Research overview: feline hospice and end-of-life care

Hospice and palliative care for cats with terminal or advanced chronic disease focuses on maintaining comfort, managing pain and symptoms, and supporting quality of life when cure is not possible, an area of growing attention in feline medicine. It encompasses pain control, nutritional and hydration support, environmental accommodation, and guidance for owners on recognizing when quality of life has declined to the point of considering euthanasia. This overview synthesizes the palliative-care literature rather than one citation, describing the principles of feline hospice, why comfort-focused care is a legitimate and important goal, and how clinicians support both the cat and the family through end-of-life decisions. It matters because compassionate end-of-life care addresses the welfare of dying cats and the emotional needs of their owners, completing the continuum of geriatric feline medicine.