Oh Mercy . . . cats!
mcmel
306 Posts
Oh, compassionate HR people. . . .
This is how my life generally goes . . . advice needed!
Two years ago we picked up two (outside) cats for my daughters. Last year we adopted two more. During winter two strays became our friends. We now have six outside cats. No problem, we feed them, play with them, they're great.
One was either hit by a car or fell from a tree on Friday; I just found out it has a broken hip, shattered knee and dislocated ankle. (It took us since Friday to catch it).
It's the cutest one of our six, long-haired, so cute, part of the family . . . are you ready? $640 to amputate the leg, plus the appointment this morning already cost $132. #-o
The vet assures me that 3-legged cats can survive just fine outside. x:(
Hubby will be home in two hours. I hope he's in a good mood.
What would you do?
P.S. Cat-haters, please move on to the next message. I can just imagine what your answer is.
This is how my life generally goes . . . advice needed!
Two years ago we picked up two (outside) cats for my daughters. Last year we adopted two more. During winter two strays became our friends. We now have six outside cats. No problem, we feed them, play with them, they're great.
One was either hit by a car or fell from a tree on Friday; I just found out it has a broken hip, shattered knee and dislocated ankle. (It took us since Friday to catch it).
It's the cutest one of our six, long-haired, so cute, part of the family . . . are you ready? $640 to amputate the leg, plus the appointment this morning already cost $132. #-o
The vet assures me that 3-legged cats can survive just fine outside. x:(
Hubby will be home in two hours. I hope he's in a good mood.
What would you do?
P.S. Cat-haters, please move on to the next message. I can just imagine what your answer is.
Comments
I feel the same way. One of my little Yorkshire terriers was ill and he needed an echocardiogram...$450. I didn't bat an eye - I'd have gotten a second job if I had to.
You are so right....they are your responsibility. My guys have seen me through a lot and I will make sure they get what they need to live a happy, healthy life.
Glad to see there are so many animal lovers among us!
And as I recall, McMel revealed earlier this week that she has a second or first "other job" as a makeup executive. Now we know where her next couple of checks will go! And I thought she was taking me to Chicago on that money.
One thing the vet did do for us was wave some of the fees. He wrote it off as training for one of his new people.
I guess by the time you read this - you will already have made your decision. I don't think you should feel bad about whatever decision you make.
I hope the girl accepted your engagement ring!
There was no way I was letting $100+ stray around the neighborhood so he became our 3rd cat! He died last year due to FIV (feline version of HIV).
Spending a total of $775 on this cat was not an option in his eyes, although I would have made monthly payments until dooms day if necessary. I even considered a big fat lie about the $$ and secretly paying the bill myself; I hope I don't end up regretting that I DIDN'T lie. Finally, I had to agree because if this cat wandered on the highway before payments were complete, it would have been tough to live in this house.
My daughters came home from school and I was a blubbering idiot. They took it better than I'm taking it; one of them has renamed one of her stuffed animals after the cat.
At the start of this post, I truly thought we would end up going through with the surgery. This day really sucked. Thanks for your messages and responses. I wish I could say I did the right thing.
I thought I would share this with my Forum friends. This was a letter to our local paper that was written by my better half, I hope I am not violating any Forum rules and if I am James will let me know.
Care for animals
It is heartbreaking to see the number of dogs and cats that end up in our animal shelter. Won't you please get your dog or cat spayed or neutered? It doesn't cost that much and many veterinarians will work with you on payments.
It is the only responsible thing to do to help prevent the number of abandoned and unwanted animals. If you don't have room for more animals or don't want one, would you please donate some money to the animal shelter? It would help pay for transportation to take some of these dogs and cats to other cities to be adopted. A lot of people don't know that our shelter does that, but not all of these animals get that chance, most of them are euthanized.
There are a lot of beautiful and loving animals just going to waste. It is not a lot of trouble to care for an animal and they love you unconditionally for it. Just think of all of the dogs and cats at the pound who are literally dying for someone to love them.
Don't make them be alone in their suffering. Please help these animals. They can't help themselves, and wouldn't even exist if people were responsible enough to care for their own animals by having them spayed or neutered.
If you have a dog or a cat that you don't want, make some effort and do the right thing and find them a home. Don't just wimp out and abandon them at the shelter, as this just adds to the existing problem. This animal loves you regardless of whether or not you're too cold-hearted to admit it or not.
There are some exceptionally adoptable pets that you could be a foster parent to. You can keep the dog or cat for a few days or so until an owner can be found. There are so many ways that you can help. Just call the shelter, they are always happy for volunteers.
So, go adopt an animal or donate some money or time for the truest love you will ever know. Save their lives, they'd do it for you.
