Death is always the hardest emotional experience for those who observe it. Very acutely people are experiencing the death of pets. When a cat dies, how to survive it is a question that is relevant for both a child and an adult. And for an elderly person, such a loss often becomes completely unbearable.
In Western countries, it is customary in such situations to seek the help of psychologists. In our country, there is no such tradition, but you should not hide your own grief from friends and close friends. Sitting in the kitchen and remembering the deceased pet is one way to deal with this bereavement.
How to understand that a pet is dying?
When a cat dies of old age, this is always accompanied by certain manifestations, a kind of symptom of the "last disease" in this life. They are the same for all animals - a cat lives all his life in an apartment or on the street, signs of imminent death will not differ. However, this mournful list of habits and characteristics of the state is characteristic only for old animals, whose life has come to a logical conclusion. In the event of illness or serious injury, the manifestations characteristic of the imminent demise will be different.
Signs that the cat is dying of old age are as follows:
- low heart rate, slow heartbeat;
- shallow, but wheezing and still quiet breathing;
- changes in body temperature;
- refusal to drink and eat;
- desire to retire in a secluded place;
- urinary incontinence and intestinal weakness;
- the presence of an unpleasant odor;
- loss of shine, dull appearance of coat.
Even if the animal is very old, when these manifestations occur, it is necessary to call a veterinarian. There is always a chance that the pet is only sick and needs help, not preparation for the funeral.
About the pulse of a dying man
A slow heartbeat is not the main indicator of an approaching demise. But to help understand how to understand that a cat is dying, heart rate is capable. A reduced heart rate is one of the constant signs of an approaching demise.
The cat’s usual heart rate varies between 140-220 contractions per minute. In a dying pet, the pulse is significantly reduced. In addition to the heart rate, blood pressure also drops.
About breathing before passing away
Measuring your breathing rate is also one way to understand that a cat is dying. In normal condition, the animal makes 20 to 30 exhalations within a minute. But, unlike the pulse, the number of breaths will not decrease, but rather increase. However, they will be weak, without depth.
This is due to the fact that a weakened heart affects the effectiveness of the respiratory system. Immediately before death, the respiratory rate will drop, the number of breaths will be equal to the number of heart contractions.
About body temperature
Body temperature before death also changes. In normal condition, this indicator is:
- Fahrenheit - 100 - 102 degrees;
- Celsius - 37.8 - 39.2.
In a dying animal, the temperature is below the minimum normal mark. The indicator can be measured with a thermometer sold at each pet store. Among what to do if a cat dies, it is not necessary to determine the temperature of the body by touch, on the pads of its paws.
About refusal to drink and eat
Refusal of both food and water is one of the main harbingers of an imminent demise, on which the owners of the animal are most often oriented. This is true, some time before his death, the pet stops eating and refuses water. Even if you offer something tasty and beloved, there will be no reaction.
Refusal of food and drink becomes the reason that the animal looks emaciated, loses weight. The cat’s stomach falls. This point is important. If the cat’s tummy is swollen, you must immediately lead your pet to the clinic or call a doctor to her house, and not grieve.
On the desire for solitude
Before an imminent death, the cat does not eat, she dies alone. Therefore, it is important to watch the pet. If the animal does not come to the owner in the evenings on the sofa, but tries to hide under a closet or in any other place that is dark and hard to reach for a person, then this behavior (combined with refusal to eat) indicates an imminent death.
But so the cat dies in the apartment only being in old age. If the animal is in the middle of life, then the desire for solitude speaks of a disease in which it is difficult to tolerate noise and light. For example, about encephalitis, in which the animal hides, and also refuses water and food. There are a number of other diseases with similar manifestations.
On incontinence
In a near-death cat, control of the urinary tract is lost. The same applies to the rectum.
Although the animal does not drink or eat, droplets of waste products are constantly or often released from it. First, the cat tries to lick them off the floor, tidy them up. Then he ceases to pay attention.
A very important point for owners trying to figure out what to do if a cat dies. It should be stocked with diapers for bedridden patients. They are useful for maintaining hygiene not only at home, but also the pet itself. Excrement released before a quick death is concentrated, because water does not enter the body. That is, these drops settle on the hair, and sometimes corrode the cat's skin.
About bad smell
Workers in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes often say that the approach of death can be sensed. It really is. The cat in this matter is no different from people. Shortly before death, the animal changes its smell.
