$2800+ to possibly save your cat?

[droolie]

A bit about the subject of this story.... He is a five year old black male cat named Manny (after Manny Ramirez). He is a great cat. Absolutely top 1% of felines I've ever been around. Friendly and sociable with everybody, even strangers who walk by our house. He doesn't ruin or furniture and rarely annoys us in any manner. He never bites and is great with our children. He would be very hard to replace with another cat. (BTW we have a 2nd cat that I wouldn't save for $500 but unfortunatley that one is fine)

So last night Manny was looking uncharacteristicaly sluggish and was breathing in a very labored manner. I brought him to the vet ER and they said he had fluid in his chest cavity that was preventing his lungs from being able to expand fully. This type of thing usually happens when a cat gets bitten or scratched by another animal. Manny goes outside all the time so I'm not surprised this happened. They said he would have probably died in the night if I hadn't brough him in when I did.

In order to save him they would have to drain the fluid and keep him on Intensive Care for the 4 days at least. They had to perfrom some surgery, anethesia, IV's the whole 9 yards. He had a good chance of recovery but no garauntees. The minimum is $2800 the upper range $3500.

What do you do? (In my situation I have a wife and kids who would eat mac and cheese for a year to save this cat)

[jimdmcevoy]

[ QUOTE ]
In my situation I have a wife and kids who would eat mac and cheese for a year to save this cat

[/ QUOTE ]

Well then if you have this cash spare you gotta do it, what else you gonna spend it on?

[apd138]

Seriously a plasma tv a upgrade on your next car. I have so much crap and I rarely use any of it, which is why I am now so cheap.

[droolie]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
In my situation I have a wife and kids who would eat mac and cheese for a year to save this cat

[/ QUOTE ]

Well then if you have this cash spare you gotta do it, what else you gonna spend it on?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd have to go into debt as I certainly don't have that kind of money (it would wipe out my current BR and then some). I think I could win and whore my way to paying it off with the next 3 months.

[Lazymeatball]

That's tough. I think what the cat has going for it is that it's only 5, and could go on to live another 5-10 years and the vet seems confident in his recovery (obviously no guarantees.)

It's easy for me to say go ahead and spend the money, as it's not my money, but if you can afford it, I think you will feel better about it afterwards. Also, depending on the clinic, you can sometimes work out a payment plan to break up the huge bill over a period of time.

Also, I'm just curious as to where you brought Manny, as I assume you are in the Boston area from the Ramirez reference and I work at Tuft's which has a 24 hour ICU and ER just outside of Worcester.

[hoyaboy1]

Save it. And I'd also suggest not letting your cats outside.

[Pinga]

[ QUOTE ]
He had a good chance of recovery but no garauntees. The minimum is $2800 the upper range $3500.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ouch. I had two $1000 cats and a three-legged mama kitty. I feel your pain. FWIW, they all passed away within two years of spending the money on them. Glad I'm not in your shoes today.

[ QUOTE ]
What do you do? (In my situation I have a wife and kids who would eat mac and cheese for a year to save this cat)

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not sure how to read this.

a) If you spend $3000, your family will not eat and things will be very bad for you. In this case, have the cat put to sleep; your family is more important.

b) Your family is willing to do anything to save this cat and that is that. Decision made, then, nay?

Best,
Pinga

[droolie]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, I'm just curious as to where you brought Manny, as I assume you are in the Boston area from the Ramirez reference and I work at Tuft's which has a 24 hour ICU and ER just outside of Worcester.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm in Weymouth and we have a VCA 24 hour. There's a no interest 1 year payment plan.

[droolie]

[ QUOTE ]

b) Your family is willing to do anything to save this cat and that is that.

[/ QUOTE ]

[jimdmcevoy]

Well, I guess it depends how much work it would take to earn the money back, and how much losing this cat would affect your family.

This sounds kinda sick but pets dying although very sad for children can also prepare your children for the inevitable death of people they know, kinda a life experience thing.

But hey man, only you can weigh it all up correctly

[Pinga]

Then suck it up and work out a payment plan. You may be able to cut a deal if you mumble about how you have the kids to worry about and that's a lot of cash...

BTW, to the person from Tufts: One of my cats was treated there and it's a great place. I think probably the best anywhere.

[Lazymeatball]

[ QUOTE ]
This sounds kinda sick but pets dying although very sad for children can also prepare your children for the inevitable death of people they know, kinda a life experience thing.


[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with the whole life experience thing, but that doesn't mean you kill the cat just for the experience, this is not a factor here. The kids will get the chance to have their cat die later after a hopefully healthy happy life.

So back to droolie's predicament, the cost will be a financial burden, but it will not put his family in jeopardy in any way. I still say give the cat a chance since this ailment was likely caused by a one time injury and it sounds like the cat would be pretty healthy otherwise.

