My mother is 86 and she’s had a furry kitty companion for about five years now. He’s elderly and it looks like he’s got health issues and may not make it through the next 24 hours. She is prepared for euthanasia, but I know this is still going to be hard for her and I’m concerned about her well-being afterward. She has grieved over the loss of her son so the kitty has been a great comfort for her. Any suggestions or advice? I will be traveling to town to be with her to help at the vet so she doesn’t have to do go through it on her own. Any suggestions or advice for me to consider in the long term?
I asked the vet if I could hold my cat during her last moments. He handed me a box of tissues and said of course I could hold her. I cried the entire drive back home. She was 16 years old. They are a part of our family.
It's hard for ANYone to deal with the loss of a pet. They are the only ones in our lives who don't judge us negatively based on our looks, status, job, or something we said wrong.
Depending on your mom's health, I suggest that you search online at Petfinder for SENIOR pets needing a home within your zip code. It will pull up only rescue groups who have cats or dogs who fit the criteria you input. Because they're rescue groups, not individuals or county shelters, they will charge an adoption fee that covers vet care that would cost you a LOT more if you went to a vet yourself: spay/neuter, shots, deworm, etc... It will take a few days to pick out the right one and go through their application process, so, by that time, your Mom may be past her worst grieving and ready to accept another in her life.
There are a heartbreaking number of senior dogs and cats out there (and middle-aged ones) because many people decide they no longer want the responsibility, so give them up or move and leave them behind. Most people want a puppy or kitten, so the adults get overlooked.
You can check with the local Humane society and city or county shelters as well. They're also likely to have seniors and are more likely to be in the unenviable position of getting so many daily that they have to euthanize a large percentage.
The downside is that don't usually know as much about the animals as a foster home based rescue group.