When faced with an end-of-life pet crisis, in most cases euthanasia will be recommended. In that difficult moment you may be wondering, “Is it okay to let my pet die naturally instead of using euthanasia?”
I’m going to start out by simply answering the question with, “Yes, it’s okay.”
I think it’s important to start with that, because like it or not, the general consensus, at least in the United States, seems to be that euthanasia is preferred over letting our pets die naturally. It’s a societal assumption, and from what I’ve experienced, it’s the assumption of most veterinarians as well.
Because of that, if you find yourself in a situation, as I did recently, where it’s clear your pet is going to die, there might be a great deal of pressure placed upon you to have your pet euthanized whether you want to or not. You might even be led to believe that you really don’t have a choice in the matter.
“If you love your pet”, we’re told, “euthanasia is the compassionate thing to do”.
But is euthanasia the only option? Are we actually lacking compassion if we choose to let our pets die naturally?
Letting your pet die naturally is a valid choice
I’m actually not here to get into the debate of whether euthanasia is right or wrong. I have many friends who love their pets dearly who have made that choice and I would never judge them for it. In fact, I believe with everything in me that if they made the painful choice to euthanize their pet, it was out of compassion and love. Furthermore, many see the choice to euthanize their suffering pet as a Christian responsibility before God. In the Book of Genesis God gave us dominion over “every living thing that moves on the Earth”. The following verse is most often cited for this point of view.
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” -Genesis 1:28
But while this verse could be used to justify the position of euthanasia, it certainly doesn’t dictate the necessity of it. For we can plainly they see that most of the natural world over which man has been given dominion is in a state of constantly experiencing natural death without our intervention.
The course of life and death in the natural world is routinely understood to be in the hands of God.
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” -Job 1:21
As I said, I’m not here today to argue the point of whether euthanasia is right or wrong. Nor am I here to question those who have chosen euthanasia out of love and compassion for their pets. But rather, the reason that I’m writing this today, is simply to say that choosing to let your pet die naturally is an entirely valid choice.
Unfortunately, it’s a choice that a lot of people will not give you permission to make! And what I would like to say, is that you don’t actually need other people’s permission for the decision that you’re making for your pet.
A showdown with my Vet
I recently found myself in exactly this situation when my beautiful Devon Rex boy, Rango, took a sudden turn for the worse. I’m going to tell you his story in a moment, but first I’m going to tell you about the moment of crisis that I had with my Veterinarian that made me decide to write this article.
The moment of crisis
The crisis came in the last week of Rango’s life. It was clear to me that the time was drawing near when I was going to lose him. Because the weekend was approaching and my Vet’s office is closed on weekends, I wanted to be prepared with some pain meds to be able to give my cat if the situation warranted. I made a call to the Vet’s office requesting the pain medication, and because the office was close to where I work, I headed over there at the end of my workday.
I was not prepared for what unfolded!
Up until this point my Vet had been the most wonderful doctor in the world. He had been understanding, full of compassion, and gave of himself and his time generously. I was overjoyed to have him as Rango’s doctor. But on this particular afternoon (and only 2 days before my cat ended up dying) he decided to press the issue of me letting my cat die naturally. He insisted that euthanasia was the only correct choice even though I explained to him that that was not what I had chosen to do in Rango’s case.
I actually had no problem with him speaking to me about euthanasia. I certainly think that it was within his professional responsibility to bring that option up. But I was shocked when he got in my face about it and wouldn’t let it go!!! I had clearly told him that I would most likely choose to have Rango die naturally, but he simply refused to acknowledge or respect my position as being valid.
But it was actually worse than that. Not only was my Vet not taking into consideration the end-of-life choices that I had made for my cat, but he was debating whether or not he would prescribe pain medications for him because he did not approve of my cat dying naturally!
Do I have to explain to anyone reading this how difficult it is to know that your pet will soon be gone, and your vet is arguing with you about giving you pain meds for him???
Yes, you heard me correctly!
My Vet told me that he was wrestling internally during the course of our conversation with whether or not he would prescribe pain meds for my cat!
His reasoning was that he did not want to see me giving Rango palliative care, but thought that I should be euthanizing him.
I find this to be totally outrageous!