At work I see alot of cases where people spend way too much money on animals with very litte hope. One time we had a goldfish getting multiple thousand dollar radiation treatments.

[daveymck]

Have it put to sleep and get a new cat.

FFS our pets we love but they are meant to be of benefit to the family, getting into debt scrimping and saving for it is not benfitting your family.

[droolie]

I was actullay wondering what you guys would do in this situation.

-How much would you spend on your cat?

-Who would have the heart to say, "I can't spend that $$ on a cat". What would you say to your wife?

-If you would spend this ($2800-$3500) how high would you cap it? (Let's pretend you had a credit card with a very high limit)


As for me I already ponied up the dough. I have no regrets. It's only money. So I play a lot more poker and my wife has to wait for some cosmetic dental work she had scheduled. Giving up on Manny would be very bad for my soul. It would haunt me forever (albeit in a very small way). I shudder to think what I would have spent and where I would have said, "I can't spend THAT much $$ on a cat" I had to make a decision on the spot and didn't bother asking my wife as I knew what she'd say. (This same cat cost us $1000 two years ago when he fell in a neighbors pool in early spring and nearly froze to death. His internal body temp was below 90 for over an hour. The vets were calling him Miracle Mannny after he recovered fromt that one. After that investment this decision was a lot easier.)

[jimdmcevoy]

In my current situation my cap is $10K, if the cat was young

btw I'm glad you made up your mind and have no regrets

[Alobar]

I didnt read anything other than the subject line

unless you are a rich mofo, the answer is hell no

[shadow29]

I would certainly do it, and good job for doing it. Depending on the age of your kids, you could be there hero (for like a month before Spongebob 2 or whatever comes out).

I'm not sure if I could quantify how much I'd spend, certainly a lot. 10k seems reasonable, but that doesn't mean that I would say no for 10,500.

[Paluka]

We got 2 cats in October, and I can't believe how great they are and how attached both my wife and I have gotten to them. I never thought I'd really care about a pet too much. So I guess I'm saying I'd pay the dough, but I've got the spare money. It is tougher when you don't. But the kids seem like the real difference to me. If it would break their hearts the decision could haunt you. On the other hand, at some point they have to learn some tough lessons in life.

[cnfuzzd]

i think regardless of the decision you come to, you are totally guilty of FPS with this post.

If you decide to save the cat, right on! Pets are more than animals, they are annoying bitches that we cant have sex with.

If not, my condolences, but remember, pets are more than animals, they are annoying bitches that we cant have sex with.

fwiw, this post was entirely in jest as it sounds like youve alrady decided to save the cat. and im a dog person. really, more of a non-pet person.

peace

john nickle

[Homer]

Do it. You can get it back from whoring, especially casino whoring if you've never done that, in no time. Coincidentally, I recently gave my gf about $1K so her cat could have surgery and don't regret it for a second.

-- Good luck, Homer

[Homer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Also, I'm just curious as to where you brought Manny, as I assume you are in the Boston area from the Ramirez reference and I work at Tuft's which has a 24 hour ICU and ER just outside of Worcester.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm in Weymouth and we have a VCA 24 hour. There's a no interest 1 year payment plan.

[/ QUOTE ]

In that case, I think it's an easy yes. I'm sure you can make an extra $250 a month over the next year, be it from a second job, cutting out steak dinners, whoring, whatever.

[Freakin]

Homer,

Is there a decent list that is kept current of best casinos to whore in order? Seems like the best ones always get their T&C changed when everyone finds out about it. I've been looking to get into whoring, but the bw forums aren't the most organized I've seen. Before you answer this, I'll admit that i haven't done much research on teh subject, so it's well within your rights to tell me to stfu & do my own research (and I really won't hold it against you).

Freakin

[Homer]

[ QUOTE ]
Homer,

Is there a decent list that is kept current of best casinos to whore in order? Seems like the best ones always get their T&C changed when everyone finds out about it. I've been looking to get into whoring, but the bw forums aren't the most organized I've seen. Before you answer this, I'll admit that i haven't done much research on teh subject, so it's well within your rights to tell me to stfu & do my own research (and I really won't hold it against you).

Freakin

[/ QUOTE ]

Do your own research. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'm thinking about putting together my own site, something very bare bones. It would be oriented towards brand spanking new casino whores, basically something along the lines of my 'building a bankroll' thread for poker, except for casino whoring. Should I do it? I could probably get something very basic up today or tomorrow if someone would be willing to tell me the easiest way to build a site (preferably some sort of free template).

