I had an argument last week with someone on a forum I go to about how much money you should spend on your pets. Now this argument was more about vet and medical needs more than everyday needs like food, shelter, toys etc. Although the cost of food and type of food become an issue during this argument as well.
This person I was arguing with PTS (Put to Sleep) a beautiful cat that was less than a year and a half old because of urinary blockages (or crystals).
Many people know that crystals are very common with male cats (especially when they eat a kibble diet, and cheap kibble increases this chance even more). A simple preventative measure is to insure your male cat gets enough fluids, a wet food suplemented diet is the easiest way to do this.
This person, that I will now refer to “S”, told us that she couldn’t get her cat (that we will call “D”) to eat wet food. S would not disprove or deny that she fed cheap kibble either, but her other 2 cats were severally obese, a common side-effect from cheap kibble.
It is my opinion that if she feed D better food (including wet) he would never have been in distress and needed emergency medical attention (and subsquently be PTS). Basically I feel this could have been PREVENTED, and its her FAULT D is dead.
Now, this medical attention that S would not pay for was $500. There was a pretty big chance that it would not work, but a bigger percentage said it would. She didn’t even try.
She claims she loved D and did what she felt was best for him.
I believe 2 things.
- She could have prevented (or drastically delayed) any need for emergency vet attention by feeding D wet food, and good quality kibble.
- She should not have given up so quickly, and tried to save D.
Now I’d like to state for the record that I am not a rich person, but my Moggies are my pseudo children, and if $500 could save them I’d risk that chance (at least once).
Now, I don’t endorse people putting second mortages out on their house to give fido braces or anything – but when you signed that adoption contract you VOWED to take care of that animal in ways that they can’t care for themselves.
S did not do this.
For a little more background S, in chrological order as I recall it.
- Had 4 pets, 1 dog and 3 cats (D and 2 obsese cats)
- Got engaged after dating a man (now called BJ) for 2 month
- D died
- Moved out to new place with BJ. Left obsese cats with grandparents, only took dog.
- Got a kitten.
- Got another kitten.
- Got married
- Adopting another dog
- Joey commented about new dog (its mixed breed, and the breeds are not for an inexperienced owner who doesn’t have time – or money. This is what sparked the whole debate, and I brought up D in my arguments)
- S got pissed off at Joey’s comments.
Now you are up to speed.
So, in the end, the question is – what are you pets WORTH to you? Would you save them if you could?
A few years back one of my brother-in-law’s cats was mauled by his neighbor’s dog. Pins had to inserted into the cat’s hips so that it could walk again. He dropped $1,200 on the surgery. He’s no sentimentalist, and he is tight with his money. But his cats were family members. That’s how I feel about mine too.
I think it could be excusable to forgo expensive treatment if the animal is already close to the end of its life span. I don’t know, though. We gladly shell out bucks to treat a human being who isn’t long for this earth either.
At this point you can get bogged down into a debate as to which kind of life is inherently more valuable — a human’s or an animals’s.
I believe S is a selfish person. That might just be the answer for this situation.
She didn’t have the money to help D live, but mear weeks after his death she could afford to buy not one but two Pet Store kittens (And we all know where THOSE kittens comes from!!!!!) In my calculation, the average pet store kitten is 200-400 so, times that by two and low and behold you have the same (or more) of what D’s treatment would have been.
I do believe that you need to look at each situation case-by-case. A woman on a pet forum I go to just had her dog die from Epilepsy. And it was heart wrenching. She spent thousands to make his quality of life the best she could. Which is amazing. But did that dog suffer inflicted with epliepsy for so long?
I remember the hard decision my parent had putting down our first cat Rosie. She was a mean and tough old thing. She’d gotten outside, and hit by a car.
She was walking around and eating and drinking. But she was 14. We took her to the vet and they said she was bleeding internally, and that we could fix it – and she might live another 1 or 2 years (tops). . . .It was hard but I think given that she’d had such a full life, I believe this was the right thing.
In the instance of D – it was only urinary crystals, and he was less than two years old.
I think S wabted to put money into her wedding, or decorating her new place, or maybe she just wanted kittens again.
Either way, its hard not to think her reasoning was selfish.
I just cant imagine not having my moggies. I will be beside myself with grief when the time comes to say good bye to any of them.
Not to devalue a hard earned dollar, but what is $500 these days? I mean really.
to touch on your point “At this point you can get bogged down into a debate as to which kind of life is inherently more valuable — a human’s or an animals’s.” I think the debate is simply on how you view your pet. . . .are they simply an animal, or are they family?
Family!
ding, ding, ding. . . .that is the correct answer!
Now, we also consider our animals our “kids.” They’re family, no question. And in that vein, I will say that we would go that extra mile for medical care, in most cases. It would depend, I guess, on what the cicumstances are exactly, and what the chances are of things working out well, and what exactly is in the best interest of the pet.
For several years, I had worked in an animal hospital, I can tell you that cases like you described happened every day. Quite often, if it was something easily resolved, but the owner just didn’t want to foot the bill or couldn’t be bothered, we’d have the owner volunteerly sign over ownership of the pet to the hospital. At that point once the pet’s issues were resolved, either it would be adopted by another client, or an employee would fall in love with the animal and end up taking it home.
Too bad something like that didn’t happen in this case. Crystals in the urine can be easily resolved with meds and a special diet, as you mentioned.
~TC
Thank you for the reply, and I’m glad you share my opinion!
As an irony or sorts to continue on this saga . . .
S started two threads this week.
1. About pet insurance, because she is thinking about getting it because she cares so much for her animals. (does she know it costs money EVERY month for insurance??)
2. Started a thread about internet “flaming” obviously to ward me off from replying.
hummmmmm. . . .very interesting. . . .
[...] What about ‘S’ from a previous (rant) entry? She now has 2 dogs and 2 cats, and barely enough money to support her household, and if you read the rant (here: http://joeymoggie.wordpress.com/2006/11/26/how-much-moola-would-you-spend-on-your-moggies/) you know that she has, and might deny vet services. [...]
Sorry for replying late but I can’t help it.
When it comes to my dog, sometimes you cannot afford certain surgeries. Two thousand dollars over a surgery to correct his spine we could not afford but instead we went an alternative route (degenerative disk disease) and found pills and a vet that could treat him. Although we do have to feed him pills everyday, he is happily now walking and running like every other Jack Russell.
But I do believe that unless it comes to desperate situations (such as 20 cats starving in a house that has been abandoned) then it is none of your business. Although it is sad that this cat died and the owner decided not to keep them alive, it was their choice and shouldn’t be held up to scrutiny just because someone else disagrees with their hard decision. I considered putting down my dog, but I didn’t. Although if I did, I wouldn’t appreciate some random person writing a blog about how wrong I was.
I totally respect your opinion. But your decision was very different, you didn’t outright CHOOSE TO DO NOTHING, you chose a more affordable alternative.
You didn’t just let your pet DIE!
We talk about our pets being family. Would you just let your son die? How about your sister? Your husband?
I am not some random person to the person this is written about, in fact, I am certain that person has been here and read this.
I certainly agree that it would depend on the ailment, in this particular case we are talking about COMMON URINARY CRYSTALS. That can be treated fairly easily, S let the problem get bad – and thus – it was going to cost more to fix it. She was IRRESPONSABLE as a pet owner, and heartless to little D.
She talks about loving her pets, but she cast aside D and let him die. Only to REPLACE him in what was weeks after his death. . . . .
I don’t give a rats ass if you don’t think its my business, but this is my blog. My thoughts. My opinions.
But I’m glad you stopped by to offer your thoughts. . . .