I love my cat. I knew that he was probably going to be dying very soon. I wanted to be prepared for the upcoming weekend when the Vet’s office is closed in case he needed pain meds. I’m doing the responsible thing as someone who has chosen to let their pet die naturally, and the Vet is trying to thwart me in my decision- at the expense of my pet. My Vet tried to pressure me into euthanasia.
Let me tell you something-
I was under enough pressure already with my cat dying. I did NOT need a showdown with my Vet over the issue of euthanasia.
As it turns out, he did end up relenting and writing a very limited prescription for me for pain meds- three oral syringes- but not without me having to endure a very stressful time at his office.
This pain medication was intended to be given every 8 hours, so the doctor only gave me enough for one day!!!
I know of another person who dearly loves her cats, and thought her Vet was the best in all the world too, until that is, she found herself in the sad predicament that I just described with Rango. Toward the end of her cat’s life she let her Vet know that her intention was to let her cat die naturally, and at that point all hell broke loose with her Vet, all because she had decided to let her cat die naturally instead of using euthanasia.
End of life decisions are hard enough. When somebody has made the thoughtful decision to let their pet die naturally, they need to be respected, not bullied.
The backstory
I think it’s important to tell the backstory to all of this.
Rango wasn’t my first Devon Rex. Before Rango came into my life, I had previously had two Devon’s. Cleo and Latte. A boy and a girl. Two very sweet and wonderful cats.
Cleo and Latte were brought to their Vet on one occasion to get their vaccinations. (In this case a different veterinary office then the one I took Rango to). Both of them ended up getting aggressive cancer at their vaccination sites, and died within a month and a half of each other.
It’s impossible to express how heartbreaking and horrible this was. I think it goes without saying how difficult a situation like this is to navigate.
We chose to let them die naturally rather than having them euthanized. I’m not going to lie, the decision to let them die naturally comes with a lot of additional things that you will have to go through that might otherwise be avoided with euthanasia. It’s extremely painful to watch your pets wither away and die and know that there’s nothing you can do about it. We tried to give them the best care that we could, and alleviate any pain as best as we possibly could, but there is nothing easy about this choice. It tears you apart seeing the pet that you love fading away. In this respect, it’s no different than what I experienced when my mother had cancer and my brother and sister and I were her caregivers.
It’s excruciatingly hard to watch someone we love suffer, not only because of their illness, but often times because of the medical intervention intended to help them. There are literally times when you feel like you’re not going to be able to make it through. Every part of your life is upended, and it’s not yours anymore.
When you become a caregiver your one goal in life is to be there for the person you love. It takes everything out of you, and when everything is gone, it will require you to give even more of yourself than you knew you had.
Being with your pet while they die naturally is very much the same experience as when a close family member is dying of a terminal illness. Not only is it heartbreaking, but you will have to deal with all of the same issues that come with declining health that people have. The loss of mobility and bodily functions. The necessity to be there for every need. And the agonizing emotional torment that comes from seeing this all happen before your eyes, and knowing that no matter what you do, there’s nothing you can do to stop it or make it better.
The other reality is that end-of-life care can end up being extraordinarily expensive and not everybody has the ability to pay for the medical interventions they might wish to perform. But there is an even deeper reality than this that often has to be faced- There are situations in life that no amount of money can solve.
Sometimes no amount of money, or time, or attention, or self-sacrifice on your part is enough to fix what is before you. Neither is there a guarantee of brevity. It’s impossible to know how long or short the struggle will go on.
If anything has taught me that I am not in control of the world, it’s the reality that no matter what I do I cannot ultimately hold back death from those I love.
Counting the cost
When faced with the reality of the possibility of your pet suffering, and the additional reality of what hospice care for your pet will likely look like with you as the chief caregiver, why would anyone ever choose it?
To that I would simply say, because life is sacred and there is something beautiful to be had from the moment of our birth to the moment of our death.
Life is sacred and there is something beautiful to be had from the moment of our birth to the moment of our death.
As painful as these moments have been in my life, I’ve never regretted putting those I love into the hands of my faithful and loving Heavenly Father. We come from Him, and will return to Him, and He makes something beautiful out of even the hardest moments of our lives.