-- Homer

[astroglide]

man, that's a kick in the nuts. i really feel for you here (possibly a 2+2 first from me). i just don't know how much i trust the quality of surgery from a vet clinic, what i've heard hasn't been really favorable (not in terms of friends' results but opinions of a vet tech). that could be pretty isolated but it does seem that doogie howser wouldn't end up in that racket.

what would his chances be with surgery, sedatives, but no icu treatment?

[[censored]]

I think you made you the right the decision.

[OtisTheMarsupial]

Easy, save the cat.

Then, turn him into an indoor-only cat. They live almost TWICE as long as cats that go outside.

My cap - well, if the vet has a 1 year, no interest payment plan, then I'd cough up practically anything.
Really.
But without payment plan or high limit CC, I guess my cap is in the neighborhood of $3000.

It really depends, though, on the situation. I've had many a cat who didn't survive through expensive surgery.

But, then, when I was a kid, we had a "Manny" exactly! He was all black, the friendliest of friendly, great with kids and other animals, the best cat in the world. And he got hit by a car. The first vet wouldn't even give us a quote and just told us we should get another cat. We got a second opinion - $2000 in surgery as well as extensive home care.

(We had to change his bandages every day, give him pain injections, antibiotic pills, hand feed him human babyfood... The poor cat broke 3 of his legs at the same time along with other major injuries.)

Anyway, he survived the surgeries and went on to live another 10+ years.

-Ot

[droolie]

[ QUOTE ]

what would his chances be with surgery, sedatives, but no icu treatment?

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't ask and they didn't offer it as an option. They made it sound like he would probably die if I brought him home after the initial draining. Basically they said he was in critical condition and that in order to save him they had to put a tube in his chest (surgery) that would better drain the fluid over the course of the next four days or so. They have to flush his chest cavity twice a day and the fluid will continue to need to be drained until the infection is under control. The estimate is based on four days minimum. I doubt they would have put in the tube if they weren't going to do the after care.

[Freakin]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Homer,

Is there a decent list that is kept current of best casinos to whore in order? Seems like the best ones always get their T&C changed when everyone finds out about it. I've been looking to get into whoring, but the bw forums aren't the most organized I've seen. Before you answer this, I'll admit that i haven't done much research on teh subject, so it's well within your rights to tell me to stfu & do my own research (and I really won't hold it against you).

Freakin

[/ QUOTE ]

Do your own research. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'm thinking about putting together my own site, something very bare bones. It would be oriented towards brand spanking new casino whores, basically something along the lines of my 'building a bankroll' thread for poker, except for casino whoring. Should I do it? I could probably get something very basic up today or tomorrow if someone would be willing to tell me the easiest way to build a site (preferably some sort of free template).

-- Homer

[/ QUOTE ]

I definitely think there'd be interest. People like me (scared to cw unless i see a solid stamp of approval) don't really know the best way to get started. I hate going on forums as a total n00b and asking the same type of questions that are commonly asked and pissing off the whole community for filling their forums with garbage. I'm not sure about the best way to build a page (all I've used is frontpage) but I'm sure an open question to the Zoo will get LOADS of support from people willing to help w/ information. I know you're very giving with your time & efforts, but can you set up the site so that you get referral bonuses? I definitely think all your work for the zoo deserves some form of reward. God I sound like a kiss-ass.

B

[Homer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Homer,

Is there a decent list that is kept current of best casinos to whore in order? Seems like the best ones always get their T&C changed when everyone finds out about it. I've been looking to get into whoring, but the bw forums aren't the most organized I've seen. Before you answer this, I'll admit that i haven't done much research on teh subject, so it's well within your rights to tell me to stfu & do my own research (and I really won't hold it against you).

Freakin

[/ QUOTE ]

Do your own research. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'm thinking about putting together my own site, something very bare bones. It would be oriented towards brand spanking new casino whores, basically something along the lines of my 'building a bankroll' thread for poker, except for casino whoring. Should I do it? I could probably get something very basic up today or tomorrow if someone would be willing to tell me the easiest way to build a site (preferably some sort of free template).

-- Homer

[/ QUOTE ]

I definitely think there'd be interest. People like me (scared to cw unless i see a solid stamp of approval) don't really know the best way to get started. I hate going on forums as a total n00b and asking the same type of questions that are commonly asked and pissing off the whole community for filling their forums with garbage. I'm not sure about the best way to build a page (all I've used is frontpage) but I'm sure an open question to the Zoo will get LOADS of support from people willing to help w/ information. I know you're very giving with your time & efforts, but can you set up the site so that you get referral bonuses? I definitely think all your work for the zoo deserves some form of reward. God I sound like a kiss-ass.

