Having animals PTS?

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Bessieboo

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This is probably a silly question but I am going to ask it anyway.

Will a vet PTS an animal if it is healthy but just old?

I always thought there had to be a medical reason to PTS an animal or a vet wouldnt do it?

For instance I have a cat who is now 16 years old. She is perfectly healthy and happy in every way. The only problem with her is that recently she has started systematically shredding all the wallpaper off the walls in the house and will not use her litter tray at all. She pees and poops on our lovely oak flooring instead. Now my mum has said that I should take her to the vet and have her PTS but my argument has been that the vet would not do this as apart from her behaviour she is a healthy cat. Am I wrong?

Sorry I know it's not about horses specifically but I think you could have a similar situation occur with a horse.

All comments appreciated.
 
hmm, its a tough one really. If this behaviour is totally out of character for your cat then I would take her to the vet anyway for a check up.
 
Yes, a vet will PTS a healthy animal - they get paid for doing it.
I agree that the cat needs to go to the vets though, but to be checked out, as what it is doing is out of character. I think though, that if this can not be sorted you should either pts - you can't live like that, or you turn her into an outside cat - but would she like this? I know someone else that had this problem as the cat got older, it was not allowed in the house, and it lived for years quiet happily outside (it had a kennel with a bed inside and it's feed).
 
16 years you've had her and she's become inconvient so PTS??? Shame for the cat. If vet doesn't find any medical reason (assuing your mum is happy to pay for a check up???) then as 16 actually isn't massively old for a cat ontact the Cats Protection and I'm sure they'll happily find a loving home who won't mind the odd bit of redecoration.
 
The vet will PTS, not becuase they get paid for it but because it sounds like there may well be an undelying issue for the cat and it would probably be the least stressful way out.

I personally think it's more unfair to put an old cat through rounds of testing, needles, blood tests etc. And definitely totally cruel to suggest putting it in a cat rescue where it'll be shut in a cage probably for the rest of its days.
 
Vets should always act in the animals best interest. For instance if i just phoned and told my vet i was sick of my horse/dog etc and just wanted rid of it my vet would not PTS , they would offer alternatives. I suppose every vet is different but they should always carry out there work to ensure that an animal is not suffering on any level. If your cats quality of life has deteriorated due to lack of mobility, not being able to get out to the toilet etc, then im sure they would be willing to discuss the options for you. My lovely old dog had become incontinent and we had to have her PTS, she was about 14 and had severe kidney stones and had lost elasticity in her bladder so she could no longer wait to get outside and we could see she was stressed because of it. Always a very hard decision, Im sure your mum and vet will make the right decision for your cat.
 
I had a Saturday job when I was 14 as a vet assistant and one day a guy brought a perfectly healthy 6 year old labrador in to be PTS for behavioural reasons, although the dog was not vicious! The vet said after although he didn't agree with putting the dog down, if that is what the owner wanted he had to do it! It was really sad, and probably the owners fault the dog had behavioural probs in the first place!
 
jsr said:
16 years you've had her and she's become inconvient so PTS??? Shame for the cat. If vet doesn't find any medical reason (assuing your mum is happy to pay for a check up???) then as 16 actually isn't massively old for a cat ontact the Cats Protection and I'm sure they'll happily find a loving home who won't mind the odd bit of redecoration.
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That's is totally out of order. It is ridiculous to suggest that people live with an animal urinating and defecating randomly around the home - quite apart from being "inconvenient" it is down right unhygenic. What do you suggest they do - live with newspaper covering the floor and disinfect 3 times a day.

As for suggesting sending it to a charity to rehome - what on earth makes you think this is fairer to the cat - the stress of being taken out of its normal environment and being stuck in a rehoming centre is far worse in my opinion.

Agreed - if the vet can find a reason for the sudden change in behaviour then all so well and good but it may be the cat has become senile (yup animals do too) and it is simply old age related with no solution.
 
Gluttonforpunishment said:
That's is totally out of order. It is ridiculous to suggest that people live with an animal urinating and defecating randomly around the home - quite apart from being "inconvenient" it is down right unhygenic. What do you suggest they do - live with newspaper covering the floor and disinfect 3 times a day.

As for suggesting sending it to a charity to rehome - what on earth makes you think this is fairer to the cat - the stress of being taken out of its normal environment and being stuck in a rehoming centre is far worse in my opinion.

Agreed - if the vet can find a reason for the sudden change in behaviour then all so well and good but it may be the cat has become senile (yup animals do too) and it is simply old age related with no solution.
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Yes I do expect people to 'put up with it'!!! What would you do with your mother when she gets old?? Shove her in a home and visit once a week or hopefully by then you can have her PTS too. FFS animals are for LIFE not until they become a burdon. This forum is full of sick uncaring SELFISH disgraceful excuses for humans. No wander I stick to the rescue sites where at least compassion and understanding is shown. You disgust me.

Oh and answer your clever little views all you like cos I won't be around to read them. Lets hope when you are unable to look after yourself someone doesn't take the same attitude that you are and the OP are showing. Shame on you.
 
