The death of “Amino” (my first pet cat) knocked me on my ear. At that time I was a career-focused workaholic that spent most of my waking hours on the job. But those hours when I could be home, were spent with her. Amino had lived with me longer than any human had -- other than my parents. But in 1993, shortly after her 20th birthday, I noticed she wasn’t eating much and took her to the vet to find out why. A simple blood test pointed to end-stage kidney disease. Amino was terminally ill and her disease was untreatable. The vet’s recommendation for her was euthanasia. We were clearly not prepared for that. Since – other than eating less – Amino still acted fine, we decided against euthanasia and instead brought her home to live out her final weeks. This was my introduction to hospice care. In 1993, people like me were bonding to their pet cats in ways previous generations would never have imagined. To me, Amino was not simply a cat, she was my close friend and confidante and I wanted her to be with me as long as possible – provided it didn’t cause her pain. And, I needed time to say goodbye to her. Mainstream veterinary practice had not kept pace with this evolving bond between pets and their people. When a cat was terminally ill, the standard recommendation was euthanasia. Hospice – the providing of supportive care in the final phase of a terminal illness (focusing on comfort rather than cure) -- was not typically offered as an alternative. So Amino and I entered uncharted territory.
I hand-fed her the tastiest cat food I could find and cut back my work hours to be with her more. Working on weekends was replaced with cuddling Amino while watching my first Lifetime movies. On weeknights, I’d go to bed early to be with her. Then one Sunday night -- just as we turned the lights off to go to sleep -- Amino made a woeful sound and died – right in my arms. Her timing was incredible. It was almost as if she had kept herself going through the weekend because I was home with her and then -- knowing when I woke up the next day I’d leave for work -- she passed away.
As emotionally-charged as her hospice time was for me, it was also highly cathartic. By the time Amino finally died, I had come to grips with what she meant to me and what I was losing. Euthanasia was always an option – if she appeared to be suffering – but she was fortunate in that her body seemed to be slowly shutting down – making her tired, but not causing her obvious distress.
Today, providing life-care to 17 teenaged cats, hospice is a regular part of my daily life. And care is no longer limited to tasty cat foods and cuddling -- although both are still important elements. Three of the most common terminal illnesses of geriatric cats – kidney disease, cancer and hyperthyroidism – are now detected earlier through annual blood work and treated successfully for long time periods. With kidney disease, subcutaneous fluid therapy – both helps the kidneys work better and make the cat feel better – and can easily be given at home once the cat’s guardian learns how. Cancers can be held at bay through steroid treatments which also alleviate possible pain present in the illness. And hyperthyroidism can be treated through medication, surgery or radiation therapy. Debilitating side illnesses often occurring with major diseases (high blood pressure, anemia, heart disease) can be managed with medications to maintain the cat’s overall quality of life.
Most veterinarians no longer look at terminal illness in cats as an immediate death sentence -- provided the cat’s guardian is prepared to provide end-of-life treatment. In-home hospice care is available through a growing number of veterinary clinics and organizations set up specifically for that purpose. Not only can they assist with the actual treatment, but with their experience, can provide quality-of-life assessment and perspective on when to end hospice for the sake of the cat.
Some caregivers (and veterinarians) may still choose to euthanize at the early signs of terminal illness finding the process of hospice care more than what they want to provide for their cat. But for those caregivers who want to cherish their cats for as long as possible – while ensuring their cat is not suffering needlessly – hospice care can be very effective. To learn more about how pet hospice care works, visit our web site and click on Veterinary Student Papers, “Pet Hospice as a Resource for End-of-Life Care”. Helping your cat through the final stage of life may well be the most important gift you can give her – and may provide you with more closure than you ever realized possible.
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