B

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd probably setup a few affiliate accounts, but for the most part they are worthless, as most places pay out a percentage of gross revenue which ends up being negative when all you refer is whores. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Freakin]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Homer,

Is there a decent list that is kept current of best casinos to whore in order? Seems like the best ones always get their T&C changed when everyone finds out about it. I've been looking to get into whoring, but the bw forums aren't the most organized I've seen. Before you answer this, I'll admit that i haven't done much research on teh subject, so it's well within your rights to tell me to stfu & do my own research (and I really won't hold it against you).

Freakin

[/ QUOTE ]

Do your own research. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'm thinking about putting together my own site, something very bare bones. It would be oriented towards brand spanking new casino whores, basically something along the lines of my 'building a bankroll' thread for poker, except for casino whoring. Should I do it? I could probably get something very basic up today or tomorrow if someone would be willing to tell me the easiest way to build a site (preferably some sort of free template).

-- Homer

[/ QUOTE ]

I definitely think there'd be interest. People like me (scared to cw unless i see a solid stamp of approval) don't really know the best way to get started. I hate going on forums as a total n00b and asking the same type of questions that are commonly asked and pissing off the whole community for filling their forums with garbage. I'm not sure about the best way to build a page (all I've used is frontpage) but I'm sure an open question to the Zoo will get LOADS of support from people willing to help w/ information. I know you're very giving with your time & efforts, but can you set up the site so that you get referral bonuses? I definitely think all your work for the zoo deserves some form of reward. God I sound like a kiss-ass.

B

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd probably setup a few affiliate accounts, but for the most part they are worthless, as most places pay out a percentage of gross revenue which ends up being negative when all you refer is whores. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Lol, I can see that working against you. Well, I don't think a paypal donation button is at all inappropriate. When someone autoplays as they sleep it makes donating to the guy who enabled them pretty logical.

Freakin

[Matty]

[ QUOTE ]
That's tough. I think what the cat has going for it is that it's only 5, and could go on to live another 5-10 years and the vet seems confident in his recovery (obviously no guarantees.)

[/ QUOTE ]If it were an indoor yes, but an outdoor another 5 years would be very lucky.

To the original poster, if you are gonna spend the money, you really have to make the cat an indoor cat.

[Utah]

I dumped $3k into my 160 pound Newfoundland when he ate 200+ Advils.

You have no choice. My wife would have killed me.

[partygirluk]

Just wondering, can you buy health insurance for a pet?

[Freakin]

[ QUOTE ]
Just wondering, can you buy health insurance for a pet?

[/ QUOTE ]

95% positive that you CAN. I've definitely heard about it before.

B

[partygirluk]

The happiness of your wife and kids should be priceless.

[droolie]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
That's tough. I think what the cat has going for it is that it's only 5, and could go on to live another 5-10 years and the vet seems confident in his recovery (obviously no guarantees.)

[/ QUOTE ]If it were an indoor yes, but an outdoor another 5 years would be very lucky.

To the original poster, if you are gonna spend the money, you really have to make the cat an indoor cat.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think converting Manny to indoors would be quite sad. He loves the outdoors so much I think he would be quite depressed if we never let him out. I think part of the reason he's so calm indoors is that he gets his to express his wild side outdoors. I just have to live with frequent ridiculous vet bills.

I can live with my cats dying younger than they would if they were indoor. It's not like I'm throwing them out the door. They decide they're willing to risk the wild it's their life. If they die young, oh well, they had it good while it lasted. Manny is just lucky he's up to date on his rent payments or he might not be with us today. I swear I wouldn't have done this for our other cat (she's been pissing all over our house lately. Anybody need a cat cheap?)

As George Carlin says, "Life is a succession of pets" Before Manny I had a black cat that was almost exactly the same named Pedro. An awesome cat. I replaced him with Manny and barely noticed the difference. When Manny dies I'll be sad but I'll get another black cat. I'll probably name him Papi or something.

I find many indoor cats to be quite nuerotic and unpleasant and I would rather not have a cat than have one like that. Oh yeah I do have one like that and I won't be that sad when she dies either. That reminds me I haven't let her out lately. Here kitty! Go play in traffic!

[JaBlue]

This is a simple math problem. First, give weighted averages to the chances that the cat dies this year (doesn't survive this ailment), next year, and so on. Find his life expectancy. Then calculate the amount per year you're paying to have the cat. Now decide if the cat is worth that much to you.

Also, according to the original post, the best place to start cutting costs if you intend to save this cat is to stop feeding the second cat that you don't like. Get him a place on a nice family's barn.

[peachy]

Id spend any amount of money to save/help a pet i owned and loved...u cant put a price on them.

