Determine if your cat is dead

Content

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Method 1 of 3: Check for signs of life
Method 2 of 3: Actions when your cat is dead
Method 3 of 3: Help a cat that is sick or dying
Tips
Warnings

It can be difficult to determine if your cat is asleep or has died. He may be curled up or stretched out and look like he is taking a nap when he may have passed away peacefully. How can you recognize this? There are several things that can help you determine if your cat has passed away, such as checking breathing, feeling for a heartbeat, and looking at the eyes. As staggering as it can be to do these things, they can help you know for sure if your cat is dead and start preparing for his funeral or cremation.

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Method 1 of 3: Check for signs of life

Call your cat. Say your cat's name in the normal voice you use when calling for food. A sleeping cat will hear you and wake up, because no cat will pass up the chance to eat. If your cat is dead or very sick, it is unlikely to respond.
- This step will not work if your cat is deaf or hard of hearing. In this case, you can try to keep the food close to your cat so that he can smell it. In other cases, just use the method you normally use to indicate it's dinner time.
Look for signs of breathing. Is your cat's chest moving up and down? Can you see his belly move? Hold a mirror to his nose, if it fogs up, your cat will breathe. If the mirror does not fog up, it is a good indication that your cat is not breathing.
Watch the cat's eyes. A cat's eyes are open after they die, as it requires muscle control to keep them closed. If he has passed away, your cat's pupils will also appear larger than normal.
- Gently touch your cat's eyeball. Make sure to put on disposable gloves before doing this test. If the cat is alive, it should blink when you touch its eyeball. When the cat has died, the eyeball will feel soft instead of firm.
- Check that the pupils are large and rigid. When the cat is dead, the pupils will be large and unresponsive to light. You can check the reactivity of the brain by briefly shining a light in the cat's eye. If the pupils respond, the cat is unconscious, but not dead.
Check the femoral artery. You can check your cat's heart rate by placing two fingers against the groin artery. This is on the inside of the cat's thigh, near its sex. You can feel the best in the natural indentation created by the thigh muscles, in the middle of the leg and along the bone. Put some pressure on that area and wait 15 seconds. If the cat is alive you should feel a pulse.
- Use a watch or clock with a second hand to count the number of strokes in the 15 seconds. Then multiply by 4 to get the number of beats per minute.
- A normal, healthy heart rate for a cat is between 140 and 220 beats per minute.
- Check several times and move your fingers to different ones of the inner thigh. Sometimes it can take a while to detect a heartbeat.
Check for rigor mortis. Rigor mortis, or stiffening of the cat's body, starts about 3 hours after the cat dies. Lift your cat with gloves and feel its body. If it is very stiff, it is a good indication that your cat is dead.
Check your cat's mouth. If your cat's heart has stopped, his tongue and gums will be very pale and no longer have the normal pink color. If you press gently on the gums, the capillaries will not refill with blood. This usually indicates that your cat is dead or will die soon.

Method 2 of 3: Actions when your cat is dead

Call the vet. Once you determine that your cat has passed away, take it to the vet. The vet can support you by confirming that your cat is dead. He may also be able to tell you why the cat died. If you have other cats, knowing the cause can help prevent the spread of infectious diseases to your other cats.
Bury your cat. Once you are certain that your cat has passed away, you can choose to bury your cat. Think about where you'd like to bury him. Do you want to bury him in your own garden? Or in another place that you like? Once you've determined the location, go there with gloves, a shovel, and a crate for your cat. Have a short ceremony in honor of your beloved pet.
- You can also bring stones or a gravestone to mark the location of the grave.
Ask the vet to cremate your cat. Burying a cat is not possible for everyone. In that case, you can ask the vet to have the cat cremated. You can then place the ashes in an urn or other container or spread it out somewhere.
Allow yourself to mourn. Dealing with your cat's death can be very painful. Remember that grieving is normal and healthy and everyone grieves at their own pace. Don't blame yourself for your cat's death. Remind yourself that your cat felt loved and had a good life. Seek support from others when you need it and be on the lookout for signs of depression.

Method 3 of 3: Help a cat that is sick or dying

Resuscitate your cat. If your cat has stopped breathing and / or its heart has stopped, you can resuscitate your cat. CPR can include breathing in air, chest compressions, and abdominal thrusts.
- If the resuscitation is successful and you have brought the cat back to life, you should still take it to the vet right away. Whatever caused your cat to stop breathing can happen again. In addition, the resuscitation itself can also cause injuries.
- It is good to have someone call the vet while you are performing CPR so that he can give advice and know that you are coming.
- Do not perform chest compressions while your cat still has a heart rate.
Take your sick cat to the vet. If possible, take your cat to the vet as soon as you notice that it is sick or dying. This will prevent you from having to perform CPR yourself and ensure your cat is getting the best possible help.
Keep your cat warm. Wrap your sick cat or kitten in warm blankets, T-shirts or towels. It is best to put these warm things in a box or carrier so that the cat can lie in it and be surrounded by warmth. If your cat is a kitten, keeping it alive is very important to regulate its body temperature.
- When wrapping the cat with blankets and towels, make sure you don't cover its head or wrap it too tightly.