Has anyone here ever had to euthanize an aggressive pet?

[chrissyk]

I really need advice. Our male cat is going-on 10 years-old. We've had him since he was 8 weeks-old. He has had health problems right along (which we've managed well), and he has also had incredible aggression issues right along. I was actually afraid of him when he was around a year old. He would attack us, bite us (HARD), etc. My DH had to get a tetanus shot at one point.

Well, we read a book that said that he was probably lonely, so when he was around 18 months-old, we got him a friend. She is probably the nicest, most personable cat that you could imagine. He redirected his aggression at her, so we spent many years breaking up attacks and then getting attacked ourselves.

A year ago, we finally got an appt. with the animal behavorist who goes on Dateline (he was local to us at the time). He called our cat one of the most severe cases he'd ever seen in terms of being anti-social and aggressive, and he perscribed kitty Prozac. The normal dose wasn't enough, so he had to up the dosage. Frankly, it's STILL not enough. We have to get his enzymes checked because so much Prozac can mess with his liver. The sad thing is that he probably needs an even higher dose, but that could really mess him up more physically AND all it does is make him into a total zombie.

This morning, we woke up to him attacking our other pet yet again. We were really afraid that he was hurting her today. This is a regular occurance around here even with him on the Prozac. It probably happens at least once a week. Granted, he missed a day of his medication last week (he hid and refused to take it), but still...he was having an aggressive week as it was. He was also recovering from yet another illness (UTI this time). I am not trying to make excuses for him, but those things could have contributed to this situation.

At what point do you say enough DH and I adore our cat and we don't just want to give up, but I feel like our other pet has no safety in her own home. You should see her right now. She's just sort of moping, and you can tell that she's upset. Our current vet said that our cat would have been put to sleep long ago by most owners. Well, I never thought that I'd reach that point, but right now I'm considering it. It's breaking my heart, but something is just not right with this animal. After 10 years of trying to "fix" the problem, I think that we have exhausted all of our options. It would break my heart to have to put him down, though. Is euthanasia the right thing to do in a case like this? UGH, I feel so guilty for even writing this out. Thanks to anyone who made it this far.

 

[clarabelle]

I have not put down an animal for aggression -but I have put one down for bad health.
I felt guilty -but the dog was incontinent and senile and it was putting a lot of stress on the family.
My point is -you need to think about your family and your other cat -not just the guilt. Do what is best for all of you and try to give yourself a break.
Good Luck and try not to torture yourself

 

[kerrynic78]

That is so sad, I really feel for your other cat...poor thing. I love animals so much but I honestly don't know if I could continue living like that, it sounds like you have tried everything to help your cat. That is such a hard decision, good luck....sorry I couldn't offer any better advice.

 

[chrissyk]

DH and I talked about it again a little while ago, and we decided that we just couldn't consider this option right now. I did say that I thought that we might have to consider it at some point in the future, especially if our cat gets worse as he ages. I feel like the female cat has never had a day of peace in her own home because of the aggressive cat, and that that's our fault ultimately.

We've talked about isolating the aggressive cat so he can't attack the female cat or us, but I have to wonder what kind of quality-of-life that is. Also, if we up his Prozac much more, I'm afraid that we might end up killing him because of the liver enzyme thing My thought is that some people are just not right when they're born, and maybe the same thing happens with animals. That doesn't mean that I love our pet any less, though. It's just sad

 

[wdwmom2]

It sounds like you went the extra mile for your cat. I never have been in your situation, but I would never put up with an aggressive animal, and I love animals. Only you know what is right for your situation. to you.

 

[Christine]

Well, I don't have *any* experience with cats. But, I am a big softie with animals and I would have to be pushed to my limits before euthanizing an animal. Reading your story, I think that you are probably there. I think I would be. You have done everything you can for this cat--a behavioral specialist and medication. The cat is still not right. I'm sure that the cat is probably mentally ill and there is no curing it.

My boss had a dog like that. He put up with the aggression for so many years and every week it was something else. It kept getting worse and he did consult with a trainer. He finally had to put the dog down.