To give them beauty for ashes, – Isaiah 61:3
I have seen the hand of God at work in some very difficult situations. I’ve always entrusted my pets to God, and I have never regretted my decision to let them die naturally.
As I said previously, my first two Devon’s died of vaccination injection site cancer. Our little Devon boy, Cleo, died first. He was always the thinnest of the two and became very emaciated toward the end. In this respect he reminded me of my mother’s death by cancer. He also suffered from mobility issues and bowel control. He remained sweet until the end, and surprisingly, kept eating hard kibble until the day he died! Before he passed he called out to us from the other room. Not in the sense of being in agony or anything like that, but simply to get our attention. We came to him and were by his side, and very shortly after, he slipped away quickly and peacefully.
About a month and a half later our little Devon girl, Latte, died. She had none of the issues that Cleo had when it came to losing weight or having mobility problems. In fact, I don’t remember any particular issue as standing out other than the fact that we knew that she had cancer and she was dying.
I was out of the house for a few minutes one afternoon, and when I came home I had the sense that Latte was going to be going soon. (With all three of our cats I had the distinct feeling that they waited for us to be there before passing.) I took Latte in my arms. She looked up at me with her big brown eyes and locked her gaze with mine. It was as if I could see into her very soul. (And yes, animals do have souls. It’s entirely biblical. The original Hebrew in Genesis uses the same word for “soul” when it comes to humans as it does animals! The difference being, that human beings are the pinnacle of God’s creation, and are the only ones who are made in God’s image.)
In the last moments of her life, I connected with Latte the way that I would a human being. It was as if we were both seeing deeply into each other. I remember that same look in my mother’s eyes, in the last months of her life. There were times when my mother would look at me as if she were absorbing me. As if she was trying to take in every part of me before she died. This is exactly what I saw in Latte’s eyes. We never broke our gaze until she passed. It was honestly one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever experienced. Her death was also extremely peaceful and very quick.
I’m well aware of the fact that not everyone who lets their pet die naturally will have this kind of peaceful experience. I know that in some cases it can be horrific and excruciating. I don’t want to deny that. These are hard choices- but in my case, it was quick and it was peaceful, and these moments are treasured in my heart. We were with them when they died and we saw them off in love. I could never regret that.
At the Vet’s office two days before Rango died
Given what I just told you about Cleo and Latte’s passing, I tried to share these experiences with my Vet as we were talking about Rango and why I had decided to let him pass naturally. But rather than acknowledging my very real life experience, my Vet ignored what I was telling him and continued to push for euthanasia.
I held my anger until I got back in the car and headed home with Rango.
I’m not going to lie- I was furious!
Even still, while I was speaking to my Vet I remained respectful and I listened to him. Because, truth be told, I still believe he’s a very loving and compassionate Veterinary doctor. He was simply locked into an end-of-life paradigm that would not allow for a natural death. A paradigm that did not allow him to see the perspectives of others who have lived different life stories.
Rango’s story
I hope what I’ve written so far has been helpful, but there’s a few other things that I want to share with you. This is my tribute to Rango.
In “Rango’s Story” I want to share a little bit about the amazing Devon Rex breed, how Rango got a miracle that gave him seven extra wonderful years after the ER told me I should euthanize him, and why I decided to let him die naturally, and what that was like.
Rango entered into our lives only a few months after our beautiful cats Cleo and Latte died. After having gone through such a painful experience, I wasn’t ready for another cat yet. But my wife desperately wanted another. And so we began a search that ended when we found Rango.
We lived in the Pacific Northwest but Rango was out on the East Coast, so my wife hopped on a plane and headed out there to get him. The breeder had told us that there was something very special about Rango. Of course you would expect a breeder to say something like that, but as it turns out, she was absolutely being honest with us!
Rango was one in a million!
Devon Rex are unique when it comes to the feline family. They defy most people’s expectations of how cats act. Instead of being fiercely independent and liking to be alone, most Devon Rex cling like barnacles. The boys more so than the girls. My wife used to call Cleo her little “Barnacle Boy”!
The Devon Rex is loyal to a fault. They’re always under foot and easy to trip over because they never leave your side. They are also known for being very vocal. They do not simply “meow”. They have a huge vocabulary and can have entire conversations with you! You can banter back and forth with them just like you would a person. Both Cleo and Latte exhibited these qualities, but Rango was on a whole other level. I’ve literally never known a cat like him!!!
