Pet Hospice–Honoring Your Cat’s Last Wishes
Hershey
When It’s Time To Say Goodbye To Your Cat
The cycle of life can be down right heart breaking. After recently losing my precious Hershey after almost 17 years together I can honestly say I have no regrets. He got the best holistic care, I offered him the best food, he enjoyed several family vacations, and he had a pampered life. He was momma’s boy and was happiest when he was being held, sleeping in my lap, or snuggling with me every night. Age finally caught up with him, and his kidneys just wore out. The final week of his life I was able to honor him by letting him pass away on his terms. Thinking about pet hospice care for our beloved kitties is often something most of us probably don’t want to think about because it’s too painful imagining life without them. Rather than wait until the very end of their lives there are things you can do in advance to prepare both you.
My friend and animal communicator for Purrrfectly Holistic, Lori Diebold, and I were having a conversation a few short days after Hershey crossed over. As we spoke she began to pick up his energy and passed along a message to me: it was really important to him that I share the experience of his passing in order to help others who are currently facing or will be facing the painful reality of saying goodbye to their cat.
Holistic Ways To Provide The Best Hospice Support For Your Cat
At the end stage of life it should no longer be about prolonging our kitty’s life for our selfish purposes; it should be about making his final weeks, days, and hours as comfortable and peaceful as possible. There are a number of holistic ways to provide this, and the key to determining exactly what your cat needs is to muscle test!
Color Therapy
Using the gentle power of color can be very soothing or provide your cat the needed joy or encouragement. Blue, green and violet can be very soothing and help with inflammatory conditions due to chronic arthritis or cancer. Yellow can bring a bit of sunshine, warmth or joy. Gold can be helpful for serious illnesses or injuries.
Homeopathy
I was able to use Arnica 30c to help stop blood clots and pain as the anorexia started to manifest into vomiting. Some cats respond well to homeopathy for pain relief. Remedies like Arnica 200c, Aconite 200c, and Traumeel may be good options in lieu of pharmaceutical pain meds. There are many remedies that help ease the dying process and bring comfort including Arsenicum, Rhus Tox, Pulsatilla, and Aconite to name a few.
Crystal Therapy
Crystals are powerful, living sources of energy that can soothe, strengthen, calm, balance and provide healing energy. I put an amethyst stone next to Hershey’s bed for a few days to help calm and relieve any anxiety he was having. Crystals can be placed next to or nearby the animal. If the energy is too strong they will move away from it.
Energy Work
Using intention I was able to offer Hershey energy work the night before he crossed over. As he laid next to me in his bed I sat facing him with open hands and offered energy to comfort and soothe him. He was bathed in love and light, and eventually both Gunner and Aylen even crawled in next to him.
Hershey, Gunner and Aylen
Flower Essences
Flower essences are subtle, gentle ways to bring comfort on an emotional and energetic level. Bach’s Rescue Remedy for pets can be used to calm your cat if she seems anxious or distressed about leaving. Animal Relief Formula is another. It helps your pets during a time of transition. I used some on Hershey and all the other kitties in our home the day he passed. I knew this would help everyone during a time of transition of the feline hierarchy in our home.
Dietary Needs
What you feed your cat will be super important–as long as he’s still wanting to eat. Offering a gently cooked, raw or food grade canned food diet that’s moisture rich will give him the best nutrition. You may notice more and more sensitivity to food, as I did with Hershey in the last couple of months. He also began to eat smaller and smaller portions. For months I gave him kidney supplements mixed with Gerber baby food, along with a phosphorus binder that made the digestion process easier on his kidneys. About 3 weeks before he passed away he just flat out refused any more supplements. It was his way of telling me he didn’t need them anymore. At some point nature will take it’s course–you’re no longer in preservation mode.
Some senior cats will need “warmer” foods like chicken and lamb. Sometimes their bodies do better with a little bit of grains like brown rice for added fiber. Probiotics and digestive enzymes may also be needed to aid digestion and maintain good gut flora.