My dog had a serious heart murmur when i got her...and the lady was willing to take her back if there were any medical defects with any dogs...but i didnt have the heart to send her back b/c she was abused /images/graemlins/frown.gif and she was so scared and so sweet. Anyways, only 2 doctors in all of GA have the equipment to examine heart problems in dogs. It was extemely costly to just have the TEST (to see how bad the murmur was and if it would affect her massively) and i had to travel some distance, but i never had a 2nd thought about it and never questioned what i was doing or the price it cost

[NLSoldier]

Not being a cat guy (or any kind of of animal for that matter) I gotta say I am pretty shocked by this entire thread.

I cannot imagine paying anywhere near this amount of money to save a pet. How hard is it to just get a new cat? Don't alot of people give them away for free when their cats have unwanted babies. I've gotta think the wife and kids would get over it reasonably fast, especially if they had a replacement. If the kids are really young I would think you could even trick them and use the few days that its "at the vet" to find one that looks similar enough to pretend its the original....any differences could just be attributed to "the surgery"

Whats the lifespan for cats? Aren't they going to have to deal with it dying in a few years anyways?

Like I said, I'm pretty naive about this stuff but I really don't understand how you or the kids or anyone can get $2800 worth of enjoyment out of a cat.

[astroglide]

[ QUOTE ]
How hard is it to just get a new cat?

[/ QUOTE ]

if you're asking questions like that you are never going to understand the situation so don't waste everyone's time

[Randy_Refeld]

I used to think large sums were crazy to spend on pets. Last summer the Vet couldn't figure out why this sore on my dog wasnt' healing so they refered her to a specialist. The specialist charged me $700 to do a bunch of tests and say they didn't know what to do. After that they watned to do exploratory surgery to see what they could find out, but since the sore doesn't seem to bother the dog at all I said no to the surgery. It really kind of gross looking, but the vet concurs that there is no reason to do surgery on that dog.

RR

[Slacker13]

Will the vet let you go on a payment plan? If not then it's a tough call to wipe out the br.

[Homer]

[ QUOTE ]
How hard is it to just get a new cat?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, seriously, that's what I did when my TV broke. How is a cat any different?

[NLSoldier]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
How hard is it to just get a new cat?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, seriously, that's what I did when my TV broke. How is a cat any different?

[/ QUOTE ]

LOL, I guess that comment sounds pretty sarcastic, but I was serious when I wrote it. I honestly do not see how one cat is that much different from another.

Before someone comes and says "So if my kid is sick, should I just let him die and have a new one?" I'd like to say that with people it is obviously completely different and I am all for spending any amount of money to save a human, but I never have understood the obsession with animals. I guess I just have a hard time relating to a creature that has about a 1/100000 the mental capacity of myself.

[astroglide]

so do you 'know your place' when dealing with more genetically gifted (intelligent, beautiful, athletic, etc) humans?

[BradleyT]

If your kids love this cat it's not even a close decision.

[MMMMMM]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess I just have a hard time relating to a creature that has about a 1/100000 the mental capacity of myself.

[/ QUOTE ]

The mental capacities might be closer than you think.

[KingMarc]

I'll send you $15 on Stars if you save the cat.

[peachy]

ill send ya $100 too if u give me an option how...i dont have stars /images/graemlins/frown.gif u shouldnt have to put a cost on such a hard decisions and i know how much lil kids love animals and it sounds like this cat has a speical place in ur heart...i know its not alot...but its something /images/graemlins/frown.gif

good suggestion KING!!

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
What do you do? (In my situation I have a wife and kids who would eat mac and cheese for a year to save this cat)

[/ QUOTE ]

Let the cat die.

http://ditocujo.weblog.com.pt/ficheiros/KevinCarter.jpg

There are better ways to spend $2800-$3500.

Stu

[kdog]

I'm in for $25. I have funds currently at Party, Paradise, PokerRoom and Absolute. Just pick one and PM me your user name there.

[peachy]

O mine r on Party and PokerNow...if these dont work ill figure out something...

[nothumb]

This post kind of made me sad because if my cat needed a 3k operation, I simply do not have it, and probably can't get it.

But my cats are indoor cats. In answer to your post on the subject, I converted a cat from a wild juvenile to an indoor cat, and he is doing great. He had some behavior issues and he really wanted to be active, but since we got him a kitten to play with (all black BTW) he has been very happy. Indoor cats can be very happy animals, they just require different care. I would seriously consider making Manny an indoor cat, or at the very least limiting his time outside somewhat, or trying to 'supervise' (I know that sounds ridiculous).

Cats don't make conscious decisions to be indoor/outdoor, they do whatever you let them. If you let a juvenile cat outside when you live near a major state highway it is at least partially your fault if he gets run over. Obviously ascribing blame to the life of a pet is going to seem ridiculous to some but if you accept the premise that you are responsible for caring for him and that by captivating him you need to provide a good life (which you seem to grasp fully) it is really not a hard thought.