Of course, only you can decide what you can live with, but I think you've done all the right things, exhausted all avenues. You can hardly adopt the cat out and how are you going to feel if this cat seriously hurts your other cat?

 

[MUFFYCAT]

You certainly tried your best over the past ten years.
Do not feel guilty if you decide to do it. I doubt he would have lived
this long anywhere else.
Good Luck

 

[chrissyk]

We would NEVER adopt this cat out to another family. First of all, he's our responsibility one way or the other. Second, even a highly-respected animal behaviorist deemed our cat an extreme case. I could not in good concience pass that problem off on another person or family.

I think that I'm going to call the office of the behaviorist today. I am wondering if all of the Prozac is actually causing the cat to become physically ill at this point. We can't take him off of the Prozac, and if anything we really need to up his dosage. I feel like we're killing him either way

 

[cepmom]

my Mom had to put our dog down after his aggression became too much. One day she came home to find him on the kitchen table eating something and when she tried to put him on the floor her tried to attack her. He had tried to bite before, but not to this degree. I had a new baby at the time, so she felt she had no choice but to put him down ~ didn't want him to try and attack my DD someday. It's sad, but sometimes there is no other choice.

 

[Cindy B]

My neighbor just did that with a boxer dog. They had othe dogs and cats, and this dog was always biting the other animals hard and drawing blood. They also had kids, so they were nervous that other kids (including mine) would get hurt.

FOr instance they have a HUGE 100 + lb male Lab, this boxer would make it cower!

 

[Laura]

I would consider isolating the aggressive cat from the other, at least occasionally so she can have some quiet time.

 

[Disney Ella]

I didn't put the cat down, but I did have to find a special home for him. He was always very nervous after nearly starving to death as a kitten. (Before he came to us.) When we had kids (twins), he became even more nervous and developed fear aggression. Every little thing would set him off and he would attack whoever he thought was responsible. At first it was our other cat, who he got along with normally. Then it was me. (I had to get a tetanus shot too.)

I consulted a behaviorist when we thought it was just a problem with the other cat, and although we followed her tips to get the cats back together again, any loud noise would set the problem cat off again and he would go on the attack.

We kept this cat away from our other cat and the kids for two years. He seemed to be doing a little better, so I thought I would gradually introduce him to the kids. I started taking them down to the basement with me when we did laundry and everything was fine. He didn't seem threatened by them. Then one day when the kids were three, one of them had a tantrum because she didn't get to turn on the washer. That set this cat off. I managed to get one of the kids up on a stack of boxes before he could get to her, but the cat attacked me and my other daughter. We had to crawl out of the basement window to escape.

After that, we had no option but to find somewhere else for this cat to live. Fortunately, I found a home for him with a woman who takes in problem cats, works with them, and tries to find new homes for them, if possible. After a week, she called me and told me that my cat would probably stay with her for the rest of his life, because he had serious problems.

As much as I would have hated to do it, if I hadn't found this solution, I would have euthanized the cat. I was afraid of him, my other cat was stressed, and it was difficult trying to keep everyone separate. It sounds like you've done everything you could for this cat, maybe it's time to realize that there is nothing more you can do.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

What a tough situation! I personally haven't had to, but my sister had a cat that they had finally decided to put down due to aggression. He was a nasty cat (and I'm a cat lover). They were living in Germany at the time and the cat was an indoor cat. He'd gotten out one night and they were unable to find him to bring back inside. The next morning at breakfast her and her DH had finally had the talk and hade decided to put the cat down. Their doorbell rang and a neighbor boy was their telling them that their cat was cold. My sister was thinking, "Well of course he was cold, it had been a cold, rainy night". Turns out he wasn't saying cold, but the German word for dead. The cat had been hit by a car. Sounds terrible, and that is not the way they would have chosen for the cat to die.

I really think that something was wrong with that cat. Turns out that as a kitten he did get his head caught in the recliner (in his original home) and maybe that somehow affected the kitty.

I'm sorry that you are going through this with your cat. It sounds like you have done more than most people would have done to correct the problem. Do not feel guilty if you decide to put him down (I know, you'll feel guilty, anyway...).

