Hospice and palliative care for cats at the end of life maintains quality of life and dignity in the final days and weeks through targeted symptom management at home.
Veterinary hospice care provides a middle ground between aggressive treatment and immediate euthanasia that serves many cats' welfare better than either extreme. A cat with organ failure who has weeks to live may have good days mixed with difficult ones — hospice care maintains and extends the good days while providing clear guidance for recognizing when the balance has shifted. This approach respects the bond between cat and owner while maintaining the cat's welfare as the central priority. Good hospice includes not just physical care but honest, compassionate guidance for owners through one of the most difficult periods of their relationship with their cat.