So, anyway, indoor cats can be happy, keep a closer watch on your cat, and good decision.

NT

[MicroBob]

I'm very attached to my little furry monster in my avatar and would spend that much if she required it. Up until a few minutes ago she was resting comfortable in my lap so I was unable to reach the key-board to reply.

Of course, I'm currently in a position where I could actually afford to do so. I wouldn't be too happy about it....but I could make it happen.


sidenote - My sister is a veterinarian in florida.

Obviously she has been with a lot of families going through similar situations.

Or even situations with a 20-year-old dog where it's obvious that it's time to let go.

Very emotional for the family obviously... and going through such situations on a regular basis can be extremely trying on the Vet as well.

no point really....just my own little bit of background.

I know about as much about veterinary medicine as she does about poker but I do that she's had a few tough days in there where she had to euthanize 2 or 3 animals with really upset families, crying kids, etc.

I honestly don't know how she does it. It sounds incredibly difficult to me. But obviously she loves animals and has certainly helped and saved more animals than not.

[Reef]

[ QUOTE ]
I think you made you the right the decision.

[/ QUOTE ]

peace of mind and being able to sleep at night has greater value than $.

[MicroBob]

I'm also in the 'indoor cats can be happy and can be trained' camp.

they obviously won't like it at first.

A screened-porch or something is pretty helpful for some cats.

[NLSoldier]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I guess I just have a hard time relating to a creature that has about a 1/100000 the mental capacity of myself.

[/ QUOTE ]

The mental capacities might be closer than you think.

[/ QUOTE ]

What leads you to believe this?

Are you implying that I am dumb or that cats are smart? Either way you are very wrong.

[FourKing Hell]

[ QUOTE ]
The kids will get the chance to have their cat die later (...)

[/ QUOTE ]

LMAO

[MelK]

I think this was the wrong decision. The cat is not worth the money, although teaching values to the kids is.

So what I would do instead is go to one of those fundraisers for a local kid's medical treatment (bringing your kids along) and make a $100 contribution.

Teach your kids that pets are nice and good, but human beings are more important, and giving to charity is a rewarding experience.

Plus put on a nice funeral for the cat, since you do want your kids to honor their pets too.

[droolie]

The kindness of strangers is a strange and wonderful thing. You guys who offered to pitch in are great! I won't forget it but I also cannot accept. This thread was not intended to become a fund raiser it was more of a way for me to rationalize why I was able to do this so easily when I knew
others would not have. When I had to make the decsion at the vets I choose the 1 year no interest payment plan and I'm sure this will be paid off shortly.

Manny survived his surgery and is recovering nicely and looks to be on track to make a full recovery. If you reread my second post in this thread you will see that this choice was never really a choice for me. I was doing it if I could period. If the price was so high I realistically couldn't afford it I would have let him die after much sadness. I really wonder where I would have capped it. I can't imagine I would have been able to raltionalize spending more than 10K but thankfully I'll never know.

My wife is an animal lover who would probably disagree with some of you who think humans are more important than animals. Our kids are way too young to make dealing with the death of an animal meaningful. That's something that I'd rather not have to explain to my 2.5 year old. For my part I have a special relationship with Manny as well. He is a very cool animal with an extraordinarily "human" personality. He trusts me and I count him as a very close friend. Letting him outside, paying his vet bills are all part of our relationship. When he dies I will be sad but I won't be altering his lifestyle by making him an indoor cat. I know this makes me somewhat irresponsible but I truly believe it's a quality of life issue that I'm comfortable with.

[AEKDBet]

let him wander outside some more. maybe he'll get hit by a car and you can save some money.

[Shajen]

[ QUOTE ]
let him wander outside some more. maybe he'll get hit by a car and you can save some money.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, wow.

All these people saying don't do it are probably:

a) non pet owners

b) assholes

c) never experienced a human/animal relationship beyond the cow flesh sitting on their burgers.

I'd do this in a heartbeat for my cats. I have two, and they're badassed.

[daveymck]

Well I said put to sleep but I do own

2 dogs
1 cat
1 fish
2 Hamsters
2 Rabbits

I have had dogs/pets all my life but again I would not pay $2,800 for one of them even more so if I would have to get into debt to do it, family first for me pets second (we have had a number of pets die and the kids reactions tend not to be as expected).

[MicroBob]

I copied the first post and sent it to my sister (the vet) to see what she thought (is he getting ripped-off?). Here's her reply.


Hey Bob,
If I'm understanding the situation correctly, Yes, it is VERY serious and
VERY expensive to treat. The situation could go either way but if it were
one of my cats I would definitely try to treat them because there is a good
chance that a young, otherwise healthy cat could make a complete recovery.
No, I don't think he's getting ripped off. I know it's insanely expensive
but to treat a pyothorax is very intensive and costly. Let me know what
happens.



