Can you put a cat to sleep yourself? What vets advise

No. There is no safe or humane way to put a cat to sleep yourself, and you should never try. The household drugs people search for, including Benadryl, sleeping pills and painkillers, do not bring a quiet death in cats. They cause hours or days of distress, they often fail, and using them can be a crime. Euthanasia is only ever carried out by a veterinarian.

People who search for this usually have one of three problems: the cat is suffering right now, a vet feels out of reach on cost, or they want their cat to die at home and not on a clinic table. Each of those has a real answer, and they are below.

Why you cannot euthanize a cat yourself

When a vet euthanizes a cat, the cat is usually sedated first and is deeply unconscious before its heart stops. The drug that does this is given by injection, is tightly controlled, and is not available to the public. Nothing in a home medicine cabinet does the same job.

Anything an owner could do instead carries a high risk of pain, panic and a slow death, or of a cat that survives with organ damage and then needs emergency care. That is why this article gives no methods and no amounts. There are none that are safe or humane.

Can Benadryl put a cat to sleep?

No. Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is an antihistamine, not an anesthetic. An overdose does not send a cat gently to sleep. Signs reported in pets poisoned by antihistamines include agitation, drooling, vomiting, a racing heart, overheating, tremors and seizures. A cat can go through that for hours and still not die.

Some products sold under the same brand also contain other drugs, such as decongestants, that are dangerous to cats in their own right.

What about sleeping pills, painkillers or other medicines?

The answer is the same. Human sleeping pills and sedatives are unpredictable in cats and can cause agitation, vomiting and distress in place of sleep.

Ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen (paracetamol) and aspirin can seriously harm or kill cats, and the death they cause is not a peaceful one. Acetaminophen damages a cat's red blood cells and liver and leaves it struggling for breath. Anti-inflammatory painkillers cause stomach ulcers and kidney failure that play out over days.

If your cat has already swallowed any human medicine, call your vet, an emergency clinic or an animal poison control line now. Do not wait for signs to appear.

Is it legal to put your own cat down?

It can be a crime. Laws differ by state and by country, but animal cruelty laws apply to owners as well as to strangers, and causing an animal a painful or drawn-out death can be prosecuted. The drugs vets use for euthanasia are controlled substances that the public cannot legally obtain. For the law where you live, ask your vet or your local animal control office.

How to have a cat put to sleep at home

What most people want when they search for this is a death at home, on a familiar blanket, with no car ride. A vet can give your cat that.

In-home euthanasia is offered by house-call vets, by veterinary hospice services and by some regular clinics. The vet comes to you, gives a sedative so your cat falls asleep where it is comfortable, and then gives the final injection. You can hold your cat throughout. Most will also arrange cremation and take your cat with them afterward if you want that.

Ask your regular clinic first, since they may do home visits or know who does. Otherwise search for in-home or mobile veterinary euthanasia in your area. Many services can come within a day or two, and some the same day. A home visit usually costs more than a clinic appointment. For what the visit itself is like, see what happens during pet euthanasia, step by step.

If a home visit is not possible, a clinic can still make it gentle. Ask for the last appointment of the day, a quiet room or a side entrance, and whether the vet can prescribe something to calm your cat before the trip.

If you cannot afford a vet

Cost is the most common reason people look for a way to do this themselves. There are cheaper routes that are still humane.

• Tell your clinic plainly. Ask for a euthanasia-only price. Some clinics will skip the exam fee for a cat they already know, or agree to a payment plan.
• Animal shelters and humane societies. Many offer low-cost euthanasia for owned pets, and some reduce or waive the fee for people in hardship. Call and ask.
• Low-cost and nonprofit clinics. Where they exist, they often charge less than a private practice.
• Payment help. Options include veterinary financing, payment plans, and local pet charities that help with end-of-life costs. A clinic or shelter can tell you which operate near you.
• Aftercare is a separate cost. Communal cremation costs less than private cremation, and burial at home costs nothing where it is allowed. See pet cremation costs and options.

Prices vary a lot by region and by clinic, so ask for the total, including aftercare, before you book. Our guide to how much it costs to put a dog down explains each fee. It is written about dogs, but the same items appear on a cat's bill.

If you are not sure it is time

Old age is not a reason on its own, and neither is a diagnosis. Some cats that look as if they are at the end have something a vet can treat, such as pain, nausea, dehydration or constipation. An exam before you decide is worth it.

To judge how your cat is living day to day, use the quality of life scale for senior cats and read how to know when it is time to say goodbye.

What about letting a cat die naturally at home?

A natural death is often not a peaceful one. It can take days and can involve breathlessness, nausea, thirst and pain that a cat will hide until it cannot. If you want to avoid euthanasia, do it with a vet's support, so that pain and nausea are treated and you have a plan if things turn bad. Our article on the signs a cat is dying of old age describes what to expect.

Keeping your cat comfortable until the appointment

• Give it a warm, quiet place with soft bedding, and a source of warmth it can move away from.
• Put water, food and a low-sided litter box within a few steps of the bed.
• Offer favorite foods, warmed a little so they smell stronger. Do not force food or water.
• Keep it clean and dry. Wipe gently around the face and tail, and brush only if it still enjoys it.
• Handle it as little as it wants. Let it hide, but check on it often.
• Keep the house calm: other pets and children at a distance, lights and noise low.
• Phone the clinic, say your cat is in distress, and ask what the vet can prescribe for pain, nausea or anxiety to cover the days before the appointment.

Do not give any human medicine while you wait. A vet can prescribe pain relief made for cats; the painkillers in your cupboard will make things worse. Cats hide discomfort well, so read our guide to the signs of pain in senior pets if you are unsure what you are seeing.

Call the vet today if

Do not wait for a booked appointment if your cat:

• Is breathing with its mouth open, or with obvious effort.
• Is crying out, or cries when touched or moved.
• Cannot stand, or has suddenly lost the use of its back legs.
• Is having seizures, or has collapsed.
• Is straining in the litter box and passing little or no urine.
• Has not eaten or drunk for a day or more.
• Has swallowed any medicine that was not prescribed for it.

Tell the clinic that you think your cat is suffering and that you are asking about euthanasia. Many clinics will try to fit that in the same day, and emergency clinics see animals at any hour.

This article is general educational information, not veterinary or legal advice. It gives no methods because there is no safe way for an owner to end a cat's life; euthanasia must only be performed by a veterinarian, and you must never attempt it yourself. Decisions about your cat's care and the timing of euthanasia should be made with your veterinarian.