Animal Communication
This is perhaps one of the most important things you should consider. Wouldn’t you like to know what your kitty is thinking? Are there things you’d like to tell him while he’s still with you? What are his final wishes? How will you “know” when it’s time? Does he want to pass on his own or does he need help? Does he want to be home or taken to a clinic? Some animals will take matters into their own hands if they have access to the outdoors and just disappear or even take their own lives by being hit by a car or drowning. As tragic and heartbreaking as that sounds, they do it because they don’t want you to have to make the tough decision for them. Or perhaps they want their death to be over quickly instead of suffering over months, weeks or even days.
I spoke to Hershey a couple of times before he passed away. In my first conversation he told me he was tired, and also gave me a gift of an image of a beautiful blue and black butterfly. I asked him to give me a sign when he was ready to go. That sign came the next evening when he was clearly starting to shut down. I asked him if he wanted to pass on his own or if he needed help. He clearly was having trouble letting go and I truly think he hated to leave me. I knew in my heart I had to help him and tell him it was ok for him to go. He didn’t need to stay around any longer just for me, and I didn’t want to see him suffer.
I also spoke to him the day he passed away, just a little while before the hospice vet came over, and asked him if there was anything he’d like to tell me. He had a long list! Through tears I wrote it all down. I’m so glad I took the time to sit, be still and listen.
Last Wishes
Hershey wanted to cross over here in his home surrounded by his family, so we reached out to a mobile vet service called Last Wishes. Before the doctor and vet tech arrived that day we had our own little private ceremony so express our love and gratitude for him. We played soft meditation music and lit a candle in his honor. While there was still a sense of sadness in the air, our home was a tranquil, peaceful place. It was such a better experience for all of us, both emotionally and physically, than being in a vet’s office surrounded by strange people, sights, and smells. Even though it was more expensive we have absolutely no regrets.
Hershey’s Message
To our surprise and comfort Hershey informed my husband on Sunday that he would remain in our home for three days before leaving to explore other realms. In the future he would probably return to me, but it was uncertain when that would be. Here’s what he told Rich on Monday when he was meditating:
I haven’t been able to go outside the confines of our home yet because I’m adjusting to my new etheric body. I’m also adjusting to my new surroundings, but please tell mom do not to worry about me. The only thing I miss more than her is the silence I had in my home. I now hear so many voices and howls from animals being displaced from earth through injury or normal circumstances. There’s a benevolent being watching over all the animals here, but I haven’t attempted to meet it yet. I’m not afraid–I’m just keeping my distance and trying to understand why things are as they are now. I’m not sad at all! In fact, I’m mentoring other animals much worse than me. I also met a woman who died of natural causes who was never fond of animals until she met me. She is very lonely and desperate and I felt obliged to help her through her grief from the world she left. Everything I’ve learned is because of mom’s constant, unconditional love. And I’m leaving tomorrow…
In the middle of the night Tuesday we experienced some very unusual circumstances. Gunner and Rocket both came upstairs and began to cry and howl, which they never do at that time of night. There was something in their voices that expressed concern or worry, not hunger. In addition, Lili became very afraid. At first she began to growl. She jumped off the bed and proceeded to vomit twice: on the bedroom floor and in the bathroom next to her litter box. When I got up to clean it I noticed she had also pooped on the floor under the bed, in the cat bed that was on the bedroom floor and in the bathroom next to her litter box. Something had really upset her! As we were discussing it the next morning we both realized what it was: Hershey had left. We think the cats saw him in a transformed state, and they were afraid!
Goodbye is not the end!
Saying goodbye is hard, no matter the circumstances. It’s important to remember that even though your kitty is no longer with you, their passing is not the end! Their beautiful spirit lives on, and you can still communicate with them! Sometimes our cats will return to us in the form of another pet; sometimes they will remain present in spirit as a guardian or guide; and sometimes they will move on to fulfill another purpose in another realm. The most important thing you can do while they are still with you is to love them unconditionally, be present, enjoy every moment, and learn whatever it is they are here to teach you.
If you have used any of these methods for your cat during hospice care please share your experience below so we can all learn from them. If you are interested in learning more about Animal Communication with our provider, Lori, check out our services page.
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