It’s too late to ask if we did the right thing, but I can’t help wondering. Earlier today, we had our 18-year-old cat euthanized, and I’ve been struggling with the decision ever since. For the past month, he hadn’t been himself. He was eating less, going outside less, and seemed to be slowing down. We thought it was just age catching up with him. But in the last week, things got worse—he barely ate, was drinking a lot of water, drooling, and losing his balance. We took him to the vet, and they found a cyst in his mouth and a loose tooth, which would need surgery. However, blood tests showed he was in kidney failure, and the vet recommended euthanasia as the best option. They told us that surgery wasn’t possible due to the state he was in. He spent most of today sleeping, and when he was awake, he kept losing his balance. I keep wondering if we made the right choice, or if there was more we could have done. Maybe it’s just the part of me that will miss him wanting him to still be here, but it’s hard to know for sure. We gave him a good life—he lived to 18 and was abandoned before we took him in—but I can’t stop questioning if we should have done something else.
I think you absolutely did the right thing, but second-guessing yourself is totally normal. I went through a similar experience with my own cat when he developed kidney disease. We caught it fairly early, so I tried different treatments, but after about a week and a half, I made the same decision you did. He just wasn’t the same cat anymore, and I realized that keeping him around would have been more for me than for him. Letting him go was the kindest thing I could do.
@Nico
Thank you for sharing that. It sounds like exactly what I’m going through—this feeling that maybe we could have done more, but deep down knowing it wouldn’t have been for him. It helps to hear from someone who’s been through it too. I keep telling myself it was the right decision, but the doubt creeps in.
@Lior
I know that feeling all too well. It’s one of the hardest things to come to terms with, but try to remember that you made this decision out of love for him. You didn’t want him to suffer, and that’s a selfless choice. I’m glad I could share my story with you, and I hope it brings you some comfort.
I completely understand how you’re feeling. My mom went through a similar situation a few years ago with her cat, Munch. He was around 17 or 19 years old when he got sick. After Munch passed, my mom started feeling guilty, wondering if she hadn’t given the vet enough time to figure out what was wrong or if she could have done something else. But in the end, she realized that letting him go was the best thing she could do for him. It’s never easy, but sometimes it’s the only way to prevent them from suffering.
@Wyatt
That really resonates with me. I think it’s the guilt that’s making it so hard—I keep wondering if more time or another test would have changed things. But at the same time, I know he was suffering, and we didn’t want him to go through that any longer. Hearing that your mom had similar doubts helps me feel less alone in all of this.
@Lior
It’s completely normal to feel that way. When we love our pets so much, it’s hard not to wonder if we could have done something more. But you gave your cat 18 years of love and care, and at the end, you made the best decision for him. He was lucky to have you, and you did everything you could to ensure he didn’t suffer.
Kidney failure is a slow and painful process, and by choosing euthanasia, you spared your cat from suffering through that. It’s hard to make these kinds of decisions, but it sounds like you did what was best for him. Letting him go was an act of kindness.
@Ash
I didn’t think of it that way, but you’re right. Letting him suffer through the progression of kidney failure would have been so much worse for him. Thank you for reminding me of that—it helps to think of it as a kindness we gave him.
@Lior
It absolutely was. When we love our pets, we want to keep them with us, but we also want what’s best for them. You spared him from a lot of suffering, and that’s something to take comfort in, even though it’s painful for you. I’m really sorry for your loss, and I hope that in time, you find peace in knowing you did the right thing for him.
Euthanasia is one of the hardest decisions anyone has to make, and it’s completely normal to question it after the fact. But you did the right thing by prioritizing your cat’s well-being. You gave him 18 years of love, and in the end, you made sure he didn’t suffer needlessly. That’s something to be proud of. Thank you for being there for him and making such a compassionate decision.
@Halston
Thank you for your kind words. It helps to hear that others have been through similar situations and had the same doubts. We keep reminding ourselves that we gave him a good life, but it’s still hard to shake the feeling that maybe we could have done something more.
@Lior
It’s completely understandable to feel that way. But try to hold on to the fact that you did everything you could for him, and in the end, you spared him from unnecessary suffering. That’s something a lot of people struggle with—waiting too long because it’s so hard to say goodbye. You made a brave and compassionate choice.
An 18-year-old cat with kidney failure likely wouldn’t have had much more time left, even if you could have done something about the cyst and tooth. I think following the vet’s recommendation was the best thing you could have done for him. You took on the pain of loss to spare him from a slow and painful decline, and that’s an act of love. It’s not easy, but you made the right choice.
@Darcy
Thank you for saying that. It’s comforting to think of it that way—that we made the decision to spare him from suffering, even though it was incredibly hard for us. It doesn’t take away the sadness, but it helps to know that we did what was best for him.
@Lior
That’s exactly it. It doesn’t take the sadness away, but it does help to know that you made the right choice for him. Over time, that knowledge will hopefully bring you more peace. Losing a pet is one of the hardest things we go through, but it sounds like your cat had a wonderful life with you, and he knew he was loved.
It’s totally normal to second-guess yourself after making such a hard decision. But you did the right thing. Euthanasia is one of the most merciful things we can do for our pets when they’re suffering and have no chance of recovery. I’ve been through it myself, and it’s never easy, but it was the most selfless decision you could make for him. I’m really sorry for your loss, and I hope you find some comfort in knowing that you did what was best for him.
@Hayden
I’m so sorry for your loss as well. It’s such a difficult thing to go through, but knowing that others have been through it and understand really helps. Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your experience—it’s comforting to know that second-guessing is normal in these situations.