Could you or have you put down your pet yourself?

[Thebobo]

I know on a farm folks have to put animals down now and then. I am talking specifically about Household pets. I guess mostly Dogs and cats. I was thinking about it and there is just no way I could do it.

 

[jimbob200521]

I honestly don't know...I'd like to think if it came to it I could but then the thought of a loved member of my family (because that's what our pets are) looking back up at me with that sad face looking to me to make them better, to love them, to keep them safe...almost brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it.

 

[BoomerD]

Could I? Yes, as unpleasant as it can be.

Have I? Yes. Several times.

Do I enjoy doing it? Not usually...

If I have to have one put down, I'd rather take them to the vet and have the vet give them a shot...MUCH easier on me than pulling the trigger myself.

 

[IronWing]

We ask the vet to administer the shots so that it is done correctly with minimal suffering for our animals. We have held every animal we have asked that this be done for. Of my nine pets that died in my adult life, three died on their own and six we asked to be put down because they were in the process of dying.

 

[Humpy]

Of course. It's part of the deal.

I take them to the vet if at all possible.

If I had to find a big rock to end suffering I would, it's the only reason I wish I had a gun.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Under ordinary circumstances, no. When Ive had to take care of a dying pet in the past I used a vet so it was done as humanely as possible.

If something came up like my dog being hit by a car, no chance to live, no way to get her to a vet, then probably yes. Wouldn't like doing it, would probably haunt me for the rest of my life, but I hope I'd be able to take care of it.

 

[NetWareHead]

If I really had to, then I would. Only driven by the love I have for my pet and desire to end their suffering. I'm talking about an accident like hit by a vehicle and suffering at the side of the road or something similar. Otherwise Id prefer the death to be administered by a vet through a lethal injection.

I have had to end an animal's suffering on my own. Not a pet but it was a baby bird. Our cat had gotten into the nest and had savaged the poor little thing. Then it lost interest in the bird and just left it to die. Bleeding and broken legs/wings. Parents had flown away and the poor chick was chirping and Im sure it was painfully dying. It killed me to do it and I was on the verge of tears but I had to. I put the bird on a flat shovel and then dropped a heavy flat rock on to it. Instant death. I pushed the remains off the shovel and into the woods.

 

[Rifter]

Have not done it, have 2 cats though one is getting up there in age, If it happened at home that it came to be that they had to be put down id take them to the vet less than 5 min away to get it done. If it was while we were camping and came to be that it had to be done id have my rifle id hate it but id do what i had to, even if i took the picture of it with me to my grave.

And yes i take my cats camping with me

 

[zinfamous]

If I really had to, then I would. Only driven by the love I have for my pet and desire to end their suffering. I'm talking about an accident like hit by a vehicle and suffering at the side of the road or something similar. Otherwise Id prefer the death to be administered by a vet through a lethal injection.

I have had to end an animal's suffering on my own. Not a pet but it was a baby bird. Our cat had gotten into the nest and had savaged the poor little thing. Then it lost interest in the bird and just left it to die. Bleeding and broken legs/wings. Parents had flown away and the poor chick was chirping and Im sure it was painfully dying. It killed me to do it and I was on the verge of tears but I had to. I put the bird on a flat shovel and then dropped a heavy flat rock on to it. Instant death. I pushed the remains off the shovel and into the woods.

I haven't had to end a pet's life, but I did watch my dog get smashed by a car and die rather quickly when I was ~ 8 years old. That sucks.

I've had to kill one baby bird and mice and rats that were savaged by the cat, but for the rodents, this is second nature. i just do a quick cervical dislocation and boom, done. ...pretty much part of my daily job, so such things are wholly removed from conscience, I guess.

The bird was tough, because we watched those parents nest the entire season and because those damn parents nested right at the door, it was tough not to disturb them and even tougher keeping the cat from being interested, the nest being just out of her reach. ...of course, the day those things fledge, and despite trying to keep the cat out of the yard for a week, she rushes out at one point and within minutes, returns with one of the 2 babies squawking and bloody in her mouth. The cat was happy and proud. I wasn't.

 

[MrSquished]

I put my 8 year old cat down this past summer. He had kidney problems. Cost me like 2 grand. He was only 8 years old. It was tough. I still cry about it.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Man, OP, screw you for even asking.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I can be pretty cold, but, I wouldn't do it simply because the woman would never forgive me.

 

[JulesMaximus]

No way. It is hard enough taking them to the vet for the last time. :`(

 

[rh71]

We had a pomeranian and toy dogs are prone to collapsed tracheas where as they age, breathing gets more difficult for them. For a few months he was wheezing and medication helped a bit but in the end it got so bad he didn't even move anymore... just lied there just waiting for the minutes to pass. It was my parents' decision and I was for putting him to sleep but my mom couldn't do it. In the end just a few weeks after seeing the vet again, he basically died alone in a room shortly after I had to leave to go home. Just euthanize if it's better for the pet, please.

 

[Mayne]

It was a common occurrance for my parents to drown a bag of kittens in the bathtub growing up on Manitoulin Island.

 

[Thebobo]

It was a common occurrance for my parents to drown a bag of kittens in the bathtub growing up on Manitoulin Island.

1. Why?
2. Is there some sort of correlation between Manitoulin Island and kitten drowning?
3. Why?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

1. Why?
2. Is there some sort of correlation between Manitoulin Island and kitten drowning?
3. Why?

In the absence of things that eat them, cats will outbreed most of the things they can eat. That's why you spay/neuter them.

In the old days, people just euthanized the kittens instead.

 

[Mayne]

1. Why?
2. Is there some sort of correlation between Manitoulin Island and kitten drowning?
3. Why?

I have no idea...just a thing they did, before I was born.

 

[Red Squirrel]

If I was in a situation where I could not get it done and I felt it needed to, to end suffering I probably could, but I would find it hard. I would really want to come up with a method that is quick and painless, and where it can spend it's last moments in a calm situation. Idealy if I had access to a gun that would be the best method I think. Otherwise some kind of controlled blunt force trauma. Swinging an object is too iffy, can miss etc.

 

[John Connor]

No. And I don't live on a farm so I don't have to worry about that. I did live in North Dakota in farm country so that would be a common thing to do. Living in the city you have access to a vet where they get a simple shot. My friend's dad however who lives in the county shot their dog.

I've killed animals before with a BB gun. I suppose if I had to put down a cat or dog with a 22 I could do it. Better then letting the poor animal suffer.

 

[zinfamous]

It was a common occurrance for my parents to drown a bag of kittens in the bathtub growing up on Manitoulin Island.

none of this surprises me.

And of course, Mayne: this better be the opening line to your Memoir. If it isn't, then I will have to shoot you.

 

[zinfamous]

In the absence of things that eat them, cats will outbreed most of the things they can eat. That's why you spay/neuter them.

In the old days, people just euthanized the kittens instead.

Just visiting a few small villages in Italy, it's pretty clear what kind of hell uncontrolled cat populations can wreak.

 

[Carson Dyle]

In the old days, people just euthanized the kittens instead.

"Euthanized"? They put the whole litter in a gunny sack and threw it in a river.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

"Euthanized"? They put the whole litter in a gunny sack and threw it in a river.

Yes. That's what I said.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I can't imagine killing kittens, just seems like such a horrible thing to do especially using slow and painful death like drowning. It's sadly necessary on farms though or they go out of control. But a gun is much more humane than drowning.