End-of-life decisions for cats require balancing quality of life, humane euthanasia, and owner grief. A welfare-centered approach prioritizes the cat's experience.
End-of-life decisions for cats carry significant emotional weight for owners but must ultimately center on the cat's welfare experience. Common welfare failures include delaying euthanasia beyond the point of acceptable quality of life because of owner grief, and conversely, failing to maximize comfortable life through palliative care before euthanasia is necessary. A welfare-centered approach treats euthanasia as a gift that prevents suffering, not a failure of love or care.