One of my indoor cats became diabetic and we had to give him insulin shots daily plus take him once a week for medication through an IV. Luckily, his diabetes reversed and he is fine now. (Cats are the only species that can actually reverse diabetes.) Now he is a healthy 20 lbs. and 14 years old!
GOOD LUCK!
Our oldest cat, I'm sure, sailed with Noah...he, like most of our cats was either abandoned or a shelter cat. Our two youngest are nearing their first birthdays. The bigger one had a stomach abscess after his neutering surgery...which was an enormous bill for us...but, of course, we paid it.
Our theory on treatment for pets is not "whatever it takes"...our oldest dog suffers from hip displaysia, and there is surgery that might be helpful BUT, beyond the expense is the rehabilitation. When humans are hurt or injured and told they must have physical therapy...it will hurt but you will benefit in the long run...we can make that choice for ourselves. Our pets rely on us to make decisions in their best interest, and sometimes, that means making a heartbreaking decision for us. For Jayne, we've decided that while surgery might help, she is nearly 14, old for her breed, and while she does have some pain, with an asprin a day, and mild excersize, she gets around fairly well and is happy. I don't know how happy she would be to be at a vet's clinic for a week...away from home...she may not understand, and she may feel abandoned...and that breaks my heart more than anything.
We try to do what is best for the pet...and walk in their paws a bit...the worst part is never knowing for sure that you made the right choice.
A while back we paid a hefty $1000.00 ( I now think that the clinic was overcharging #0) to cure a urinary block on our cat. There was some hesitation but he is a part of our family.
I also had a cat in my single life who was outdoors. She accompanied me through many moves, including cross country from CA to MA. She was hit by a car and died instantly. If that kind of grief is any indication of what is to come from losing other loved ones I need to develope a steel heart.
It is tough mcmel. My thoughts are with you.
When I talked to the vet further, she commented about the severity of the broken hip and the discomfort the cat would experience even after surgery. She said it is a fair decision to have the cat put to sleep and out of his misery.
Part of me thinks she was just wavering, trying to make me feel better about not going ahead with the surgery. I know in times like that they have to be counselors as much as doctors.
Sorry to hear of your lose mel but you did the right thing by not keeping kitty alive for you but suffering for him.
It is very hard to loose a pet or being put in the position to decide to end thier lives. I may not be too popular after this, but here goes.
I use to work at a vet clinic (vet assistent) I have seen ALL kinds of pet owners from the person who spent 1000s to keep a 18 year old cat alive to someone who had a dog so eaten up with infected wounds that we had to put him to sleep but I couldn't find a vein in his legs due to gangrene.
My response to the pet owners put in the position of having to decide what to do was "Who's benefit are you prolonging this animal's life for, the animal or yours?" An animal can't tell you he/she is hurting etc.
I had a horse - very dear to my husband I that we had to put down last month. He hurt his back 1.5 years ago, was getting better then reinjured himself. He was young - 6 yrs, the vets response - we could do surgery ($3000 - $4000) but I'm not sure if it will help. Or we could drug him with pain killers that would eventually destroy his kidneys.
We thought about it and decided that we couldn't afford it and what kind of life would Titan have. So we put him down and have made peace with ourselves that we did what was best for him.
Is it hard not having him greet us every day when we get home - absolutely! One thing that keeps up going is I have his daughter who is made in his image. We also took some of the money saved and bought a neglected horse.
Tish, thanks for your insights from "the inside" and thank you for buying the neglected horse.
I completely agree with your opinion that many people prolong a pet's life for their own benefit rather than the animal's. Vets and vet techs will affirm this. I had to put down a dog two years ago under extremely painful and complicated circumstances -- too long a story for this venue and too traumatic for me to recount. Money wasn't an issue because I had already spent about $5,000 on him in the last 18 mos. of his young life. Simply put, he was my heart. I've owned and loved many dogs, but I bred and delivered this one, so he was as close as I'll ever come to having a child. While I'm not at all at peace with the circumstances that led up to his death, I'm at peace with his life on earth being over.
Everyone has to make this decision from their own perspective, but from mine, you did the right thing about Titan. They say we'll meet our pets at the rainbow bridge. That sounds kinda sappy to a non-sentimentalist like me, but I sure hope so.
I have many friends that live in cities that at times it seems the vets - small animal - are much more concerned with trying to prolong life with expensive surgeries and treatments.
My concern has always been what is best for the animal.
As for Titan - I had a picture of him and my husband taken out in North Dakota that I enlarged and was going to frame. A very talented friend of mine wrote a wonderful poem about Titan which I incorporated into the picture. Everyone is very touch when they see. It is our memorial to him.