My cat need surgery and i cant afford it??

Question

Last monday i let my cat out to pee and normally she comes back about half an hour later....16 hours later she came home.

She had a huge gash on her leg to the bone. so i rushed her to the vet, they said she was hit by a car and will need an x ray and then surgery. So i agreed to the costs and left her in their care.

She needed stitches, a cast(broken leg) and some medicine. so i took her home. a few days later i noticed her tail doesnt work and she hasnt pee'd or pooped in like 5 days. so i rushed her to the vet and htey want to cut of her tail and coz she cant pee or p**p she needs to go to the vets once a week for the rest of her life to be emptied.

Here's the problem- I have spent $1000 on her already within a week of vet bills and in the next week it will be another $700(for her tail) and then every week for the rest of her life at least $80.

I dont know i have the $$$$$$ for this....what should i do?

Answer 1

My cat was attacked by another cat and needed stitches. Was only 200 bucks so dad sold spare carpet we had lol. The vet is either dodgy or your cat is old. Its hard letting go but eventually you get over it. Best of luck

Answer 2

Aw man, that is very sad.  There comes a time that the best thing for the cat and for you is to say goodbye, and this sounds like one of those situations.  The poor thing doesn't sound like she is gonna make it and maybe the best thing is to end the misery now.

Normally the vet will tell you this before doing any work at all.  

Answer 3

you can see if any vets are cheaper or will let you make payments for the surgery.  the vets should be able to teach you how to empty your cats privates if you are up for it.  also, sometimes there aremedicines that your animal can get that help them to relax for a bit so they go to the bathroom.  or, try an ad in the paper for a vet tech or assistant in your neighborhood to stop by and do it for a few bucks in cash or exchange for a service.  good luck. p.s. just in case there is some leakage and your cat doesn't clean it, keep her "areas" clean or she can get maggots, but if your cat is good physically, other than the tail, this shouldn't be a problem.

Answer 4

well if she cant pee once a week isn't enough-cats can die in just 48 hours from a blocked bladder so that just isn't going to work! sadly it sounds like you dont have a lot of choice-it doesn't sound like her quality of life would be very good but only you can really be the judge of that.

Answer 5

Sometimes most vets will offer a payment system. But.. as hard as it is, you may need to look at putting your cat down. Should look into whether your vet offers a flexible payment system though. You would be surprised.  

Answer 6

I'm so sorry that your cat has had this experience.  That's why my cats are strictly indoor cats.  There is nothing worse than having a cat hit by a car.  If you cannot afford the continuing treatment for your cat, perhaps the best thing to do would be to have her euthanized.  Her quality of life will be very limited if she cannot urinate or defecate on her own.

Answer 7

Hi, I am not sure about feline physiology but I do know that a human would literally die within 10 days if they couldn't pee.

I agree with others that the cats quality of life would be seriously hampered by having to be "drained" each week.

Also, if you really couldn't afford it one week and couldn't take cat to the vets it would then have a very painful death.  Not very cheerful I know but it is something you should be aware of.  And good luck with your decision.

Regards, Mikey.

Edit: I'm not sure what country you are in but here in England we have vets owned by charities that only charge half price which is run by the RSPCA ... I hear the US have the SPCA.

Answer 8

i think you should put your cat down. your cat must have a hard and unhappy life

Answer 9

I'm sorry this has happened to your cat, and you know in your heart that you have to let her go.

Cats are clean animals, they hate to be near their own waste, that's why they bury it.  Your cat is leaking.  Having her emptied every week, well that's just humiliating and you know how cats are.  

When stuff like this happens to humans, we can talk to them and explain what is going on and why.  They can make a decision about whether they accept treatment.  You can't explain to her what is going on.  If you could, I think you know what her choice would be.  By letting her pass on with dignity you are being kind to her.  

Some vets will come to the house to put them down, maybe you could ask around and see if there is one that will do this.  BTW, your vet sounds unethical in suggesting that it is unreasonable to put your cat down.  He is only after your money.