Don't forget tha incontience is not a nice thing for the animal either. They may not be human but they will know what is happening is not normal.
Added to that sores and infections from the fluids getting into their skin and fur it can be very nasty indeed.
It often also has a painful medical reason for happening so cat definitley needs to go to the vet.
Thankfully it is well worth talking to the vet about as they have a lot of effective treatments that can be given without causing the animal distress.
With animals PTS is usually based on quality of life , not just we must keep it alive at all costs.
 
Yes they will, but it doesn't mean to say they like doing it. An older animal though is an easier decision. It could be that your cat is going senile - it can and does happen. About a year ago my cat started falling over and I assumed it was an ear infection, so off we went (had to register with a vet first as she's never needed one before!). I saw the practice owner, explained what was going on and also explained that I don't know her past or real age, but she must be over 12 possibly up to about 17 and wasn't insured. He examined her, ruled out infection and suggested it was likely to be a tumour of some sort in the middle ear. He explained that he could bring her in, knock her out and give her a really thorough examination and scan the ear, but then he turned to me and said, but you don't want that for her, do you? She was a rescue case ( a friend and I rescued her ourselves) and she has had 6 years of love, attention and not being beaten up by other pets in the house. She was close to starvation when I took her in. I was so impressed by his sensible, humane attitude and that he was happy to forgo several £00 in the animal's interests. We agreed to simply treat the symptoms and not worry what was causing it and I'm happy to say that she is fine, now not on any medication and doing what cats do.
 
Yes they will, but your cat doesn't sound healthy, physically maybe but sounds as though mentally she is failing, my old dog was PTS years ago now, physically she was like a puppy but she started to have serious mental issues, she'd do the oddest things and started to put her self at risk of injury. She was PTS to stop her hurting herself as alot of the time she didn't know what she was doing then panic.
Maybe your cat is having the same problems.
 
jsr said:
Yes I do expect people to 'put up with it'!!! What would you do with your mother when she gets old?? Shove her in a home and visit once a week or hopefully by then you can have her PTS too. FFS animals are for LIFE not until they become a burdon. This forum is full of sick uncaring SELFISH disgraceful excuses for humans. No wander I stick to the rescue sites where at least compassion and understanding is shown. You disgust me.

Oh and answer your clever little views all you like cos I won't be around to read them. Lets hope when you are unable to look after yourself someone doesn't take the same attitude that you are and the OP are showing. Shame on you.
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Yes animals are for life, but as owners it is our responsibilty to ensure the quality of life is sustained. I'd definitely get the cat checked as others have said and take it from there. If there was no medical cause or treatment i would pts.

Last year my father died. After 14 years, our red setter pined away with his death. He ate less, was getting very unsteady on his legs, struggling to keep weight on, losing his hearing and had couldn't pee without losing balance every time. He was in as perfect health as he could be. I had him pts. He had no quality of life, he slept all day and struggled to walk for more thena few minutes. Would you have kept him going? The offered to clean his teeth but was also of the opinion that is was prolonging his life with not much reason to.

If your horse could be kept alive, unhappily, but was on box rest potentially for years with no garauntee of coming right what would you do? Satisfy yourself? I would be disgusted at someone who would keep an unhappy animal alive. IMO THATS selfish.
 
jsr said:
Yes I do expect people to 'put up with it'!!! What would you do with your mother when she gets old?? Shove her in a home and visit once a week or hopefully by then you can have her PTS too. FFS animals are for LIFE not until they become a burdon. This forum is full of sick uncaring SELFISH disgraceful excuses for humans. No wander I stick to the rescue sites where at least compassion and understanding is shown. You disgust me.

Oh and answer your clever little views all you like cos I won't be around to read them. Lets hope when you are unable to look after yourself someone doesn't take the same attitude that you are and the OP are showing. Shame on you.
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There's a limit to what people can "put up with" before it gets to the point that resentment sets in and then it's a horrible situation for everyone!! No one scours the ads looking for a cat that defecates at will and shreds the walls and decides that's the one they want (or maybe you do...?) but if your cat has been as good as gold for 16 years and then starts doing that sort of thing then it's time to talk to the vet to work out why. If a reason can't be found, and nothing works to correct it, I'd probably still assume that the animal had developed a problem and would PTS on those grounds.

That said, I do think a lot of people give up on animals too easily and also that the "horse for life" motto doesn't hold with a lot of people. No one should buy a horse if they don't have any intention of keeping it. Unless you're a dealer, you MUST consider that something could happen to that horse the day after tomorrow rendering he/she unrideable and unsellable and if you can't commit to keeping it to the end of it's days then you shouldn't buy it in the first place.

BUT - people's situations do change (jobs are lost, relationships break-up, etc) and in those cases it's unavoidable that horses may need to be sold. Or PTS in the case of the older or unrideable horses if the owner can't find them a decent home.
 
Whilst vets are supposed to act in the animal's best interests that is a very subjective thing and even a healthy, happy young animal that isn't wanted could, potentially, be better off being PTS.

It may be that a vet can suggest something to help with your cat's continence issues or, as suggested, it might be possible to keep it outside of the house, although at this time of year you'd have to be very careful with it having somewhere warm to retreat to if it is usually inside for sleeping.

