Where do cats go to die?

[missspeedy23]

I've always wondered that's all! I know they tend to go away from home to die but I've never known anyone who's found a dead cat in their garden!

[Aotearoa]

Slough.......its no place for the living.

[bensmum]

I have actually - my neighbours cat came in to my garden, curled up under a tree and died. My mum's cat went in to her neighbours garden and died so they seem to prefer getting away from home

[Buenchico]

Most domestic cats are probably 'put to sleep', by their owners, when they seem to be struggling with their infirmities. So they're not found dead anywhere.

I've seen quite a few dead cats in gardens but it's unclear whether they've died of natural causes or whether they've struggled there are being hit by a car.

One of my cats was obviously dying for several weeks but the vet said that he wasn't actually suffering to any great extent, so it would be OK to let him go in his own time. He explored all of his favourite places for a week or two and then, one night, curled up on my knee for what was obviously the last time. (He definitely didn't seek to hide anywhere). I stroked him until the early hours of the morning and then very gently lifted him up and placed him on my warm chair (which was one of his favourite places to curl up) when I went to bed. When I came down in the morning I knew that he's be dead (as he was) but he'd died peacefully, where he was obviously happiest.

Chris

[bensmum]

That's a lovely tale Chris, bless him

[~Wingnut~]

Oh Chris, thats made me cry! Very touching.

[Barmaid]

Chris, that brought a lump to my throat. I nearly lost my old lady last October (she has renal and heart failure). After I brought her home from the vets (I refused to leave her there where she might die alone) I just sat and cuddled her all night. Expected to get up in the morning to dig a grave and she was much recovered. 2 hours ago she had a mad 5 minutes running round the house like a kitten. Clearly the medication is working!!!!!!!

[ruthann58]

oh chris bless you i too have had a couple curl up in their favourite spot and gone to sleep

[noway]

nobby,i really am laughing out loud.u evel

[craft1948]

I find it depends where my dog leaves them.......

[Schutzengel]

My old lady Misty, a smoky blue, would have been 24yrs old on the coming Thursday, but on the Tuesday she went and lay in the sun, in the garden, in her favourite spot under the apple tree, and died in her sleep.

[missspeedy23]

I didn't realise I'd got any replies - silly Answerbank!

Chris - that's such a nice but sad story.

The reason I asked was my mum in law's cat was getting very frail and had stopped going out of the garden and 2 weeks ago just disappeared and hasn't come back, so we're guessing he's gone to the mice in the sky.

I think it's quite sad that some go off to die on their own so it's nice to know that not all of them do.