 

[Lisa F]

I can't believe that I am publicly admitting this but yes, my mother had a very aggressive cat euthanized. She was about the same age (10) and was my grandmother's cat. The cat was always agressive but got more and more aggressive as she aged. It got to the point where she would bite my grandmother at least once a week and a cat bite can be VERY dangerous, requiring hospitalization. My grandmother's skin is paper thin and easily pierced and my grandmother would try to hide the bites from my mom, but when my parents bought a new house and moved grandma and the cat in with them, it became impossible to hide how often this cat would bite, especially when the cat was biting everyone in the family.

My mother just could not stand the thought of my grandmother (88) potentially ending up in the hospital for it and eventually (after many vet trips and prozac etc) decided to have the cat euthanized. My grandmother is just now about 90% recovered a year later from her last trip to the hospital and frankly none of us expected her to make it home or to recover as much as she has and there is just NO WAY my mom was willing to risk that over a cat (and she adores her animals, has two other cats and two dogs). I cannot even describe how awful and difficult my grandmother's stay in the hospital was for her and the entire family and the subsequent months of recovery it took her just to be able to walk again (it's amazing how quickly the elderly lose muscle mass laying in bed for a week) but if I could, you would understand why my mom could not risk it.

I think it's easier to "be patient" when you are not trying to protect a family member, either a small child or an elderly parent. If you are planning kids in the next couple of years you are going to need to figure out what the heck you are going to do with this cat because it will definitely tip the scales as far as how comfortable you are with having the cat in your house. I was so angry with my mother for having the cat euthanized, I told her that I would have taken the cat etc. but she just said there is no way she was risking having her daughter in the hospital with a cat bite either. After a few months I realized that she just did what she had to do to protect her family and I'm no longer angry with her for it, but it's not a decision I would wish on anyone.

 

[chrissyk]

So the Prozac didn't work for your grandmother's cat either Sometimes I think that it does help my cat, but it isn't a total solution. We keep needing to up the dosage, and iit still doesn't eliminate the aggression. Honestly, all it does is make him more lethargic than usual. I have no idea what it's doing to his internal organs to be on ever-higher doseages, either.

We are definitely planning on having children in the next several years, and I know that I'm going to have to isolate him from the kids 100% of the time. This cat isn't physically healthy either, so I don't imagine him living another 10 years or anything like that. We are trying to give him the highest quality-of-life possible, but I don't know how possible that is when I feel like I have to isolate him from us and the other cat because of his aggression.

I honestly feel that we're going to have to face this decision at some point. My gut feeling is that the aging process doesn't help aggressive animal behavior

 

[Caleb's Mom]

Here's our story - not a cat but a dog. In 1995 we adopted a cocker spaniel from the local humane society. They named him Jason (like Vorhees, Friday the 13th movies) and he was 8 weeks old only. We feel in love with him (or he cast an evil spell on us, I'm not sure). Take him to puppy kindergarden they said and we did. He flunked by managing to back down a mastiff and a new foundland! But we were his people and he loved us. 6 years later we were preganant with our first child and I was a nervous wreck about the dog. Turned out the dog loved our son UNTIL HE COULD CRAWL! We had a behaviorist make a couple of house calls, we even did the puppy prozac. So, basically we tried it all. One day our dog and our son (17 mo.) got in a race to the back door because I asked if they wanted to go for a walk. Son beat dog to the door and dog bit him in the face, catching a nostril, cheek and lower eye lid. I was sick. Fortunately not a deep bite and son recovered without a scar. Took dog to the vet the next day to have him euthanized. Hardest thing we've ever done but it was the right thing and we knew it.

You'll know what you need to do when you need to do it. We really knew in our gut what had to be done and should have done it sooner. Something really awful could have happened to our and we would have never forgiven ourselves.

 

[Lisa F]

The prozac seemed to make her dopey 99% of the time, except when she would wake up long enough to lunge at someone and bite them, then she went back to being dopey. It was weird, like she spent the whole day getting up the energy to make that one attack (and was fast as ever). I don't know if they upped her dose or anything but it just didn't seem to be doing much for the cat and they were at the vet several times before making the decision.

