Senior cats with chronic disease require regular quality of life assessment and open communication between owners and veterinarians to ensure welfare is maintained and euthanasia is offered at the appropriate time.
Feline end-of-life welfare assessment is challenging because cats mask pain and reduce activity gradually, making welfare deterioration harder to recognise. Regular structured quality of life assessment using validated tools helps owners and vets identify the point at which euthanasia serves the cat's welfare better than continued treatment.