Older Cat: Recognizing Decline and Extending Life Book

I did a search on Amazon.com shortly after I put my beloved kitty of nearly 18 years, Cocoa, to sleep this winter. I was sad that the companion I'd had since I was 11 was no longer with me, and I was worried I hadn't made the right decision to put her to sleep. I found this book through that search, and checked it out at my local library.

While the book was on an important topic helpful for cat owners, it wasn't as helpful as I had hoped. It did, thankfully, reaffirm that I did make the right decision to put her down, and that keeping her alive would have only been selfishly motivated by my fear of being without her. However, the cartoonish clip art was distracting, the random quotes in the middle of written passages were awkward, and there were careless typographical errors. Despite the author's disclaimer that it was a self-published book and that there'd likely be errors, books always tend to lose credibility for me if not properly proofread.

The reviews seemed to agree that this was a must-have book for all cat owners, especially those with aging cats. Despite having some helpful advice, the advice I received from a good friend who has worked with animals and their owners for many years was far more helpful than this book. When I was making the decision to put Cocoa down, she told me this:

Make a list of five of the things that your pet likes to do the most. When your pet can no longer do two of these five things either from physical disability or lack of interest, or he/she can only do them with difficulty or great prodding, then it's time to think about letting him/her go.

I hope this advice is helpful for those who are also considering reading this book.