How cats die, how to understand that this is happening, why they leave home at this moment

39665Administration

Unfortunately, nothing in the world lasts forever and death accompanies us throughout our lives. Of course, the loss of a loved one cannot be compared with the departure of another cat into the world. But sometimes you become so attached to your beloved pet that you consider it a member of the family.

Owners rarely have to watch cats die. And all because most of them prefer to face death far from home, completely alone. But this does not always happen, since not everyone has the opportunity to go outside. To understand that the cat is dying and the time has come to let him go on his last journey, specific symptoms of his approaching death will help. After all, it is important to provide proper care for him during this difficult period.

How to understand that a cat is dying: 5 main signs

The lifespan of pets depends on several factors, the most important of which is the attitude of the owner. If a kitten is not vaccinated on time and suffers a viral disease, invisible complications develop that shorten the pet’s life.

Every poisoning, infestation, and flea activity drains the health of the purr drop by drop. Indulging in whims, giving treats from the table, overfeeding with fresh fish or meat scraps, shortens the pet’s lifespan. If you feed your pet premium food, he has a chance to live twice as long as on economy class food or boiled chicken heads.

Cats endure pain steadfastly, they do not moan, they try not to show that they feel bad, but this does not always work.

The owner can understand that the pet will soon die by the following symptoms:

Lack of appetite. The body cannot cope with the disposal of biological wastes formed during the digestion of food. To reduce the intake of potentially life-threatening substances, feed intake is limited.
The breathing rate increases. Metabolic rate decreases. The body tries to prolong life, but worn-out kidneys are not able to remove the fluid that is formed during the breakdown of fats. The animal lies down most of the time. Moisture fills the lungs, their useful volume is reduced. The respiratory center forces you to take more breaths per unit of time.
Voiding in an inappropriate place. The cat doesn't do this out of spite. He just loses control over his actions. He doesn't care anymore. Heaps appear anywhere several months before death, when other signs are still absent.
The cat sleeps all the time. This helps him endure the torment.
The specific smell of death. The body cannot cope with the elimination of metabolic waste in the urine and tries to get rid of it in all possible ways - through the lungs, skin, and mucous membranes of the mouth.

Be sure to read:
Cat tangles, what they are + video on how to get rid of matted hair

Caring for a Dying Cat

When an animal is unwell, it should be placed on a soft bedding or bed. Keep your cat's sleeping area tidy and wash its bedding once a day. If the cat cannot hold back its urine, then place disposable diapers on the bedding. If the cat is powerless and cannot go to the toilet on its own, then you need to carry the animal to the litter box every 3-4 hours. If the cat does not respond to affection and wants to be alone, then there is no need to disturb him.

To ensure that the animal’s body maintains an optimal temperature, you can cover your pet with a blanket and place the bed closer to the radiator. Try to measure your cat's body temperature every two hours. Make sure that neither other animals nor children bother your sick pet. After consulting with your veterinarian, give your cat painkillers. These can be morphine-based drugs (opioids) used for severe pain (Tramadol, Omnopon, etc.), and non-narcotic drugs used for moderate pain (Ketofen, Quadrison, etc.).

Important: if the cat does not eat, then there is no need to force it, occasionally offering food and drink.

How to tell if your cat is in pain

The following signs will indicate that your animal is in pain:

immobilization;
screams;
finding a convenient place;
unnatural poses;
detachment, decreased sociability;
dilated pupils;
looking at one point, etc.

My cat Freckles is dying now, it’s a damn shame, because she lived in our family for less than 2 weeks for 18 years. A year ago, she began to lose weight, began to sleep more, and generally looked healthy. Literally 4 days ago I started vomiting, stopped eating anything at all, lay down, and didn’t go to the toilet. Now it’s lying next to the radiator, I’m petting it. The twitching has already begun, sometimes she tries to get up in agony, but she has no strength and she falls again. It’s hard to look at this, she is part of our family.. Only one thing calms me down - she lived a long happy life, so it seems to me, but time takes away loved ones... All the best!
Andrew
https://www.woman.ru/home/animal/thread/3948729/7/

On the last day before her death, our cat lay in bed. I sometimes came up and stroked her, which she did not resist. It seems to me that she didn’t care anymore, but I hoped that my affection and participation would help her.

Why do cats go away and hide before they die?

Cats, feeling bad, feel the need for privacy so that no one will offend them. Cats are not pack animals, they walk on their own, occupy their own territory, and defend their right to it. But when they become incapable of active behavior, they hide so as not to be beaten or killed.