So...it would appear that $3k is on the up-and-up...I know nobody else here was really questioning that but I thought it wouldn't be a half-bad idea to get a 2nd opinion.

Had a situation with a cat a few years ago that a local vet mis-diagnosed...called my sis in Florida and she accurately diagnosed the REAL problem without even seeing the cat in question.
Her observation was that "Dr. so-and-so is a nice guy but he's not really a cat specialist and I think he mis-read the symptoms for something that doesn't happen very often in young-male cats. I'm 95% sure he's wrong in his diagnosis and that the REAL problem is this-and-that (etc etc)."

So....remembering this vet that treated our cat incorrectly I thought I'd ask little-sis her opinon of this one.

[droolie]

Thanks for checking but I never really worried about being ripped off. This is a pretty major animal hospital in our area and they were very reasonable when Manny had his $1K debacle in the pool. Before they did anything for him they gave us an itemized estimate. Nothing costs over $200 but it sure adds up quickly. X-rays, IV antibiotics, lab work, 24 hour care of the chest tube, the list goes on and on. The vet was practically in tears when she was giving me the estimate. I think she was fearing I'd say no thanks.

It looks good for Manny right now. They are seeing far less bacteria in his chest fluid and might remove the tube tomorrow. He'll likely be home by the end of the week. We visited him last night and he looks very good and was eating and purring when we were there.

Animals may not be as important as humans but they certainly are more valuable than any material item like a TV or car. They have unique personalities and cannot simply be replaced with an exact replica. When you get one with an outstanding personality you want to do whatever you can for them (short of anything that would actually hurt your families future). It's sad when they die but you just hope it happens quickly and cheaply. Manny has now burned 2 lives up and at the rate he's going he'll use all 9 before all is said and done.

[lu_hawk]

that's very good to hear. to all the people who said that letting the cat die would teach your kids a lesson, i don't get it. what lesson? when i was 14 we had to put the dog that i had spent basically my whole life with to sleep. he was old, we could have tried to treat his condition but it was money that we didn't have, and even if we spent the money it wasn't a sure thing to result in a recovery, and his age meant that even if he did recover he might not have lived much longer anyway. i'm lucky not to have had any members of my immediate family die so this was and still is the worst loss i have had. but it didn't teach me any lessons. i already knew that things died.

[AEKDBet]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
let him wander outside some more. maybe he'll get hit by a car and you can save some money.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, wow.

All these people saying don't do it are probably:

a) non pet owners

b) assholes

c) never experienced a human/animal relationship beyond the cow flesh sitting on their burgers.

I'd do this in a heartbeat for my cats. I have two, and they're badassed.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've had and loved two dogs in my life (1 still alive), and 5 cats.

Different people in different financial situations will make different decisions here, that's all. Ssome will save the cat if they have to sell a kidney.... different strokes for different folks.

[Shajen]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
let him wander outside some more. maybe he'll get hit by a car and you can save some money.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, wow.

All these people saying don't do it are probably:

a) non pet owners

b) assholes

c) never experienced a human/animal relationship beyond the cow flesh sitting on their burgers.

I'd do this in a heartbeat for my cats. I have two, and they're badassed.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've had and loved two dogs in my life (1 still alive), and 5 cats.

Different people in different financial situations will make different decisions here, that's all. Ssome will save the cat if they have to sell a kidney.... different strokes for different folks.

[/ QUOTE ]

For the record, I wasn't citing you only in my comment. There was some harsh shizzz in that thread that as an animal lover I felt pretty disgusted over.

I also realize you were making a funny too /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Lazymeatball]

[ QUOTE ]
Well I said put to sleep but I do own

2 dogs
1 cat
1 fish
2 Hamsters
2 Rabbits

I have had dogs/pets all my life but again I would not pay $2,800 for one of them even more so if I would have to get into debt to do it, family first for me pets second (we have had a number of pets die and the kids reactions tend not to be as expected).

[/ QUOTE ]


Please don't get any more pets in future if you don't plan on paying for their medical costs.

[NLSoldier]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
let him wander outside some more. maybe he'll get hit by a car and you can save some money.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, wow.

All these people saying don't do it are probably:

a) non pet owners

b) assholes

c) never experienced a human/animal relationship beyond the cow flesh sitting on their burgers.

I'd do this in a heartbeat for my cats. I have two, and they're badassed.

[/ QUOTE ]


a) non pet owners:
Yep

c) never experienced a human/animal relationship beyond the cow flesh sitting on their burgers.
Yep

Are you implying that a+c=b?

[Shajen]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
let him wander outside some more. maybe he'll get hit by a car and you can save some money.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, wow.