Answer 10

I loved my cat, but after spending $600 on vet bills I pulled the plug. I wouldn't have her put down, instead took her home and stayed with her for 6 hours until she finally quit breathing. You should know when to quit - Cats are not robust in the way that horses or dogs are, and don't respond so well to treatment. You should realise when it is time to let your cat sleep and stop prolonging the pain.

Answer 11

Im really sorry to hear about ur cat but i feel u should put her to sleep... if she's never going to recover. I know its a hard decision to make but ur cat wouldn't like to live like that...

Answer 12

If your cats insides don't work, and the vet says they never will, it will severly affect her quality  of life, and very likely causes her discomfort, if not pain (how would you feel not peeing for a week?).  If this were my cat, I would have her put down out of mercy - cats are not meant to "be emptied" as if they were bits of machinery.  

Yes, you have spent a lot of money on her, but that is behind you now - you have done what you could.  I'm very sorry this happenned.

Answer 13

Hi

Very sorry you are going through this.

A vet not telling you that these problems would exist after the operation and before you brought her home and then telkling you she needs to be emptied 1x a week makesitsound

like he may have botchethe surgery. I would ask him why she cannot p**p or pee and why you weren't notified about this before youdiscovered the probhlem. I wouldthen get a copy of all xrays and records and get a 2nd opinion from another vet.

Is your cat going to not be able to peeorpoopforthe rest of her life? Why? (ask these questions) Why wasn't this addressed during the operation?

If this is just a matter of a reaction and constipation then the problem can be fixed much more simply. If not, 1x a week won't do it

Please start feeding canned instead of dry foods tomake things easier for your cat, Positive vibes your way



Foolish pleasure. .No one needed a lecture from you about indoor outdoor cats at this time.

Answer 14

It sounds like you need to confront your vet about why these problems weren't addressed when you first brought your cat in. Try bringing the cat to a different vet - it could be that the first one is trying to cover his mistake in surgery and that the problem is easier to deal with than he's making it sound. If the only answer really is to empty her bladder at the vet's once a week, I would suggest putting her down. Remember that it isn't the vet's choice, it's yours, and your choice has to be what's best for you and your cat. I can't imagine how miserable she'd be with that quality of life. But it is your decision.

As for funding the medical bills, see what you can sell that's around the house. A yard sale or selling things on Craigslist or Ebay could get you some quick money. If the vet agrees to a payment plan, you could consider picking up extra hours at a temp job, starting a craft and selling the results (although that does require some money to start up), or maybe just paying it off slowly enough that you can pay for it normally. Best of luck! I hope everything turns out alright!

Answer 15

Owww poor puss...

I understand you not being able to afford it.  The vet should have been more sympathetic towards you.

If you have already spent that amount of money, putting her down seems irrelevant, even though she is under sufferance at the moment.

When cats are going through emotional/physical stuff I've noticed they don't poo or wee.

My first cat was given away to me.  She was a lovely cat from the start, but she was really upset after being given away.  She didn't eat anything for weeks.  She drank, but most of the food went to waste even though I left it out.  Eventually she fell over and couldn't walk straight.  I took her to emergency and the vet insisted that she had a brain disease and to have her put down immediately.

I got angry at his attitude so I took her to another vet the next day after paying him $300 to say that.

    The next vet said he would give her an appetite stimulant and a vitamen booster.  That cost me $30.....He was a nice caring vet, with no interest in putting my healthy cat to sleep.  He was outraged about the other vet's responses.

Here my cat is 11 years later - healthy, loving and full of appetite.

She just went through a weird time for a bit.

Maybe your puss will come good?  Just see how she goes.  

My neighbour's cat has been run over twice.  He had a smashed pelvis and broken ribs.  He's gotten better now, but he's just a bit stiffer in his movements.

If you love your cat, don't be quick to put her down.