It's not about how the excrement uncontrollable by a cat smells, but about the skin, coat, respiration of an animal.
About appearance
The harbinger of the impending demise is the appearance of the animal as a whole. Even if the cat has not looked very good for a long time, the difference in appearance will still be enormous.
The color of the coat will fade, the coat itself will be different. Loss may occur in both fluffy and long-haired.
What if a pet dies?
Most pet owners are at a loss, realizing that the pet will leave them soon. The question of what to do if a cat dies worries every owner. After all, a person has a deep spiritual need to ease the torment of his beloved. Many people think about euthanasia. But the owner of the animal, which is on the verge of death, is not able to adequately assess the situation. In emotional excitement, you can’t make decisions such as putting a cat to sleep.
The owner can be very wrong when evaluating what is happening. Each owner is convinced that the pet is old, which means that he dies and is thus tormented.
The question of what to do if a cat dies has only one answer - to call a veterinarian. This must be done without delay. Only a doctor can say the animal is dying or sick. Many ailments have similar symptoms with a foretelling of demise. Given the advanced age and the presence of an internal fear of the death of a pet, people often make irreparable mistakes.
Do I need to put to sleep?
The euthanasia procedure is sometimes the best solution. But the decision to euthanize a cat cannot be made on its own. A doctor's consultation is needed.
Owners are often convinced that the pet is tormented. But this may not be so. Cats are no different from humans, that is, they can simply fade away from old age, and not feel pain. It is not always required to expedite the death of a pet.
How can I help you?
How to help a dying cat? Like a man. Make her last days and hours calm and happy. No need to sob or otherwise make the dying man nervous. Let this watch, the last one next to your darling, be filled with light sadness, like a calm autumn day, and not like a storm.
In addition to warmth and love, you need to give the pet and domestic comfort. If the cat is no longer walking, absorbent diapers are required. A dry shampoo that does not require rinsing, which is needed to keep the animal's coat clean, is useful. It is necessary to take care of the absence of drafts. Of course, they will no longer affect health, but will deliver tangible discomfort to the pet.
Do not assume that the cat can not be picked up or otherwise disturbed otherwise. This moment depends on her condition and on her intuitive sensation. If you want to take your pet to yourself and watch a movie with her, then you need to do this.
How to survive this?
Surviving death is always very difficult. It is for this reason that people in ancient times invented rituals for funerals, seeing off the dead and commemorating them. These mundane simple actions help to cope with a sense of loss.
You need to say goodbye to your darling. This is a very important moment to overcome the mental crisis. You can’t wrap a cat in a bag, put its mattress there and throw it in a garbage container. Such an act will inevitably begin to corrode from the inside for many years. To the pain of loss will also be added the pangs of conscience.
The animal must be cremated or simply buried. In organizing a funeral, you should not be ashamed of your own spiritual needs or think about how someone will react to such manifestations of emotions. If you are convinced that you need a coffin and a wake, then this should be done.
Farewell is the most important moment in mental rehabilitation. Do not rush if you need to stand next to the cat’s body and talk to her - this must be done. As for the commemoration, the same rules apply as for funerals. It is necessary to remember as the soul requires, and it does not matter at all who will think what.
Someone prefers to sit in silence and loneliness, leafing through photographs. It is vital for someone to share their grief with loved ones and understanding people. Many owners experiencing the bitterness of loss are afraid to talk about their emotions out loud. People fear the rejection of their grief, lack of respect for him and the usual misunderstanding of the importance of what happened.
But this is not quite the right position - to close within one's own grief. Many people know how painful, insulting and unjust it is - the death of a pet. Many have experienced such a loss. Some are in childhood, while others are at an older age. People can help cope with stress, distract from grief, and take free time. If you do not say what happened, then help will not work.
What do psychologists say?
Psychologists often advise going to work in an animal shelter, removing all the things of a dead cat, and so on, out of sight. But this is a very individual moment. You can go take care of the homeless or go to the movies with friends.
The advice of psychologists does not take into account the personality of a person and what exactly he feels. Many owners of deceased animals do not feel good feelings when looking at live cats. Rather, they are perplexed why these cats are alive, and their beauties are no more. Of course, we are talking about emotions, feelings. Reason, a person understands why his pet is no longer nearby.
The advice of psychologists should be treated taking into account their own feelings. You cannot force yourself to do something. If the house is completely unbearable, then you can go on a weekend to another city.