Home euthanasia: Preparing for your pet’s final moments at home.

I have been an avid animal lover since I can remember. In all my thirty something years, the longest lasting moment in my memory has always been their final ones. The last hug, the last smooch, the last thank you. The last chance I got to do something nice for them.

I, like most people, tend to end up sharing most things with my pets. I have shared my secrets, my sleepless nights raising a new born baby and also the odd treat off my dinner plate. To put all those memories into words isn’t an easy task. People often tell me how hard it had been to let their pet go, and of the time immediately following their passing. I always tell them of the moment that I had to put one of my rescue cats’ down a few years ago.

Chi Chi was either abandoned as a very small kitten, or her mother had passed on leaving her to fend for herself. When we found her she was tiny, growth stunted and had lost almost all her fur from flea infestation. Because of her lack of socialisation she was always a timid wee thing but she was loyal. I raised her and she trusted me. A few years on, I had graduated from university, we moved out together, and I had met my future husband. Not all was to be though, and my husband being a trained veterinarian noticed Chi Chi was poorly one morning. He ran some tests and she was diagnosed with a probable thymus tumour as well as feline aids. She had been fully vaccinated however it was likely passed to her at birth. At that point, I was faced with two decisions. Put her through a rigorous and long treatment plan, that may not work. Or I could choose to let her life slip away peacefully and without all the pain and suffering that came with the proposed treatment plan.

In the end it came back to that trust. The trust to make the right decision for her. I decided to let my husband put Chi Chi down that day. We were fortunate yet again though, and we had the choice of home euthanasia which is not always an option for everyone. Being a timid and loved cat, she was most comfortable at home. Somewhere quiet and familiar, surrounded by those who knew and loved her. She was at peace, even before she was put to sleep.

Looking back at that single event always gives me peace. The last thing I could do was give her comfort in her final moments and I am always grateful for that memory.

So why are we offering home euthanasia? Because we know first hand the difference it has made for our pet’s in their final moments and we want you to have that same choice too.