Why did I love him? Let me count the ways!
Let’s start with the small things first and work our way up. First, Rango rarely scratched! He hardly ever used his claws for anything. I could also flip him on his back and trim his claws and he was happy as a clam! If he ever needed medication, I could pop a pill in his mouth and it was as easy as giving a child candy! Like most cats, he would hate to be bathed when he was younger. But in later years, I could take him right into the shower with me and he was happy to walk around the shower stall while getting soaking wet, or have me lather him up and hold him right under the showerhead. I could do this without him flipping out and shredding me into a million pieces. He did it without so much as a single yowl!
Rango apparently loved artwork, but only when hung at odd angles!
The breeder told us that he didn’t like things hung squarely on the wall. He wasn’t happy until it hung at a slight angle and would make sure that anything that was on the wall would be slightly tilted! Once he had accomplished his goal, he would never go back to mess with it again. But straighten it, and he was sure to readjust it for you!
Rango had many charming things about him, but it was his loving disposition that eclipsed them all. He was the most gentle, loving cat, you could ever ask for.
My roommate continually marveled at Rango’s connection and affection for me. It was beyond devotion. She would frequently tell me that she wished her boyfriend would look at her the way that Rango looked at me!
In one sense, it’s almost pointless to try to describe him. Most people think they know what I’m talking about, but truly Rango was one in a million.
It was impossible for me to lay down on my bed without Rango stretching himself out across my chest positioning his face inches from mine. This was his favorite place in the world, but at times he would end up having a sneezing fit, and me having a wet face. Kind of gross, but worth it!
Obviously, my inclination at those times was to lower him down a few more inches from my face- but he would have none of it. He would insist on repositioning himself as close as he could get.
It wasn’t enough for Rango to be near me, he had to be glued to me.
Rango adapted to my sleeping schedule and woke and slept when I did. If I got up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, he would sometimes join me at times by following me into the bathroom and hopping up on my shoulder!
When I would roll over in bed Rango would switch sides with me. He preferred my chest to my back.
He literally tracked me from room to room to the point where I would trip over him. At times we wondered if he had swallowed a clock, because he knew just when to jump up on the kitchen table to look out the window when I came home from work!
I’m quite sure that Rango believed the whole reason that I played acoustic guitar was to serenade him. He would position himself as far as he possibly could on the side of the bed to be near me while I played. I kid you not- he would look lovestruck as I sang! Often times, he would sing along, and I’m very glad now that I have recordings of him doing so.
I’ve gone on long, but the half has not been told. Our connection, and my love for him, was over the moon. So you have to know that my decision to let Rango pass naturally was not taken lightly.
From as early as I can remember Rango had issues with his heart. I don’t think there was ever a Vet visit that didn’t include the fact that his heart was enlarged, had a murmur, was galloping, or had some sort of arrhythmia. Devon Rex are prone to CHF (congestive heart failure). Nevertheless, for the first 8 years of his life it was a non-issue and he thrived without it affecting him in any way.
In 2019 all that was about to change.
Rango gets a miracle!
7 years before Rango died, God gave him a miracle.
In August of 2019 I got a very concerning call from my roommate. Rango was violently gasping for breath! I immediately rushed home and took him to the ER. It felt like he was with the doctors for an eternity before they finally came out and told me that he had congestive heart failure. They told me one side of his heart was extremely enlarged, and that it was so bad, that it was very unlikely he would survive the night. They had removed fluid from around his lungs, but they told me that in their opinion I should consider euthanizing him immediately. I had been praying the whole time, and when they left I distinctly heard the Holy Spirit tell me, “No, don’t do that, he’s going to live.” It wasn’t with audible words, but it might as well have been because I heard it so clearly. With those words came the most profound certainty and peace. When the Vet came out again I told him that I had decided to take Rango home with me. They gave me a short course of diuretics, and I picked up Rango and left the ER for home.
I was between Vets at the time. I don’t exactly remember the time frame at this point, but when the course of diuretics ran out it was apparent to me that Rango still needed to be on them. I contacted the ER once again and asked if they could give me a small supply while I searched for a Vet. As I was driving home I once again heard the Holy Spirit speak to me very clearly, “Give him the full number of pills that were prescribed to you and slowly taper them off until there are no more”.