All these people saying don't do it are probably:

a) non pet owners

b) assholes

c) never experienced a human/animal relationship beyond the cow flesh sitting on their burgers.

I'd do this in a heartbeat for my cats. I have two, and they're badassed.

[/ QUOTE ]


a) non pet owners:
Yep

c) never experienced a human/animal relationship beyond the cow flesh sitting on their burgers.
Yep

Are you implying that a+c=b?

[/ QUOTE ]

correlation is not causation.

/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[3rdEye]

I'd easily pay twice that to save my dog's life.

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
All these people saying don't do it are probably:

a) non pet owners

b) assholes

c) never experienced a human/animal relationship beyond the cow flesh sitting on their burgers.

I'd do this in a heartbeat for my cats. I have two, and they're badassed

[/ QUOTE ]

You have a warped conscience and your priorities are screwed.

Stu

[AEKDBet]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd easily pay twice that to save my dog's life.

[/ QUOTE ]
ditto that

[Shajen]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
All these people saying don't do it are probably:

a) non pet owners

b) assholes

c) never experienced a human/animal relationship beyond the cow flesh sitting on their burgers.

I'd do this in a heartbeat for my cats. I have two, and they're badassed

[/ QUOTE ]

You have a warped conscience and your priorities are screwed.

Stu

[/ QUOTE ]

Do I pay you or the receptionist?

[Stu Pidasso]

If you have an extra $2800 that you would spend on a cat, I know some real people who benefit a whole lot more from that money.

Stu

[XXXXING FISH]

save the cat.
IINEC, DYSW?

[astroglide]

you know multiple people that are going to die in the next few days if they don't get $2800? that's a pretty strange coincidence.

[Shajen]

[ QUOTE ]
If you have an extra $2800 that you would spend on a cat, I know some real people who benefit a whole lot more from that money.

Stu

[/ QUOTE ]

That's fine. My pets give me $2800 worth of companionship and I enjoy being around them. $2800 isn't all that much to me. I also *do* contribute to several charities. I realize you feel I could do more, but it's my perogative. I love my pets man, sorry if you feel I should feel differently.

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
That's fine. My pets give me $2800 worth of companionship and I enjoy being around them. $2800 isn't all that much to me. I also *do* contribute to several charities. I realize you feel I could do more, but it's my perogative. I love my pets man, sorry if you feel I should feel differently.

[/ QUOTE ]

My problem with you is not that you would spend $2800 on your cat, but that you think people who would not are assholes.

Stu

[astroglide]

i don't think somebody's an [censored] if they won't go in the hole for what is a large amount to them. my gf used to be a vet tech though and she said the treatment people refused was absolutely disgusting (e.g. "painkillers for the treatment? $5? just skip that"). she said they'd often end up 'donating' stuff like that though because they would feel too bad about doing certain things without any drugging.

[Six_of_One]

[ QUOTE ]
My problem with you is not that you would spend $2800 on your cat, but that you think people who would not are assholes.

Stu

[/ QUOTE ]

[censored] is not the right word...but, if you're not willing to spend $2800 to save your cat's life, then what's the point of having a cat in the first place?

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
but, if you're not willing to spend $2800 to save your cat's life, then what's the point of having a cat in the first place?


[/ QUOTE ]

Too keep the field mice down.

Stu

[NLSoldier]

[ QUOTE ]
what's the point of having a cat in the first place?


[/ QUOTE ]

[jdl22]

This decision is easy. Save the cat. Money is only money.

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
This decision is easy. Save the cat. Money is only money.

[/ QUOTE ]

He could have saved hundreds of cats with that money.

Stu

[daveymck]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Well I said put to sleep but I do own

2 dogs
1 cat
1 fish
2 Hamsters
2 Rabbits

I have had dogs/pets all my life but again I would not pay $2,800 for one of them even more so if I would have to get into debt to do it, family first for me pets second (we have had a number of pets die and the kids reactions tend not to be as expected).

[/ QUOTE ]


Please don't get any more pets in future if you don't plan on paying for their medical costs.

[/ QUOTE ]

We do pay reasonable medical costs, the two dogs have both come from the pound and when you rehome a dog initially it does cost $200 ish on vets fees cos you want to get them checked over get vaccines etc etc. I still would not pay what the initial poster paid but as with most things its all about opinions.

[standbyhaxor]

there is worse things u could of spent the money on but I don't like the descision you could of used the money for far better things, helping humans for example. But im not going to go saying that I have never poorly spent money.

[Clarkmeister]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This decision is easy. Save the cat. Money is only money.

[/ QUOTE ]

He could have saved hundreds of cats with that money.

Stu

[/ QUOTE ]

That's why it's *his* money.

[tripdad]

you like chinese food?

cheers!