree with the above, vet visit is needed.

My girl was 20lbs, had crystal issues among others, she I'm sure had arthritis too, but that was never confirmed as she passed before tests could be done.

She also slept on our bed, nestled under in my husband's neck, and had issues getting up and down from her favorite spots.  Getting down was especially difficult, she was top heavy and I thought her shoulders would dislocate, so what I did was used step stools and little storage boxes we had under the bed, and used them as steps, so that when she'd get down, her front paws could touch the floor while her hind legs were still on the box making it an easy descent.

Best of luck.  He's a handsome boy.  Same age of both my kitties who have just passed.  Keep him as long as you can.  He's still young.

13-14 is far from old in this day and age.  He looks very handsome and well-cared-for!  I absolutely agree with the previous posters and urge a vet visit and a cutdown in the calories he takes in (ask your vet before changing food.  This is very important.)  Using things that make it easier for him to climb is a "must", too.  I have one of the single-story cat condos I use right next to one of the beds to help climbing.  Our sweet Mainey man who lived to 21 used to appreciate this when he was here.  Small tables, boxes, step-stools can also be helpful for this.  For "accidents", you probably know about all of the products for cleaning; I recommend Nature's Miracle Just For Cats, which is very effective, and/or Zero Odor.  The former is widely available and the latter can be purchased online.

It looks from his photo like he has many good, happy years ahead of him.  There are both natural and Rx ways to help him if he has an issue with pain, too -- ask your vet.

I would have taken my cat to the vet for an examination and treatment when he started acting weird six months ago. Especially if I thought he was in pain.

I'm confused as to why you didn't even talk to a vet and are asking strangers on a forum if you should euthanize your cat.

R-kins said:

 
I would have taken my cat to the vet for an examination and treatment when he started acting weird six months ago. Especially if I thought he was in pain.

I'm confused as to why you didn't even talk to a vet and are asking strangers on a forum if you should euthanize your cat.

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Some people don't have money.  Even if they had a fair amount of disposable income when the cat was originally brought into the home, life circumstances change.

And I can truly understand the feelings behind the question.  I have an arthritic cat.  Moving is clearly painful, she walks with her back legs very stiff and takes the stairs only when the vacuum scares her and she feels she can't reach the couch.  Glucosamine isn't going to do anything meaningful at this point and even when I did try it, all I succeeded in doing was convince her to stop eating (it was in her food).  She quit getting on the bed a year ago; for two years before that she would dig claws in and climb up, not jump.  If steps were placed anywhere but the one spot that interfered with my ability to get out of bed, she would opt to climb up rather than take the steps.

That and another reason does have me wondering at times if it would be better to put her down now so that she doesn't lose quality of life and her last few days be one of misery and pain.  I really, really don't want to wait until she's miserable, until she has already lost quality of life.  But at the same time she's not miserable yet and she may not be miserable for another year, maybe even more (doubtful though).  It's tough.  It's a really tough question.

arouetta said:

 
Some people don't have money.  Even if they had a fair amount of disposable income when the cat was originally brought into the home, life circumstances change.

And I can truly understand the feelings behind the question.  I have an arthritic cat.  Moving is clearly painful, she walks with her back legs very stiff and takes the stairs only when the vacuum scares her and she feels she can't reach the couch.  Glucosamine isn't going to do anything meaningful at this point and even when I did try it, all I succeeded in doing was convince her to stop eating (it was in her food).  She quit getting on the bed a year ago; for two years before that she would dig claws in and climb up, not jump.  If steps were placed anywhere but the one spot that interfered with my ability to get out of bed, she would opt to climb up rather than take the steps.

That and another reason does have me wondering at times if it would be better to put her down now so that she doesn't lose quality of life and her last few days be one of misery and pain.  I really, really don't want to wait until she's miserable, until she has already lost quality of life.  But at the same time she's not miserable yet and she may not be miserable for another year, maybe even more (doubtful though).  It's tough.  It's a really tough question.

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This sounds a lot harsher than I meant it to. A good vet or shelter should work with you if you if you're having financial difficulties.

But if he's limping around and no longer cuddly, clearly his quality of life is affected. If it's treatable and you can ease his discomfort then euthanasia shouldn't be on the table. It's not overthinking it, but it seems kind of resigned when the title is "Should I euthanize my cat?" when you haven't spoken to a professional about it.

I would ask myself:  If it was me, would I want others to make this decision for me?  Or:  If it was a human member of your family, would you want that decision to be made, with no expert medical opinion?  I think not.  I pray not.

dssjr85 said:

He's always had issues with bladder crystals so we've always had to feed him special cat food. He's associated the litter box with pain so he only uses it about 75% of the time. That's always been an issue though and doesn't really have any bearing on euthanasia.
We haven't taken him to the vet for this yet. I'm just curious if these symptoms show/mean his quality of life is poor or if I'm just overthinking this...

