Q. I have a 19-year-old cat to which I am very attached. I know her time will come soon. I don’t want to take her to the vet to be put down because she is terrified of both vets and needles. I would like to give her medication myself that would put her to sleep. My wife and I have prescriptions for Serax and lorazepam. Would either of these work? What dose would I need?
A. Please do not attempt to put your cat to sleep yourself. Cats react quite differently from humans to many medications. The sleeping pills you have on hand could cause your cat needless suffering.
Many veterinarians are willing to make a house call to euthanize an animal they have cared for. That way, your cat will not have the distress of going to the veterinary office, and there will be no risk of her suffering as a result of getting the wrong dose. The veterinarian has the appropriate medication and training to do this humanely.