I did exactly what God told me to do and it was six more years before Rango had another incident. He was not in ill health and he had a perfectly normal cat life for the next 6 years!
Rango gets another major miracle
Rango’s second Big Miracle came in the fall of 2025. I was walking in the parking lot where I went to get groceries. There are many businesses surrounding the grocery store and I had never walked through the parking lot or around the various sidewalks to see what they were. For some reason, I decided I would take a stroll around the parking lot. As I did I came across an Emergency Pet ER. I had a very unsettled and distinct feeling that my coming across it was not by accident!
Even though there was nothing about Rango that would cause me to be alarmed about his health, I wondered if God was showing me the ER because Rango was going to have another episode with his heart! It was disconcerting, and seemed irrational, but I couldn’t shake the feeling.
At this point, you have to understand, that although the previous ER had saved Rango’s life, I was not comfortable going back there considering the fact that they recommended immediate euthanasia. Rango had lived six vibrant years since that night, and had I taken their advice, I would have missed out on all that time with him.
As I stood there in the parking lot I couldn’t shake the fact that I felt God was showing me this new ER so that I would have a place to take Rango if he had another emergency.
That emergency happened only hours later!
The following is from my journal that day-
“Rango started breathing very very heavily tonight. At about 11:00pm I brought him to the emergency vet.
It’s now 2:00 a.m.
It’s really strange because today I was walking around the parking lots at New Seasons…which I’ve never done before… and I walked in front of this place that I’m at right now… and I was wondering if there was a reason that I needed to know that the emergency vet was this close to my house?
And here I am only hours later with Rango at the very place that I wondered about.
I don’t know what to think.
I don’t feel like I have a clear word from God like I had the last time. Only this strange coincidence of being out in front of this place earlier today and now sitting here with Rango.
I don’t feel a clear word from God.
The last time when they gave me such dire news, and wanted to put him down, I felt like the Holy Spirit said, “No, he’s going to live”. And even though I was scared, I left with a word from the Lord. But I don’t have that this time.”
As soon as I got to the ER they immediately did an ultrasound of his heart, started him on diuretics, and put him in an oxygen cage. I was in complete and utter shock. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. God had spoken to me so clearly six years ago when this happened, but this time I felt like He had gone completely silent.
This particular ER was different than the first one. Rango was never out of my sight from the moment that I brought him in. Eventually the doctor came over to talk with me. She said that one side of Rango’s heart was enlarged 2 1/2 times what it should be. The doctor and her team were extremely caring and compassionate, and told me that at this point I should probably consider euthanasia for Rango. Once again, they were suggesting that I should think about doing it that evening before I left.
I was dismayed. I don’t think that I could even think. Beyond that, I felt like God had left me completely to myself. I couldn’t understand why He wasn’t guiding me the way that He had last time. It was as if He had gone silent. My only comfort was that perhaps God was speaking to me by showing me the ER only hours earlier. Perhaps this was His way of showing me that He was going to take care of Rango, and that it was going to be all right? I could only hope and wonder.
I clearly didn’t want to give Rango up, and I clearly didn’t have a word from God, and so I simply stayed at the ER as long as I possibly could before being kicked out!
During that time the doctor told me that it was literally unheard of for a cat to have the severity of congestive heart failure that Rango had and live a normal life for 6 years without a reoccurrence. I got the impression that the whole staff who attended Rango were also in awe of that. Apparently, it doesn’t happen very often. Not only had Rango not had another episode of heart failure, but he wasn’t on any meds, and had thrived for that entire time!
Hoping against hope, I dragged my feet and stayed seated at the ER. I thought to myself that at least he could be in the oxygen cage a little longer if I didn’t rush a decision. The doctor actually let him stay in there for 4 hours and never charged me for it. It was an exceptionally generous and kind thing to do.
We finally got home about 3AM and I got a few hours of sleep. Rango didn’t seem to be as distressed as he was when I brought him in, but he was still breathing heavily and I could hear a kind of wheezing sound.