 

[chrissyk]

The prozac seemed to make her dopey 99% of the time, except when she would wake up long enough to lunge at someone and bite them, then she went back to being dopey. It was weird, like she spent the whole day getting up the energy to make that one attack (and was fast as ever). I don't know if they upped her dose or anything but it just didn't seem to be doing much for the cat and they were at the vet several times before making the decision.

That's pretty much what the Prozac is doing for my cat. He was lethargic to begin with (and he's 10, which doesn't help with the lethargy). However, the Prozac makes him MORE lethargic, except during his 30 minutes or so of awake time a day. That's the time when he's usually making some attempt to get aggressive with our other cat. We've upped his doseage twice (once on the initial regimen, and once beyond that). I'm not sure that they'd up it again, and honestly I'm not sure what his quality-of-life would be if they did. I'm not sure what it is now anyways, though.

The other option that we have considered is having him fully declawed so he can't hurt our other cat with his claws. He thrashes her with his hind legs when he attacks her now. At 10 years-old and not particularly healthy, I don't know if he'd survive the surgery. It seems cruel to put him through it. We've been back-and-forth over this in the past, and we've always decided not to do it ultimately.

While I just can't face the declawing or euthanasia options now, I think we'll have to at some point in the future. It definitely helps to know that we're not the only ones who have had to face this. I would be beside myself if this cat ever attacked my future child. I'm going to have to keep them separated 100% of the time because I can't risk that.

 

[nliedel]

6 years ago our dog Bear attacked our then two year old son out of the blue (he was not bothering her). I was devastated. I loved Bearly A Bear At All and it broke my heart but I could not give her away in case she really hurt someone and I could not keep her because I just could not let her bite people. I hemmed and hawed for days but in the end she started coming up to my son and growling at him.

We took her to the vet and explained the situation, sobbing. My husband stayed while they put her down and I have never forgiven myself. If only's are a hard thing to live with. They tested her for rabies after she was put down and found a rather large, inoperable tumor on her brain, which may have caused the aggression. We will never know. It did not make me feel better.

I love my animals with all my heart. They are a part of my family and this decision is a heartbreaking one no matter what you decide.

 

[Lisa F]

The other option that we have considered is having him fully declawed so he can't hurt our other cat with his claws. He thrashes her with his hind legs when he attacks her now. At 10 years-old and not particularly healthy, I don't know if he'd survive the surgery. It seems cruel to put him through it. We've been back-and-forth over this in the past, and we've always decided not to do it ultimately.

I hesitated to say this before because I know it's such a hot topic for some people, but I would not go the delcaw route. My parents tried that with grandma's cat and it made her MORE aggressive about the biting. They declawed front only so she started scratching people with her hind claws and they tried declawing the rear and the biting increased like crazy (and this cat could still latch onto a person's arm and hold it in place just long enough to bite it even without claws). I am generally not opposed to declawing cats when done young but when you take a grown cat who is already "not quite right" (best way to describe this cat) and take away the defenses they have lived with for 10 years, well, it just made things worse (not that her behavior was really something my grandmother should have been living with before, cat scratches run high risks for infection as well as bites, and she always bit people, she just scratched as much as she bit while she had her claws.)

I guess if it's a last resort before euthanasia it might be worth a try but I would not be surprised if it just made the cat more crazy. I don't think it's necessarily a matter of the cat surviving, the newer laser technology they have for declawing is WAY better than the old way, it is a cleaner cut and cauterizes all in one and is relatively less traumatic than the old way. If you decide to give that a try, I would recommend the laser method.

I'm sorry, this situation is so sad and difficult to deal with (as you can see from my sig, I am a cat person) and unless you have lived with a cat like this, you just can't understand what it's like. It's not like they are a person who can be reasoned with and where you can at least talk about the effects of various types of medication and how they feel etc. It's just totally heart wrenching and makes you feel so helpless, like if you were a better cat mom maybe the cat would not be so aggressive? But I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that some cats are just "not right" from the beginning.