Cats lead an active lifestyle on the street, and come home to eat and sleep, steal something from the table or beg from the owner. When they don't feel like eating, they go there. Where they feel good, that is, on the street. Do cats experience moral torment before parting? Nobody knows this.

How long do cats live?

In cats, starting from the age of 2 weeks, a year of life lived is equal to 4 human years. By the way, in dogs this figure is 7 years. The average lifespan of cats is about 16 years (80 for humans).

The approaching old age does not go unnoticed by a caring owner, because the animal becomes much less active, and performing everyday tasks causes a burden.

How do cats behave in an apartment when they can’t leave?

Pets have no desire to die. They are looking for a place where they can hide from competitors or people who might offend them. The child has no idea that the animal is ill; he wants to cuddle the fluffy one. But the pet seeks to avoid any contact. He perceives the owner as a source of pain.

The road to the street is closed for him. That leaves a closet, space under the sofa or other secluded corner. A cat is sometimes credited with a feeling that only a dog can experience. Pets do not need a farewell ritual; they will not catch the sympathetic glances of their owner. A dying cat needs to be left undisturbed.

Putting a pet to sleep: humanity or betrayal

If there are all the signs that indicate the approach of death, then the owner must decide what to do with the cat. Some people perceive euthanasia as betrayal and the murder of a friend.

But the disease can cause unbearable pain and progress for quite a long time. Symptoms of oncology and urolithiasis are considered especially severe. It is unbearable to watch a cat suffer; everything must be done to alleviate the suffering.

Euthanasia is often more humane than suffering for many days

Often, euthanasia is much more humane than the unbearable torment of an animal for several weeks. The veterinarian will inject the cat with a special drug that will ensure a quiet and painless death within a few seconds. During the procedure, you can stay nearby, guiding you on your last journey, or leave the room.

What to do if a cat dies and how to come to terms with the loss

When there is a dying person in the family, people experience strange sensations. They are afraid of death, but they know that it is inevitable and even wish for everything to end as soon as possible. The bitterness of loss will come later, in weeks. And in months, only memories will remain. Life goes on.

Be sure to read:

A cat yells at night: what to do, the main reasons, how to calm the animal, what not to do

If household members considered a pet to be a family member, then their attitude towards his death should be humane. To prevent memories from weighing you down, you should get rid of bowls, trays, and bedding that will remind you of your lost friend. It is customary for people to mourn for the deceased.

Someone does not shave for 40 days, the rules of decency do not allow a widow to get married within a year. If the pet was treated as a family member, then you need to remember it as a human being.

The situation is worse with children. They will remember their pet for a long time, even if they were not attached to it. In such a situation, a white lie will help. The child needs to be told that Murk has escaped to freedom, where he will meet other cats who lived in the house before him.

There is no need to rush and get a new pet. A six-month break will allow you to experience the bitterness of loss and miss your new pet. Everything starts all over again, cleaning up piles, soaking up puddles, litter box training, vaccinations, exterminating fleas.

When should you get a kitten?

If you want to adopt a kitten after the death of a cat, you need to remember that no one can replace your beloved pet. The new kitten will not be the same furbaby you had before. The new kitten will have its own character and habits. The kitten will become an outlet if only it becomes the object of new love. Taking care of a small animal will make it easier to forget about the loss. But you can’t take a kitten the very next day after the funeral. We need to prepare for the arrival of a new friend at home. If the cat died from an illness, then you need to prepare the apartment. And also purchase everything necessary for the kitten. For example, an adult cat's litter box may not be suitable for a baby.

Yesterday our Barsik died, he was 9 years old, also Siberian... Cancer (he had lymphoma) takes the lives of many pets! Only bring a vaccinated kitten into a disinfected apartment after a year.
Natasha Gordeeva, lost her beloved cat
https://touch.otvet.mail.ru/question/39921908https://touch.otvet.mail.ru/question/39921908

Before you bring a kitten, you need to prepare the apartment

When the apartment is ready, the place for the kitten is prepared, everything necessary is purchased, you need to start looking for the kitten. Many families know in advance where they will take their pet. But not just any animal will do. For example, you cannot take a newborn kitten if you do not have the skills to care for such small animals. The kitten must be healthy and confidently standing on its feet. The animal must also feed itself. If a cat eats only mother's milk, then in the new conditions he will have nothing to eat and will get sick. The age of the kitten is of great importance. It is advisable to adopt an animal aged three months or older.

