The words of the title are by Chris L on social media. She is correct. It is agony. Cats can die slowly through, for example, the commonplace kidney disease.  RELATED:  Why is chronic kidney disease (CKD) so common in domestic cats ? Under these circumstances the owner has at least 2 problems (a) seeing the gradual deterioration of their cat's health with one inevitable endgame and (b) grappling with the agonising decision on when to euthanise. The latter point is important as it must be done in the interests of the cat which is hard because almost always the owner does not want to let go and perhaps involuntarily takes their cat to the vet for the final time too late.  This can lead to their cat suffering more than should have been the case. The problem of dealing with a dying domestic cat companion is why many people do not adopt elderly shelter cats. Many are euthanized at the shelter as a consequence.  But this is wrong. They deserve a chance. They deserve the op...

When a cat that you have loved for 19 years begins to die you die a bit with her. You might find that she hides away for hours. If she goes outside she may go under a bush for many hours doing nothing. This is dangerous because flies might settle in her and lay eggs. She may have one of the classic diseases of geriatric cat such a kidney failure. She may drink a lot more and go to the toilet all the time. She may lose her sense of smell and as a consequence lose her appetite. He illness will also have an effect on her appetite. She will lose weight. Other diseases might accompany kidney failure such as hyperthyroidism and hypertension. She may be anemic. You may have to decide to do the kind thing and euthanize her. You will be making a decision to kill a companion that you have loved for 19 years. It will be a hard decision. It must be well made. The key is to maintain an objective approach. Do what is best for her. When her quality of life is so poor and when she is miserable a...