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Pain can be treated. There are also many things you can do within your home to make things easier for him. Many pet owners get small sets of steps to make getting on the bed / to the window / or on the furniture with you easier.

arouetta said:

 
Some people don't have money.  Even if they had a fair amount of disposable income when the cat was originally brought into the home, life circumstances change.

And I can truly understand the feelings behind the question.  I have an arthritic cat.  Moving is clearly painful, she walks with her back legs very stiff and takes the stairs only when the vacuum scares her and she feels she can't reach the couch.  Glucosamine isn't going to do anything meaningful at this point and even when I did try it, all I succeeded in doing was convince her to stop eating (it was in her food).  She quit getting on the bed a year ago; for two years before that she would dig claws in and climb up, not jump.  If steps were placed anywhere but the one spot that interfered with my ability to get out of bed, she would opt to climb up rather than take the steps.

That and another reason does have me wondering at times if it would be better to put her down now so that she doesn't lose quality of life and her last few days be one of misery and pain.  I really, really don't want to wait until she's miserable, until she has already lost quality of life.  But at the same time she's not miserable yet and she may not be miserable for another year, maybe even more (doubtful though).  It's tough.  It's a really tough question.

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Many pain medications are fairly cheap. VCA hospitals offer the first visit free and you don't have to use their pharmacy. Google and see what you can find for free or low cost vet care. We have the Zimmer Foundation here. In the end you know your cat best and there is a reason you are asking yourself this question.

Do not euthanize the cat. Not yet at least.

Age is not a reason, decreasing in quality of life is not a reason. It should a dramatic decrease or pain that can not be managed or no movement possible.

Ask a shelter vet for help concerning health. Or a terminal year student in veterinary College. Better than nothing.

I also dont think he should be euthanized. Maybe he can get some omegas or glucosamine as a supplement and some pain meds.

You mentioned crystals, what kind of diet does he have? If hes currently on dry you could consider switching him to grain free wet food. He needs more water intake. That would take care of the crystals and weight problem at the same time. I really think this is the biggest factor.

I see a lot of potential in this situation for this boy to improve and live a decent life for a bit longer. Hes an adorable boy.

Please don't euthanize him.  He's not old.  Cats are living longer today.  My Thomas  was 17 when he passed away and my Sandra  almost 19.  There are supplements for arthritis.  Glucosamine  and chondroitin.  There is also Adequan, which is given by injection and helps lubricate the joints and builds cartilage.  My Sandra was on Adequan.  If you read about it, many pet owners have used it successfully with their dogs and cats.  

Your baby may still have many good years ahead.  

I wouldn't make the choice to euthanize without consulting a vet first. The cost of euthanasia could end up being more than the cost of an exam and a trial run of pain meds. I'd give him a chance to get better before you make life decisions for him. And a chance to get better means having some veterinary care on board. It does not mean see how he does on his own a little longer. You obviously care about him if your searching for advice and I appreciate that. So let a vet advise you and see what they can do before you jump to conclusions.

http://www.playfulkitty.net/2017/01...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer 

Here is some information I hope will be helpful to you in learning about arthritis in cats, and how to treat it (some of this involves $0).

Tarasgirl06 said:

 
http://www.playfulkitty.net/2017/01...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer 

Here is some information I hope will be helpful to you in learning about arthritis in cats, and how to treat it (some of this involves $0).

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One of the things it mentioned was medication for the pain and inflammation, but I've spoken with two vets and they say there just isn't such a thing for cats.  The first one only offered glucosamine (which caused my cat to stop eating the food it was sprinkled on), the second one offered some kind of shot that's supposed to do the same thing as glucosamine.

They are incorrect.  Steroids such as prednisone and prednisolone are very frequently administered in these circumstances.  They are also used in humans who have these issues.  

Tarasgirl06 said:

 
They are incorrect.  Steroids such as prednisone and prednisolone are very frequently administered in these circumstances.  They are also used in humans who have these issues.  

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Snort.  Not much better.  Earlier this year I had a painful injury and was on three two-week courses of prednisone.  I didn't even bother to finish the third course.  I guess people have a placebo effect, I found it did absolutely nothing for pain.  All it did was make me crave carbs.

Steroids provide a lot of relief for arthritis, and are fairly cheap. Long-term use usually leads to some nasty side effects, but if it's between that and euthanasia, go with the steroids.