An important reason why a kitten should be taken home only after three months is vaccination. The first vaccinations are given to the animal at the age of 8 weeks. Revaccination is carried out after 3–4 weeks. That is, a kitten that leaves home later than 12 weeks is maximally protected from various viruses and infections.
https://www.royal-canin.ru/kitten/razvitie-i-vospitanie/v-kakom-vozraste-pokupat-kotenka/

Ways to make a dying cat feel better

Cat owners become attached to their pet and begin to perceive it as a person. To think that the cat experiences the same feelings and suffering. Nobody knows what a cat needs. He endures pain stoically, except for acute pain, when someone bit him or pinched his tail. Maybe the dying cat should be left alone, put something soft on the bed (cats love this), a heating pad (they love it) and not be bothered.

But nothing can be done about human nature. The owner thinks that the pet’s suffering needs to stop. In fact, she is suffering. A person is the owner of an animal and can do whatever he wants with it, except for cruelty, which is punishable by law.

Therefore, the felinologist, who is in a desperate state, has a desire to euthanize the pet. If the disease is incurable, the veterinarian puts the pet into a narcotic sleep, during which the heart stops. The use of muscle relaxants such as Adilin-super or analogues causes death from suffocation within a few minutes. The animal suffers, but the owner does not notice it, since all the muscles are relaxed.

Be sure to read:

The cat constantly asks for food: normal or pathological, reasons, what to do, whether it is necessary to limit food

Symptoms of imminent death

You can understand that your pet will soon leave the world of the living by the presence of certain characteristic signs. Older cats over 12 years of age should be taken to a veterinarian for routine checkups to closely monitor their general health.

If characteristic symptoms appear, you should contact a qualified veterinarian as soon as possible. Perhaps the cat is very sick and needs help, but it can still be saved. Timely therapeutic measures will extend the life of a pet with chronic pathologies of the body for several years. In this case, timely treatment will give good results - the animal will not suffer and suffer.

Characteristic symptoms of impending death in a cat:

Change in eating behavior. Cats begin to eat very little or they lose the desire to eat altogether. After some time, the drinking regime is also disrupted - the cats refuse to drink. The owner should be alert to the following signs: untouched food, no trips to the litter box for more than 48 hours, excrement with bloody discharge, cloudy and dark-colored urine. Some time after refusing food, the animal becomes physically exhausted, the coat becomes dull and falls out in clumps. The animal tries to move less and constantly lies down. Control of the bowel muscles and urinary sphincter is impaired, leading to involuntary bowel movements.

Breathing problems. A change in breathing rhythm is a clear sign of serious disorders in the body, indicating an imminent death. This is due to the fact that the myocardium cannot cope with its work, and the amount of oxygen needed by the body’s cells in the bloodstream decreases sharply. The cat begins to breathe heavily and frequently, trying to make up for losses as much as possible. It is important to remember that in a healthy animal, the respiratory rate within 60 seconds should be at least 20 times. Weak and intermittent breathing indicates the imminent death of the pet. In order to accurately determine the frequency of respiratory movements, you need to use a stopwatch and observe how many times the chest rises and falls within 1 minute.

Heart rhythm disturbances and changes in blood pressure. A clear sign of an animal's imminent death is a slowdown in the frequency of contractions of the heart muscle. The normal heart rate in a healthy animal is from 125 to 145 beats per minute. A sharp change in indicators indicates difficulties with pumping blood throughout the body. To measure your pet's pulse, you need to place your open palm on the left side, behind the front limb, and count how many beats there were within 15 seconds. Multiplied by 4, the resulting figure should not be less than 60. Otherwise, the signs of imminent death are obvious.

The presence of a specific odor from the animal. As a result of a sharp decrease in the performance of all organs of the animal, the removal of toxic substances from the body slows down, and in some cases completely stops. Toxic substances begin to accumulate in the body and cause an unpleasant odor throughout the body. First of all, from the pet's mouth.

Decreased body temperature. Hypothermia is associated with a decrease or cessation of internal organ function. The temperature drops to 37-37.5 degrees, which indicates weakness of heart contractions. If you don't have a measuring device at hand, you can touch the cat's paw pads. They become noticeably cool.

New friend, new life

You shouldn’t “knock things out” and immediately get a new pet after the death of a cat. Before you get a new animal, think about whether you can love it or whether it will be a painful reminder of an old friend?

Don’t try to immediately replace your old attachment with a new one, sort out your feelings

Remember that this will be a completely different animal, with its own character, temperament, and habits. He will need to be raised to accept your family's way of life. This creature requires affection, care, and attention. You need to understand that a new cat is a new friend, and not a “replacement” for a departed one.

Hypoglycemia

Until the age of four weeks, the glycogen content in the kitten’s body is low. At this stage of life, muscle contractions, rather than the breakdown of glucose and brown fat, are responsible for heat production. Lack of glucose leads to hypoglycemia. A common cause is a large number of babies or insufficient milk from a nursing mother.

