when you look at your pet..and know that if you were in the same condition you would not want to live. It is then time to be merciful.

Some things they just can't survive. My cat got cat fever and I had to put him down. It was very hard because he was such a great cat and a wonderful friend but I couldn't let him suffer any more. Did you ask a vet?

I wish I knew. My dog is 13 & some days she acts like a puppy then others it's hard for her to walk

This is a personal decision which I cannot really make for you (or any one else). My wife and I have two cats...among other various critters. She is a person who would take things to what I would call an extreme in terms of medical care for our pets. Not that good care is in any way wrong: taking care of your pets is a life-long obligation (either theirs or yours, depending on relative life spans). But I could easily see my wife spending thousands of dollars for medical care ofr all kinds of life threatening conditions that to me would signal the end of a pet's natural life. (Note: I did NOT say the end of a pet's USEFUL life. There is a big difference here.) I grew up in a day and age when a pet who was sick or injured beyond any reasonable expectation or hope of recovery was simply put down. And most often, this was done by the family, NOT a vet. Personally, I'm of the opinion that if I decide a pet is in such a condition, it is MY duty and responsibility to do this. I would not wish to take my pet to a vet/facility to have this done by a stranger (even if it's the vet the pet has known for years). But, times are changing and I may not be able to do this...especially because of my wife's beliefs. Here is a story of the last pet that I know of which was put to sleep by someone I knew (about a year ago). A brother of mine had three dogs. The oldest, a lab, had reached a stage in his old life where he often physically could not move around enough to even take care of his basic sanitary needs...his back legs would just collapse on him. It got worse and worse. My brother would have to physically carry him outside to do his business and then clean him up afterwards. He had to be picked up and put into the car to see the vet because he couldn't even step into the back of the car. He had to be brought to his food and water dishes to eat. And my brother's wife could NOT physically do any of this herself because of a serious medical condition at the time. So they had to make the tough call and chose to have him put to sleep. It was very hard on them to have to do this. "Quality of life" is a vague term which could mean a lot, especially since you gave no real details. (And I'm not asking for them here: I view this as personal and at any rate would not ask you to provide such information in this public forum and invite other people to second guess and ridicule you for your choice because of what THEY perceive as an injustice. It's NOT THEIR BUSINESS.) Because I can do no more for you on this, I can only offer you my support. Whether you choose not to let a pet go and attempt to provide proper care, love, and quality of life or whether you decide to have him put to sleep...either way is going to be extremely painful for you. :(

My mum was way to sentimental about our 21 year old cat, and refused to put it down even though it was suffering hugely... we had many many MANY fights over it. It ended up getting sunstroke after being to weak to move from the sunlight and we found it convulsing, or something, on the deck. It was limp and horrible to see. Only then did she finally call a vet in. So, when your cat is in pain alot and losing weight, etc, that's when.

Let your Vet be your guide.

would you want to be put down

It is time to put down an animal when it no longer gets any enjoyment from life - and that is pretty easy to see.