How dare you call yourself an animal lover, yet smacked your cat and are considering having it PUT DOWN because you can't deal with it. A real animal lover would never even consider that, no matter how bad things got, and would deal with the situation appropriately by taking the time to find their pet a good new home that's suitable to their needs.

You shouldn't be owning any kind of pet, if you can't take on the potential responsibilities and issues. Ever.