The next morning I brought him to his regular Vet. Rango had stabilized quite a bit by this time and his doctor seemed hopeful. Unfortunately, the stress of bringing him in for another Vet visit seem to trigger another episode and another call to the ER in the middle of the night!
Admittedly, the situation seemed pretty hopeless, and the ER recommended that I bring him in for euthanasia, or at least be prepared for the possibility that he probably wouldn’t make it through the night.
I was grateful that whoever was talking to me on the other end of the phone this time was not pushing euthanasia, but was simply helping me to deal with the situation that was before me.
Once we got past that week things seemed to level out.
Rango ended up living another 10 months after that. On balance, he had a very high quality of life, but there were many ups and downs with his breathing and he needed to be on diuretics daily. Starting with twice a day, and toward the end, three times a day. The main issue during this time was regulating his breathing by attempting to stabilize his CHF through the use of diuretics. For those unfamiliar with CHF, it’s not that your pet is under continuous stress through breathing difficulties everyday, but rather, we are monitoring them to be watchful so that any issue can be caught early before they end up in a full blown episode.
I will be forever grateful to my friends who were there for me during this season. I called upon them many times to pray for Rango, and he always pulled through and bounced back. He seemed to have way more than his allotted “Nine Lives”!
Thankfully, I never had to bring him to the ER again. Everything was manageable at home. The biggest changes over these 10 months was actually to my lifestyle. During the previous 6 years I could come and go as I pleased and live my life normally. The last 10 months ushered me into a different season where my life revolved around making sure Rango was breathing okay and got his meds on time.
It became very clear that Rango needed to get his diuretic on a strict schedule otherwise he would begin to have breathing problems. The clock was always in the back of my mind no matter where I was or what I was doing. A cat with congestive heart failure needs to be constantly watched. As I said, the goal was to make sure I caught any breathing issues early before they could develop into something more serious. But other than radically changing my freedom to come and go as I pleased, my life was relatively normal. Besides some scary breathing episodes from time to time, Rango never really experienced any serious issues with his health until the final week, and I got to enjoy him for another 10 months.
The final week
After Rango had passed, it came into my heart to have Google calculate the number of days between the time that I first brought him into the ER, to the day that he died.
It came to exactly 7 YEARS TO THE DAY!
Almost all the really hard stuff happened during the last 3 days of his life. That’s 2,553 days with Rango that I would have missed out on had I listened to the Vet the first time I was told to euthanize him!
If memory serves me correctly, during those seven years, I was told four times by veterinarians that I should have Rango euthanized. This advice clustered around the two crisis events of heart failure that I told you about.
I’m going to be totally honest with you. I’m glad I listened to the Holy Spirit and not the veterinarians! I’m not questioning their compassion, but I’m simply saying it was not their decision to make.
It’s wise to listen to the advice of friends and professionals, but at the end of the day, you need to do what YOU think is right for your pet.
The gut-wrenching decision
I have plenty of friends who have chosen euthanasia for their pets. I have never once judged them or questioned them in their decision. I understand that these choices are extremely hard and deeply personal.
When going through this with Rango I frequently drew on the experience of my friends. I wanted to hear their stories and what they went through with their pets. I highly valued what they had to say, because not only had some of them gone through excruciatingly painful moments when faced with their own pets illness and loss of life, but they had faithfully been with me through the ups and downs, praying for Rango..
Whether it’s my friends who have chosen euthanasia for their pets, or veterinarians who recommend it, I have no reason to doubt that their motives were out of compassion and the desire to alleviate suffering. I have never questioned that for a moment. Nor do I question whether they made the right decision for their pet.
The whole reason for me writing this article is simply to say that euthanasia is not the only choice available to those who love their pets. When someone chooses to let their pet die naturally we need to respect that.
I should also add, that every one of my friends, irrespective of their personal opinion concerning euthanasia, was respectful towards me when I spoke of my inclination to let Rango die naturally. Some of them clearly communicated to me that they thought euthanasia might be the better choice for Rango at the very end of his life. I appreciated their honesty as much as I was thankful that they never tried to push me into making that choice. They left it up to me. And at the end of the day that’s exactly how it should be.
Rango’s final moments
By choosing not to euthanize Rango I was given the gift of an extra 7 years with him that I wouldn’t trade for anything. But what did his final moments look like?