Glucose deficiency manifests itself:

lethargy;
passive behavior;
convulsions;
drop in body temperature.

At the initial stage, the baby can be saved by introducing additional complementary foods (natural milk substitute) and vitamins. If the disease is complicated, the veterinarian may prescribe an oral glucose solution. Injections under the skin at an early age are not recommended.

Hypothermia

The first weeks after birth, maternal warmth is vital for kittens, since the cubs’ own thermoregulation is far from perfect. Instinct dictates that mothers should not leave their furry babies alone for long periods of time. If the nest with babies is located in a cold place in the home, the cat can, on its own initiative, drag the offspring. The temperature in the room where babies grow should be maintained above 22 °C.

A kitten that finds itself far from the nest will have a gradual decrease in body temperature. The limit of 34 °C is a critical value at which the sucking reflex ceases to appear in a frostbitten kitten and digestive processes freeze. The mother will not care for such a child; without human help, the kitten will die. You can warm up your kitten using a heating pad and a warm blanket. Only after the animal’s temperature rises to 36 °C can you feed the baby formula using a pipette or bottle.

Attention! Giving food to a kitten (who is shivering) with a low temperature is dangerous. The milk will either enter the respiratory system or remain undigested inside the stomach. Both options will lead to immediate death.

Dehydration

Newborn animals must consume much more fluid than adults, as they rapidly lose moisture from the surface of the body. The average water consumption rate for a baby is 150 ml per kg of body weight, which is approximately twice as much as for an adult cat. Lack of milk or diarrhea leads to rapid development of dehydration. For these symptoms, your veterinarian will usually prescribe saline injections.

The air humidity in the room where the cubs grow must be at least 60%.

Eliminating negativity

If signs explaining why cats die in the house are interpreted negatively, their effect can be neutralized.

Some rules will help protect your home and family:

The first thing to do is bury your pet.
After the burial, wash yourself in the shower or simply wash your face and hands, wishing the bad thing to die out of life along with the water.
Cleanse the house of negative energy: place a lit church candle and an icon in each room, sprinkle them with holy water while reading prayers. The candles are not extinguished, they are left to burn out.

Important! A new kitten will help you forget about your deceased pet. In the future, a grown-up cat will be able to protect the house from dark forces.

The death of a beloved pet is a difficult experience for the whole family. There is no need to think about bad omens when a cat dies, focusing on superstitions. Positive emotions and a good mood will get rid of negativity and allow you to fully enjoy life.

Mr. Cat explains: funeral

After death, the animal’s body must be buried with dignity and, importantly, correctly. Many veterinary clinics offer pet cremation services, however, in the event that the animal died in the hospital or was euthanized there.

For those who have passed into another world at home, special pet cemeteries provide their services. They are in large cities. A place for a grave or an urn with ashes is provided for a fee. There, owners can set up a place in memory of their pet and visit him.

Most people prefer to bury their dead cats themselves. This is not recommended by sanitary and epidemiological standards, but is practiced everywhere.

There are a number of rules that will help you comply with environmental and ethical standards when burying remains:

It is better to choose a part of the park that is deserted and far from walking trails and other animals. You can make a grave in the forest. Sometimes pets are buried with relatives in a human cemetery. You need to know that burying animals on the owner’s personal property is not prohibited, but for a similar act in a public place you will have to pay a fine.
The grave must be deep enough, at least one meter, so that it will not be dug up by dogs or predatory animals attracted by the smell of decomposition. A shallow burial may be washed away by rain. It is very important to take care of the cleanliness of nearby ground sources. If there are springs or springs nearby, it is better to choose another place.
A stone placed on the pet’s grave, a flower bed or a planted tree can play an aesthetic and memorable role. The owners will be able to visit the place where the pet is buried. This will help them get over the breakup easier.

How to bury a pet, will it be possible to rebury it?

Owners of deceased pets are forced to decide how to bury their tailed family member. If the cat’s owner resorted to the procedure of euthanasia, the veterinary clinic will offer to bury it themselves, or, more precisely, cremate it. In other cases, in order to bury a cat, you will have to contact a veterinarian and act in accordance with his instructions.

In Russia, burying animals in the ground is prohibited by law. The corpses of animals and birds are equated to biological waste and are disposed of in accordance with the order of the Chief State Veterinary Inspector of the Russian Federation dated December 4, 1994 No. 13-7-2/469. According to this order, corpses are disinfected and burned.

