To me it's a good thing that people question when to let their companion go.
Some very good guideline to help plan for the future...and I think they are applicable to humans as well. List everything your companion enjoys - eating, doing specific activities etc - then put the list away until illness or old age strikes. Then use it to help the decision. I don't think we're ever sure we are doing the right thing but guidance is always welcome.
This ethicist thinks what makes humans different than animal companions is the ability to hope for the future. How do we know the unconditional love we get isn't an attempt at positive reinforcement?
https://theconversation.com/when-is-it-ethical-to-euthanize-your-pet-44806
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We had a cat with breast cancer. I started feeding the cat pureed chicken livers and a concoction of tasty bits she liked. I squeezed another year out of that cat. Purdy was her name. The g/f's cat, which she'd brought to me whilst I was consulting in Twin Cities.
ReplyDeleteWe agreed, the two of us, we'd know when it was time to put the kitty down. We moved to Augusta Wisconsin, across the street from the veterinarian as it happens.
Purdy's tumour burst open, I started treating it with peroxide, I kept her going two more months. We knew surgery was pointless, but I sensed I could get a few more months of acceptable life.
Then she couldn't get to the litterbox, started leaving puddles here and there. She was so ashamed of herself, she'd been an extremely tidy cat, all her life. I looked her, I looked at the g/f. We didn't have to say a word.
I sat down at my desk and wept horribly, holding the cat. Called the vet, made arrangements for the next day. Took her over, in a special towel. She passed away purring with her head resting on my wrist.
It's a lot simpler than the philosophers make out. Our animals, our pets, are ours: their lives are in our hands. Prolonging their lives beyond reason is cruelty; I view it as a form of abuse, I really do. I take the advice of the veterinarian with a cat, every time. They see more animal suffering than I ever will, they're better judges of it, a good vet is a treasure.
I think the list is to help people feel they've made the right decision. I gather you've been in many situations where you have to be comfortable with the idea of death. I am comfortable with the idea that I don't know where I was before this life and have no window to where I end up after. Many people hold on to things. I feel my dogs trust me to not torture them by keeping them with me when it's time for them to leave. Just like your cars
ReplyDeleteIt's hard. My first dog died suddenly, so this didn't come up. My second one, I think I kept her with me too long. My third one, I think I made the right call, after my previous experiences.
ReplyDeleteNone of it makes any of it better, though.
Too difficult. I’m scrolling on. Though I understand the need to examine this matter.
ReplyDelete