Cat euthanasia can be abused,
while assisted dying for people is underused. Discuss.
What is “assisted dying”? For me, it means a person helping another person to voluntarily die because they are terminally ill. It is a form of euthanasia. A person requires assistance because he or she, voluntarily of their own free will, takes prescribed medication to end their life. Unless you are a doctor someone else has to prescribe it, prepare it and give you the medication.
Discussion
The difference between cats and people is that the person elects to die while someone decides for a cat. The cat makes no choice, which is a mute point because sometimes a cat can tell you in various ways that it is time to go.
In human terms, cat euthanasia is murder. Cat euthanasia is not assisted dying. Assisted dying implies that the person who wants to die requests assistance. A cat cannot make that request.
However, there are strong similarities because in both someone assists in the killing. How does that person feel?
It is often the responsibility of a compassionate cat caretaker to assist in the death of their terminally ill cat. This is when euthanasia means what it says. Genuine euthanasia is compassionate. It is the right and loving thing to do but it is hard on the person.
Does a person, who for genuine and caring reasons, feel guilty when they ask their vet to euthanise their beloved cat? This is deliberate killing, make no mistake about it. Tears will flow and the anguish will run deep – if you care, and you should. You will never forget the moments in the surgery. They will be seared into the brain in vivid technicolor.
But guilt? No. I felt anguish then relief and terrible sadness. Was my feelings of relief for me — to be off the hook of worrying about my very sick cat? Or was I relieved that my cat would no longer suffer the pain of a long chronic illness? I don’t know.
What I do know is that when euthanasia is done properly for the right reasons in a caring and controlled way, there is no doubt in my mind that it is good. It is more than good; it is sensible.
That is why I have exactly the same feelings about euthanasia for people. This may shock some people but I see no difference, in essence, in euthanizing cats or people. There is a difference at a practical level because (a) in general people believe that the human is more important than the cat and therefore needs more protection to ensure that deliberate killing for the right reasons is controlled and (b) someone makes the decision for the cat.
There lies the problem: establishing sufficient safeguards for people who are candidates for assisted dying and who want help to die.
Which leads me nicely to the lack of safeguards in the euthanasia of cats and the abuses that result. There should be greater safeguards over the euthanasia of cats and dogs. Only a vet should do it. The vet should be independent of the owner of the cat.
Conclusion
People involved in the process of cat euthanasia can learn from the parallel process of human assisted dying. In some places more care needs to be exercised in cat euthanasia and in all countries a more open, less fearful and more practical attitude needs to be developed in respect of assisted dying for people.
Note: I accept other opinions and respect them.
I tend to agree with you. People don’t choose to come into the world. That is one reason why they have the right to choose to leave.
It is a heavy a subject but it shouldn’t be. Death is one part of life like any other part.
People who abuse cat euthanasia are committing a crime everytime yet they get away with it because no one cares.
It is the way it works. A cat’s life in some parts of the West is as important as a person’s life in certain parts of the world.
We shouldn’t be ranking lives in importance.
People fear death. Cats don’t. One day people will be able to choose when to die. We are progressing to the situation.
Well I would think a person opting for euthanasia would have to sign at some point to give permission for a doctor to end their lives.
Old ill or disabled people especially can feel to be a nuisance to their family, how many might feel they are doing the right thing by signing, rather than the family having to care for them any longer?
There are unscrupulous people who would encourage them to do that.
Just as some people can’t be bothered to look after a sick pet for as long as that pet has quality of life there are people who feel that way about their old human relatives, I know because I’ve met a few!
I agree Ruth – but ‘abused’ how? If somebody wants to abuse an open euthanasia law I would assume that would mean opting for it too soon, or when still healthy. In that case good for them. If a person wants to die then the worst thing you can do is make them do it in some horrible way because its not legal and they cannot be helped.
My granny had a stroke and instead of her life ending peacefully she lived 2 years in a hospital bed wishing she wasn’t there. It’s like the whole smoothness and goodness of her life got a great big slap in the face and she just had to sit there wishing she was dead for 2 years. IT was a huge relief when she died but the whole thing left an awful legacy – bad taste – bad memory for everybody involved. It cost a fortune too. Absurd beyond the realm of believable reality.
Exactly Dee – the crazy ones are the ones who insist they speak for everybody and that insist that each individual should not have the choice of what to do with their own life.
I mean for crying out loud if there is one thing the bloody government shouldn’t own it is my own life – and whether I chose to keep it or not.
It’s beyond ridiculous to look at it any other way.
Our late mother and our cat Bryan both had inoperable cancer.
We watched our mother suffer pain and anguish and she was weary to the bone, the last weekend of her life is still unbearable to remember. The doctor came out and gave her morphine and said she was so near death she would be gone by morning, she wasn’t, she woke up to another day of terrible suffering.
Bryan had lost weight, stopped eating and hid away, the vet came out to our house and he had a gentle and peaceful end to save him from more pain. Yes it was heart breaking for us but we had been able to end his suffering.
When a person is terminally ill and without hope and has had enough of life then in my opinion its cruel to keep them alive.
But I suppose if euthanasia was legal for people it would sometimes be abused like it is for animals.
A real heavy subject.
Agreed. Killing and euthanasia are very different issues.
I’ll start with killing. I’ve never intentionally killed any living being. I don’t even think I could kill in self-defense. What I do know is that I could be provoked to violence if I witnessed an animal being abused. Whether that would lead to a killing is anybody’s guess. Adrenaline pumping and sheer rage can interfere with rational thinking.
Aside from provocation, I don’t know how “rational” people who purposely take any animal to a facility for the purpose of being killed, pull the switch on an electric chair, or fire a gun can live with themselves.
Euthanizing an animal for the “right” reasons is difficult but a kindness and loving thing.
As you said, people make those decisions.
As far as humans, I believe that any rational, coherent, alert individual has the right to carry out their life end in any manner they wish and without interference. Unfortunately, these sick and dying people are made to suffer until they finally succumb. Why do we ignore their rights and desires? Do we think they’re crazy? Do we think the outcome will be a positive?
WHO’S REALLY THE CRAZY ONES?