In some municipalities, special places are allocated for burying pets. To bury a pet in such a cemetery, the owner must present a veterinary certificate in form No. 4. The animal's corpse will be opened, the cause of death will be determined, and if it was not the result of an infection, it will be buried without being burned. Otherwise, the body will be disinfected, cremated and only then buried.

It is impossible to rebury a pet without breaking the law. For violating the requirements of the law, a loving owner who buried his deceased pet in a yard or forested area risks paying a fine of 5,000 rubles.

Is it humane to euthanize a terminally ill cat?

Owners decide to resort to euthanasia of an animal as a last resort, when looking at the physical torture becomes unbearable. Injuries incompatible with normal life or the last stage of oncology, accompanied by unbearable pain, make people want to stop suffering overnight.

It is worth understanding the essence of the procedure. There are two ways:

Placing the cat under deep anesthesia and, while asleep, administering a drug that stops the heart or respiratory muscles. This is the most humane and easiest way. The animal may begin to experience agony, but at the same time is in an unconscious state, which means that it does not experience fear or pain before death.
An injection of ditilin - a substance that blocks the contraction of the respiratory muscles. At the same time, the cat is conscious, it understands what is happening to it, it feels suffocation, and therefore the fear of death. Before it subsides, the beast dies in agony.

Every living creature fights for its life to the last. If your pet has become frail due to age or chronic illness, it is humane to provide proper care and exercise patience. Euthanasia is a humane solution only in cases of unbearable suffering.

Signs associated with the death of a cat in the house

There are many signs associated with the death of these animals in the house:

a cat that dies naturally takes with it troubles, envy, slander and the evil eye;
a pet dying due to the fault of family members means theft;
an animal killed due to household appliances means trouble in business;
a cat accidentally falling to its death from a window is a sign warning of the imminent dissolution of a marriage;
a pet who has died as a result of poisoning warns the owner that new acquaintances can bring him a lot of problems;
An animal that died due to a fight with relatives means disagreements with friends.

To believe or not in the listed signs is a personal matter for everyone. It’s better to try to prevent such a sad event, and if this is impossible, treat it wisely.

Where and why do purrs go before they die?

In the wild, a dying cat seeks solitude. This is completely natural, because the animal is weakening and can no longer protect itself from predators. It finds a quiet, secluded place to hide and quietly leave . It is possible that death is perceived as a sign of illness. Therefore, the cat leaves its home to rest.

Pets also retain this instinct. And if they do not go outside, then the last refuge may be a closet or the far corner behind the furniture. At the same time, the animal rarely comes out of hiding and sleeps almost around the clock. This suspicious symptom should immediately alert you.

There is an opinion that by leaving, cats purposefully protect their owners from moral suffering.

The British even have a sign that the death of a cat in the house attracts trouble. But you shouldn’t believe in these superstitions, because it’s unlikely that a pet would wish bad things on its friend. It’s just that not everyone manages to leave the fireplace unnoticed, especially if the old man is weakened and cannot move independently.

Signs of imminent death

You can know that a cat is dying by the presence of a combination of certain symptoms. If your pet is over 12–14 years old, then you need to carefully monitor its behavior and health. Some felines live up to 25 years, but this happens very rarely.

Before you prepare for the worst, you should take him to the vet. It is likely that the pet is simply seriously ill, but it can be cured . Timely therapy is important for recovery, so do not delay going to the clinic or calling a specialist at home. For example, older cats often develop chronic pathologies that are similar to signs of impending death. However, if remission is achieved, the animal can live several more years without suffering or pain.

Signs and superstitions

In England it is considered a very bad omen if a cat dies in the house. By leaving, the pet brings disaster to its inhabitants. And if a cat jumped over a coffin with the body of a deceased person, then it had to be killed, otherwise misfortune could not be avoided. Although this nation has always been distrustful of representatives of the cat family, endowing them with witchcraft abilities and mystical properties.

We believed that if cats leave home to die, they take all the bad energy with them, as if protecting their owners. It is believed that when an animal dies, it gives its beloved friend one of nine lives.

. For example, it can sense if a person is in mortal danger. The cat deliberately throws itself under the wheels of a car and dies, as if giving its life in return. It’s also not for nothing that the cat is the first to be let into the house at housewarming parties. After all, spirits live in every room, and only this fluffy and affectionate animal can calm them down.

And when all the cats die suddenly one after another throughout the year, this is due to an excess of negativity that furry creatures cannot cope with. This could be due to:

otherworldly forces;
damage or evil eye;
unfavorable location of the house (for example, at the site of burials or mass deaths).

It is advisable to call a priest to consecrate your home and cleanse yourself of black thoughts. People who are skeptical about mystical events believe that cats die due to the presence of an infection in the house that is dangerous for them.