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  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] How to end life of pets
  • Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2008 20:07:57 EST



> > I am interested in your thoughts on what you feel
> is the best way to end the pain and suffering of pets.
>

I would simply add a note of caution against our tendancy toward
anthropromophism. Animals aren't human and what we perceive as suffering
may or may not
be suffering at all from the animal's point of view. This is especially true
of cats.

Whenever we can, we let animals make their own peace with death figuring they
know much more about what they are doing than we do.

Our most beloved cat (and that's saying something!) was eight years old, had
barely overcome a badly broken leg, had suffered through and recovered a bad
mauling, and had always revovered. But finally we found him one morning on a
blale of hay, emaciated and barely breathing. We took him to a vet that I
knew
very well (we played music together) and he said in his best gurney side
manner that the cat was hopeless. He was old, sick, worn out, a burden to
himself, etc. etc. and should be put down. We told him that it wasn't our
way and
the dear old thing could die at home with his family. We took him home and
made
a big bed for him in the bathtub (expiring cats can be messy) and put some
water and food in there out of respect more than anything else. For two days
he
wheezed glassy-eyed, and then on the third day dragged himself over for a
drink of water. Then the next a bite of food. And by week's end he was
purring
and on the mend.

He lived three more years and one of my most treasured photos is that old cat
with all of my children, he dissapeared a few days after the youngest was
born as if he were hanging around for that.

A year later when I was gathering stones for a project, a bit of white showed
through the leaves. And there in a comfy burrow made by a fallen log was a
cat's skeleton, intact, curled up as if it had gone to sleep there as was his
wont, and one of the hind legs clearly bore the swelling on the bone where a
bad break had healed at some time.

We built a cairn over him. It is difficult to imagine what we would have
missed by ushering him out of the world too soon.

Here's to you, Batman! Lived and died on his own terms.



James




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