The shocking thing for me was how quickly his health changed.
Only 2 weeks earlier I had ordered a couple of cases of canned food for him because he was thriving and I had no reason to think that I would soon be losing him. He had recently grown a brand new beautiful furry coat. He had a great appetite and was gobbling down his food. And although it was true that he was slowing down, and there were a few times where he tried to jump up on the bed and missed, I didn’t make too much of it because, after all, he had just turned 15 years and the expected lifespan for Devon Rex is 9 to 15. He was drinking plenty of water, using his litter box regularly, and looked the best that I’d seen him in months. He was doing pretty good for a cat who had a serious heart condition!
When things took a turn for the worse the decline was very rapid. I noticed over the weekend that he had drastically slowed down the amount of food that he was eating. I was concerned and the Vet got me in right away.
I thought I would let him stay in the car while I went into the office to check in, and when I came back out, Rango was sitting in the sun on the driver’s seat. He had popped himself out of his pet carrier to sit in the sunshine!
But within 3 days Rango was losing mobility and bladder control. My heart broke and I could barely take it in. Even so, he still wanted to go to his usual water bowl and get off the bed to pee. Most of the time he waited for me to pick him up and place him there. He was very good at communicating his needs to me, and i knew almost instinctively what he was asking for.
Strangely enough, his passing had more to do with a huge cyst that had rapidly formed at the back of his throat and an infection that he got in his mouth, than it did his heart. We gave him an antibiotic and it dramatically reduced his pain. I was able to approach his mouth and open it without him recoiling, and the antibiotic clearly was doing its job, but Rango was refusing to eat. There was no question in my mind that he was going to be slipping away very soon.
The day before he died my roommate suggested that I pick up some CBD oil. I got some on my way home from work and gave it to him immediately upon coming home. It seemed to have a very calming effect on him and I gave him another dose before bed and upon waking the next morning.
That evening I went to sleep with Rango at my side.
I woke up very early the next morning and checked in on him and he was still with us. Being extremely fatigued from the previous week I thought that I would get a little bit more sleep before waking and so rolled back over, but shortly after Rango pulled himself up, reached out, touched me, and woke me back up! I knew he was telling me he was going to be leaving soon, and so I stayed up with him.
Over the next 15 minutes or so I spoke to Him softly and pet him. I told him that it was okay to go, and I prayed for God to take him. Very shortly after he slipped away.
Rango’s passing was as peaceful as I could have possibly imagined or hoped for.
To my surprise, his little heart was beating steady to the end. There were no skipped beats, nothing irregular. At one point I placed my ear on his side and listened in awe, thankful for the grace of God. The same was true of his breathing. It was steady and soft. There was nothing about it that was at all alarming. He had a few characteristic “last breaths” but even those were very soft and subdued. Rango simply slipped away in peace.
I was profoundly grateful for the serenity and peace that marked his last moments. It was everything that I had prayed for and others had been asking God for on our behalf.
About 5 hours later my roommate and I drove to her family’s home where I buried him with my own hands. I gently put handfuls of dirt over him, and cupping handfuls of water, poured it over his body. It was surprisingly cathartic. The water felt cleansing and mixed with my tears of thanksgiving to God for the gift that He had given me in Rango.
It was a beautiful end to a beautiful life.
Final thoughts
I hope my words have in some way helped you. I know that most who read this are here because you’re going through something that is extremely heartbreaking and painful. I’ve written at length for one reason. I want you to know that whether you choose euthanasia or you decide to let your pet die naturally, as the one who has cared for and loved your pet, you are the only one who has the right to make that choice.
I have been, perhaps, more fortunate than most. All three of my cats were allowed to die naturally, and all three of them had peaceful deaths. I am well aware that that is not always the case, and those last minutes can be very traumatic. I would never assume to tell you what the correct choice is for you. No matter what you do it’s going to be excruciatingly difficult. All you can really do is try to make the best choice possible and leave it in God’s hands. The purpose of this article is simply to let you know that you actually do have a choice. Euthanasia is not your only option. In the United States the scales are overwhelmingly tipped towards choosing euthanasia when faced with an end-of-life pet health crisis. I hope this article gives more balance to the scale so that you may fully consider and weigh all your options.