An increasing number of owners today choose to provide hospice care at home for their terminally ill cats as an alternative to premature euthanasia. Under the direction of a cat veterinarian, a hospice team is usually put into place to provide cat parents with educational support and emotional comfort throughout the dying process.
Some cats — cats stricken with certain types of cancer, for instance — only survive a few weeks. Other cats live for several months until a natural death occurs or the cat owner decides to euthanize.
A few cat veterinarians offering end-of-life care are listed below. To find a cat health care provider in your area, do an online search or call nearby animal hospitals to inquire about hospice services.
California
Animal Oncology Consultation Service
Alice Villalobos, DVM
Woodland Hills, Calif.
Phone: (818) 712-0060
Website: pawspice.com
Compassionate Care Cat Hospice
Susan Chew, DVM
Albany, Calif.
Phone: (510) 725-5206
Website: cathospicevet.com
Rainbow Bridge Vet Services
Anthony J. Smith, DVM
Hercules, Calif.
Phone: (510) 381-3389
Website: rainbowbridgevet.com
Colorado
Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital
Fort Collins, Colo.
Phone: (970)297-4143
Website: argusinstitute.colostate.edu/pethospice.htm
Illinois
Compassionate Veterinary Care
Amir Shanan, DVM
Chicago, Ill.
Phone: (773) 327-5024
Website: compassionatevet.com
New York
Lancaster Small Animal Hospital
Kimberly Dusza, DVM
Bowmansville, N.Y.
Phone: (716) 681-3033
Website: lancastersmallanimalhospital.com
North Carolina
Shearer Pet Health Hospital
Tamara S. Shearer, DVM
Sylva, N.C.
Phone: (828) 586-3300
Website: shearerpethealth.com
Pennsylvania
Gentle Journey Veterinary Hospice
Nancy A. Ruffing, DVM
Pittsburgh, Penn.
Phone: (412) 801-1071
Website: gentlejourneyvet.com
South Dakota
Canyon Lake Veterinary Hospital
Serena Heig, DMV
Rapid City, S.D.
Phone: (605) 348-6150
Website: canyonlakevet.com
Washington
Mobile Veterinary Services
Tina Ellenbogen, DVM
Bothell, Wash.
Phone: (425)485-7387
Website: drtinavet.com