Seeing a beloved pet cat sleeping with eyes open even when dying can be an unsettling experience for cat owners. You may be wondering if your cat is already gone or still alive and fighting for its life.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: It is normal for dying cats to sleep with eyes open. This occurs due to extreme fatigue, loss of muscle control, or some neurological issues in their final moments.
In this comprehensive article, we will provide detailed insights into why do cats sleep with eyes wide open when dying, what you can do to make them comfortable, determining if they have passed away, how to deal with loss of a pet cat, and much more.
What Causes Dying Cats to Sleep with Eyes Open?
Extreme Weakness and Fatigue
As cats near the end of their lives, they become extremely weak and fatigued. Simple daily activities like lifting their heads, moving around, or controlling their eyelids become difficult or impossible (Source).
This lack of strength means they may no longer have the energy to close their eyes fully when sleeping or resting.
Veterinarians may prescribe medications like steroids to provide a boost of energy, but these only offer temporary relief. Ultimately, the weakness stems from chronic or terminal illnesses that have sapped away the cat’s vitality.
Loss of Muscle Control
Closely related to overall weakness, dying cats often lose muscle control and tone due to their declining health. The muscles around the eyes may slacken or spasm as part of this process, physically preventing the cat from fully closing its eyes.
Conditions like kidney disease, cancer, and diabetes can cause this muscular atrophy. The damage these illnesses inflict overwhelms the body over time. Vets can suggest physiotherapy or acupuncture to provide some relief, but the treatments aim to comfort more than cure at this stage.
Neurological Issues
Finally, neurological problems stemming from old age or disease may also leave a dying cat unable to close its eyes.
Dementia, seizures, tumors, trauma, or mini strokes can all impact nerve functioning. With faulty signals from the brain, the eyelid muscles lose their usual coordination. The cat simply lacks the neurological “wiring” to blink or close up fully.
In the end stage, any combination of the above factors may conspire to cause a cat to sleep with eyes open. There comes a point where medical interventions can’t reverse the tide. Still, cat owners can prioritize gentle handling, favorite foods and affection to soothe a beloved pet to the inevitable end.
How to Provide Comfort to a Dying Cat
Keep Them Warm
As cats near the end of their lives, it’s crucial to keep them warm and comfortable. Their bodies have a harder time regulating temperature, so provide soft, cozy bedding and consider using a heating pad or heated cat bed on low setting.
Keep your home at a comfortable temperature for an elderly or ill kitty. Drafty rooms or cool floors can make them shiver, which takes precious energy away from healing and resting. Gently tuck blankets around your tired friend, monitor the temperature, and give them a soothing pet when you check on them.
Offer Tasty Treats
It can be hard for senior cats or cats with chronic illness to maintain interest in food. But eating is important to help keep their strength up and bodies functioning well. Tempt your pal’s appetite with yummy canned cat food, meat baby food, or high-calorie nutritional gel.
Hand feeding let’s them conserve energy for enjoying their snacks. Place dishes close by so they don’t have to walk far. Elevated stands or slow feeder bowls can make it easier to eat comfortably. Anything you can do to entice them to take in more calories will help support the hard work their body is doing.
Pet and Reassure Them
Even when cats are extremely weak or sleep most of the time, they still crave affection from their human companions. Gentle pets, strokes, and scratches reassure them they are safe and loved. Your tranquil presence nearby is also comforting.
Softly speaking their name and giving positive reinforcement lets them know you are close. Avoid overstimulation though when they seem overly tired. Cradling them in a blanket when you sit by their side or brushing with a very soft brush can nurture the bond you share without taxing their energy.
Saying goodbye is painful, but showering them with affection provides solace for both of you.
Determining When a Cat Has Died
Lack of Breathing and Heartbeat
One of the most obvious signs that a cat has passed away is a complete lack of breathing and heartbeat. Gently place your hand on the cat’s chest to feel for movement. Check for breathing by holding a small mirror close to the cat’s nostrils and mouth to look for condensation.
The absence of breath and heartbeat indicates the cat’s lungs and heart have stopped functioning, which means the cat has died.
Loss of Body Heat
Cats normally maintain a body temperature between 100-102°F. After death, the body begins to cool down until reaching room temperature. Gently touch the cat’s ears, paws, or abdomen. If the body feels cold and rigid, it suggests the cat has been deceased for a while.
The cooler the body, the longer the cat has been passed on. However, do not rely solely on body temperature, as some illnesses may lower it before death. Look for other confirming signs too.
Rigor Mortis Sets In
Rigor mortis refers to the stiffening of the body muscles after death. As the cat’s body dies, stored ATP depletes, causing muscle cells to lose flexibility and lock together in a rigid state. The onset of rigor mortis begins around 3-4 hours after death.
