I'm so irritated right now...

Question

So my cat had to have emergency surgery today to clear a urinary tract obstruction, he will be in the hospital for the next 3 days at least. The vet bill estimate is low end $700 to high end $1500, well my husband told my in-laws this and they gasped at the cost and told us we could always get another cat! Implying it was a ridiculous amount of money and that my cat is disposable. I'm just sick...the thought to have him put down did not occur to me...and I would have told them I DO HAVE A CAT! His name is Bo, and while his condition was life threatening today...he will recover. Luckily it was my hubby on the phone and not me...I would have had a hard time biting my tongue. And compared to human health care his vet bill is significantly lower, don't they understand vets have to make a living too! It just made me sick that they even thought we would consider that. I would have spent triple if I had to...or more. So...just out of curiosity...what would you have told my in-laws in this case? Or...what's the highest vet bill you have ever had to pay at one time. Our poor fur-babies. :-( With people like my in-laws it makes me wonder how many animals are needlessly put down because of attitudes like that. I told my hubby the next time they call to say they are sick I will suggest maybe it's time to have them put down...my cat is only 7 for gods sake!

Answer 1

I would have been like my cat is a part of the family that's irreplaceable. Its that kind of attitude that gets animals killed. Maybe if u had half a heart u would understand. That's what I would have said I have a cat too his name is thunder and I can't live without him. The highest vet bill total that I paid was for my dog and all together it was atleast 5000 dollars!!! And shes the healthest dog ever now!!

Answer 2

i would say im not going to put down bo because he is part of our family and family members dont do that and if it were there pet how would they feel?

Answer 3

It could be their age and/or upbringing.

Back in the day animals WERE disposable.  You kept them around as long as they were useful/profitable, and did away with them when they started to cost you money or were no longer fit.  (That's how my mom is.  She thinks it's silly to spend money on heartworm prevention.  After all, there are more dogs out there...!)

Farm and ranch folks still have this mentality to a certain extent.

When people freak out about the money I spend on animals (I'm big into rescue, which everyone knows won't make you rich) I tell them that everyone has something they spend their money on.

Some people collect art or antiques.  That ain't cheap.

Some people jump out of perfectly good airplanes with bed sheets tied to their backs and call it fun.  And they pay for the priviledge!

Some people MUST pay to save their beloved pets life.

It's all good.

Answer 4

Well, try not to be upset, even if they were insensitive. To some people, animals are family. If your in-laws aren't animal people, or have a non-animal background, they have a different view, which may make it more difficult for them to show empathy.

Answer 5

It's hard to deal with parents that don't really understand where you are coming from, especially if they don't have pets themselves.

My sister decided she needed to move back in with my parents. She has two dogs and three cats, but my dad is allergic to animals. He suggested that she just give them away. It was heartbreaking for her! And I definitely understand. I'm a cat-mom of two.

Sometimes you just have to accept that people are ignorant of what it's like to be a pet-parent. It's your expense to save your baby, so don't even worry about what they say. Don't let it get to you, because they just don't understand. But that's okay. They don't have to understand. You're being a very good mommy for looking out for Bo, and that's all you need.

Answer 6

Sometimes people don't have the money to pay on a bill like tthat. Right now, my limit would be around $300, maybe more if I found a relative willing to give me a loan.

My dad reacted the same way last year, my cat had an allergic reaction to flea bites and almost died. The vet wanted to run all sorts of test to varfy it was the fleas, totalling close to $500.00, when I told thm I couldn't afford that they only treated him and it cost $130

And if you think it's sick to put down a sick pet you can't afford to fix, look at all the healthy animals being killed at shelters.

Answer 7

i had to pay 700 and sumthing

Answer 8

i would have told your in laws they should respect the fact you are doing the right thing instead of taking the 'easy' way out. (btw thank you for saving your kitty!! hope he gets better fast!) ask them what they would want done if they were in a life-death situation. ''saving lives is not ending a life...'' they also need to understand an animal is not an OBJECT... it is a LIFE. living, breathing, it feels emotions just like humans. its not a toy or an A/C filter... you can't just replace it when it's 'broken' or old.

Answer 9

Well, you're probably not going to like this answer, but I think you're overreacting. The reality is that millions of cats are euthanized every year because there are not enough homes for them (and obviously because a lot of morons don't spay or neuter their pets). So when we pay an ungodly amount of money to save a cat that we are already attached to, we're not really saving an animal (we're just choosing to save a specific animal). And someone could make the argument that spending thousands of dollars on a cat is a little obscene when you consider that many *people* can't afford to get the medical care that they need. In any case, SNL made a joke about this on Weekend Update last year that I thought was pretty funny. I don't remember the exact script, but it was something like:

"A Long Island cat became the first cat in the New York region to undergo surgical hip replacement, at a cost of $5,000. That's just $4,900 more than the more common practice: total cat replacement."

Answer 10

JOC, how did you know he had a urinary tract obstruction?  What were his symptoms before you took him to the vet?

As for your in-laws, I wouldn't say anything.  They're old, and they will not change.  Just try to remember they're not criticizing you to be mean, and it probably comes from a well-intenetioned place.

Answer 11

Hi, sorry about your inlaws.  I agree with everything everyone else has said.  Some people just don't understand what owing a pet is like.

i just wanted to suggest that maybe you should get your cat insured.  I pay just £6.59 a month for my pet insurance.  i don't know what the exchange rate is but I guess that would be around $12-$14.  But if my cat needs vet treatment I only pay the first £40, ($80 approx), the rest is paid by the insurance.

It won't help with this case because they won't insure exsisting conditions, but it could save you loads of money in the future.

Best wishes

Just read you add-on.

d**n insurance companies, they always try and riggle out of it.  Good for you for standing by your responsibilties and taking on older cats.  A lot of people only go for kittens and the older cats get over looked.  Don't let ignorant comments from people who don't understand the importance of pets get you down.