I know at least one person who keeps cats in a sort of aviary construction outside that links up to where their flap is into just one small back hall type room in the house. That is because her animals are much beloved pedigrees and right near some very busy roads but they seem happy so it is possible given the space/money to buy/ingenuity to make a run.

Best of luck whatever the diagnosis though.
 
jsr said:
Yes I do expect people to 'put up with it'!!! What would you do with your mother when she gets old?? Shove her in a home and visit once a week or hopefully by then you can have her PTS too. FFS animals are for LIFE not until they become a burdon. This forum is full of sick uncaring SELFISH disgraceful excuses for humans. No wander I stick to the rescue sites where at least compassion and understanding is shown. You disgust me.

Oh and answer your clever little views all you like cos I won't be around to read them. Lets hope when you are unable to look after yourself someone doesn't take the same attitude that you are and the OP are showing. Shame on you.
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How can you judge the OP when you don't know her? Before you accuse me of being heartless for agreeing that the cat might need to be PTS know that I took on an elderly unhouse trained stray from a friend who had taken him in but couldn't cope with him messing everywhere. He settled with us, doesn't mess anymore and is looking happy and healthy.

This situation is completely different though and it sounds as if the cat has become senile. I would take the cat to the vets and see what they say but be prepared for the fact that having them PTS may be the kindest option. My first cat had to become an outdoor cat at the age of four because she developed a dust mite allergy but I wouldn't want to transfer a 16yo to being an outdoor cat at that time of life, especially with winter coming.
 
I'd take to the vet and get her checked out, but to me she just sounds like her cheese has slid off her cracker a bit - comes to us all!!:D I don't think just because a cat is pooping and peeing in different places is a reason to put it down though, they are not things we can just get rid off when they are inconvenient - we do have a responsibility to make sure animals aren't suffering - but if an animal is fine in every other way then personally I'd put up with it, I wouldn't consider any of my decor or furniture to be more valuable than any of my pets lives! It's only one cat after all and probably only has a couple of years left so it's not forever, and it's not as if they poop for britain and you have shag pile carpets and a cat with explosive diarrhea that is doing wall of death round your ceilings!!:D - wallpaper can be replaced or just put a scratch pole in front of it, and just put a couple more litter trays out in the places she's going in as they sometimes don't have the bladder control they once had!!

I have a 20 something year old deaf cat with no teeth that came with our house, who has also lost the plot a bit, but goes for her daily walks round the garden, she even went for a 3 week excursion to god knows where in the summer as she can still hunt and gum the poor small furries to death!, she does everything any of the other cats do just at a slower pace, and yes I have to clean up after her everyday as she tends to go in random places for the last couple of years, we have an extra tray out near her bed incase she doesn't get to the main one, she has been checked out but nothing came up just old age, but she will be with us until she stops doing her usual things or goes off her food/looses weight etc. - that is generally what I would consider normal pet ownership and is to be expected when they turn into old farts!!!:D
 
Thank you for all the replies.....I really did not want to open up a whole can of worms though.

Can I just say for the record that I do not want to have my cat put to sleep at all. She has been doing this now for about 3 years and we have had her checked by the vet who says there is nothing wrong with her and it is just probably her age. At no point in my original post did I suggest that this is something I would like to do. What I was trying to say was that my objection to my mother (who doesn't even live with me) is that a vet will not put to sleep a healthy animal.

She has ruined my oak flooring, ruining the decorating in the dining room and hall way. We constantly have to clean up after her and it is very embarassing when we have company and she just decides to go toilet in the hall whilst they are there but still we are living with it.

She is my cat, my responsibility and I love her. I have never had an animal PTS unless a vet told me that they should be.

Sorry if I have offended anyone.
 
Bessieboo,

Really sorry you might have to have your cat put down. I had a girly that did the same thing. We carried on cleaning up after her for about 2 years but then one day she just wasnt right - very down. We had her pts then as we knew she wasnt happy anymore. Poor thing - we rescued her from a kitten farm that was busted by the local RSPCA. They thought she had around 8 litters - at only 5!! Caused her terrible probs with her lady-plumbing in later life.

Anyway, I really sympathise and hope you are ok whetever happens. You'll know what the right choice is xxx
 
when we take on an animal, at what ever age, we also take on the responsibility of ensuring that animal has the best quality of life we can offer it.

remember, they are not like people, they cannot tell us when they feel slightly unwell, can not tell us that they are having trouble hearing / seeing us, cannot take themselves to the vets to be examined. we have to rely on out knowledge of the animals behaviour, and in all fairness, animals will normally power on thorugh pain / physical glitches, till they can no longer prevent theselves from showing them.

so by the time we start noticing behaviour like the OP's cat, you never know just how long there has been something wrong.

i believe a word with the vet, about what they believe is best, get them to tell you the options, and what they think is the best idea / option.

but i believe, with problems like this, they quality of life would never be better, even with surgery/ extensive treatments.

sometimes, its better just to realise that its not fair to let them suffer, even if you are willing to spend money on treatments etc, and taking them too the vets all the time stuck in a carry case in the car. is that really fair on them?
 
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