The muscles first stiffen in the face, neck, forelimbs, and chest before progressing down through the hindlimbs and tail. Peak rigor mortis occurs around 12-24 hours after death, after which the muscles gradually relax again over the next 12-24 hours.
If the cat’s body feels very stiff and inflexible, rigor mortis has likely set in, confirming its passing.
Dealing with Loss of a Pet Cat
Give Yourself Time to Grieve
Losing a beloved pet can be extremely painful. After relying on your cat for companionship for so long, coping with their absence leaves an immense void. Give yourself adequate time and space to process the grief rather than bottling up difficult emotions.
While the pain may seem unbearable at first, most pet owners start feeling better after a few weeks or months.
Hold a Farewell Ceremony
To get closure, some pet parents find comfort in holding a private goodbye ceremony with close family and friends. You can share your favorite memories about your cat and what made them so special. This gives a chance for collective grieving and support.
Some also bury their cat with a favorite toy or blanket and recite a meaningful prayer or poem.
Create Memorial Items
Having a lasting memento of your beloved companion can be very comforting. Many pet owners make memory books, photo albums or frames showcasing their cat’s best moments. You can also get jewelry made with a tiny portion of your cat’s hair or have their portrait custom painted.
Planting a tree or bush in your garden to symbolize their spirit living on is also popular.
While nothing can truly fill the void left by a cherished pet, taking the time to grieve properly and commemorate their memory in a meaningful way can help ease the pain. The unconditional love of a cat leaves pawprints on our hearts forever.
When to Seek Veterinary Assistance
If your cat is nearing the end of its life, you may notice some behavioral changes and physical symptoms that indicate declining health. While the natural aging process brings about some of these changes, certain concerning signs warrant contacting your veterinarian right away.
Here are some key reasons to seek prompt veterinary care when your cat is dying:
Difficulty Breathing
Labored, rapid, or open-mouth breathing in a cat can signify respiratory distress. Conditions like pneumonia, fluid buildup around the lungs, or obstructions in the airway can all impair breathing. This is an emergency situation requiring immediate veterinary evaluation.
Treatment may include oxygen therapy, diuretics to reduce fluid, or other medications to ease breathing.
Inappetence
When a cat stops eating and drinking, this is a serious red flag. Dehydration and malnutrition can quickly advance without proper nutrition. Your vet can run tests to determine potential causes like kidney failure, cancer, dental disease, nausea, or other conditions interfering with appetite.
They may recommend assisted feeding, anti-nausea medication, fluid therapy, or other solutions to encourage eating.
Non-responsive to Stimuli
Progressively decreasing interaction and disorientation are expected as a cat declines. However, a cat that cannot be roused or seems completely unaware of its surroundings warrants prompt vet attention.
This extreme lethargy may indicate organs are shutting down, infection, low blood sugar, or other problems requiring medical intervention.
Severe Pain
While some discomfort is normal at life’s end, acute pain that causes crying, panting, aggression, or other dramatic behavior changes is not normal. Pain may signal injuries, blood clots, organ rupture, or other issues a vet can help manage.
They can provide pain relieving medications, anti-inflammatories, or other palliative treatments to keep your cat comfortable.
Seizures
Seizures or convulsions point to neurological abnormalities. Elderly cats may experience seizures due to age-related cognitive decline, stroke, tumors, organ failure, or other complications. Seek prompt veterinary help to determine the cause and optimize treatment which may include anticonvulsant medications.
Sudden Collapse
A cat that suddenly drops while standing or stiffens and falls over could be experiencing a stroke or heart attack among other acute conditions. Timely veterinary care is vital to try to stabilize and determine what occurred. Diagnostic tests and treatment can improve outcomes in an emergency.
Difficulty Urinating
When a cat strains to urinate, produces only small amounts of urine, or stops urinating altogether, this indicates lower urinary tract disease. Causes can include kidney failure, urinary tract infection, urinary stones, cancer, or other conditions.
Veterinary assessment helps identify the issue and relief painful obstruction.
While euthanasia may eventually be advised for a declining cat, urgently needed veterinary care can also help provide comfort, pain relief, and improved quality of life for cats nearing the end. Working closely with your veterinarian provides the best support for your cat and peace of mind for you as a loving owner.
Conclusion
Witnessing a beloved family cat die with eyes wide open can be emotionally and psychologically challenging. Keep in mind that they are extremely weak and battling systemic organ failure in final moments.
Make them warm, comfortable and reassure them with gentle pets. Look out for definitive signs like lack of pulse and breathing to determine when they have passed on. Finally, give yourself adequate time and space to grieve before welcoming another kitty friend.
