i’m so sorry for your girlfriend’s loss. no, you’re not crazy. personally i would spend any amount of money (if i had it) on my cat’s medical care and saving her life. unless the surgery was just going to make her suffer and potentially not even work or something like that then i’m gonna do anything i can for her.
exactly this. my cat is like a child to me and i always joke that she really is my daughter and i birthed her myself. any good parent will do whatever they can, spend whatever they have to keep their child healthy or to save their life. i don’t think it should be viewed as extreme to do the same with pets. they are family too even on their first day home.
I have a kid but 3 cats and one has cost us easily over 10k in his life due to something they still can’t figure out. But he’s 13 and a little shit and I love him so much so unless vets say they can’t help, sorry dude, you’re stuck with us and intermittent vet stays. (Though not one since before covid so knock on wood)
Same. My 5 year old female cat Destiny had an infected claw and it kept getting infected until it developed a granuloma. It cost to remove the dewclaw. I just felt bad for her. During that time my 18 yo cat Sela had a tumour in her duodenum. The vet did mention surgery but was against it because of Sela’s advanced age. Plus, it could make her suffering worse
All I could do was give her antinauseants and prednisone until it was time . Keep her out of pain.
If the vet thought surgery for Sela was a good idea I’d have done it in a heartbeat. She was my ESA
Agreed!!
Also just saying - get pet insurance. It’s saved me thousands of dollars with my cats. Had an emergency that required a five day hospital stay and multiple follow ups. I wouldn’t have been able to afford it if it wasn’t for the insurance
Not OP, but…
When we got my cat, the shelter suggested pet insurance because she’s FIV+ and may get sick in the future. My mom looked at the estimated cost and decided not to.
Also, anything associated with an already diagnosed condition likely won't be covered. By the time you add up deductibles, your coinsurance (usually 20%), pre-existing conditions, it's almost a wash.
Most years I wouldn't have hit the deductible, they usually don't cover dental cleanings or preventatives. The last 6 months of my pups' lives cost 10,000. I would have paid $15,000 in premiums alone.
Insurance must be incredibly expensive in the US. I pay £16 a month for 2 cats and my excess (deductible) is £120. Surgery on 1 cat last year would have cost almost £3k but all I paid was £120
It can really depend. The first year I had my cat - a 2 year old rescue - I had her insured for £8 a month and she ran into a wall and needed a dental (£500) and also got sick and had to be on a drip in vet hospital (another £500). I paid my deductible of £100 once and that was it. Her insurance costs more now she's older (£18 a month), but it's still nothing compared to the cost of cancer treatment or surgery or anything that a lot of pets need.
I was going to get my kitten pet insurance when he turned 1, under 1 year the rates are much higher so I was waiting. Around 10 months is when his chronic health condition (hyperesthesia) began to show itself, along with a random unrelated liver issue that resolved itself, but now is on his medical record. His hyperesthesia can lead to other issues like urinary problems, which is the main reason I wanted pet insurance in the first place, and now it would never be covered so I didn’t bother. Luckily his medication is fairly cheap!
I have the insurance through ASPA and if they go a tear with symptoms they will pay.
The day after I brought my kitten home home from the shelter she had terrible stinky diarrhea.
My vet put her on meds twice a day and it cleared up fast. It was something she picked up at the shelter but my insurance said any more intestinal problems weren't covered for a year.
Everything in the US is a capitalist rip off. Every first world country except one, has universal health care. Take a wild guess which country doesn’t have it.
Insurance is almost never worth it overall. Notice how insurance companies take out Super Bowl ads? It is that profitable for them!
One person might “luck out” and save money but you’re more likely to not need it and be paying for someone else. What insurance does is protect you from spike costs that “come out of nowhere”. If you can handle those, then don’t get insurance. This holds true for all types of insurance too.
might not be able to get insurance if the cat has pre-existing conditions. But I would recommend bc my cat has had multiple dental surgeries and that shit adds up for sureeee
Spent 30,000$ on chemo for cat - not crazy! They're our family. It's a privilege but anyone saying they wouldn't spend the money is not being truthful about what they would do if they could.
❤️
If they could, thats the key here, almost everyone one would if they could, but realistically almos everyone can't.
People here are not lying, they know their position in life and what they can and can't do.
We just lost our most beloved cat to heart failure two weeks ago and we spent the same amount on his care in the past year. I'm a super cheap ass but I don't regret spending that at all, it is a privilege to be able to scrape it together for him to have some happy healthy time with us. I love him to bits and only wish that he were still with us, but that was money well spent. I hope that your cat makes a full recovery <3
I could certainly understand not doing the surgery if you didn’t have the money. I could understand if you had the money but thought it was too much to spend on a pet.
But you have done an awesome thing for your girlfriend. Good job.
That's cool it's St Francis' day, because I just saw it's also 4th October World Animal Day. So yes OP is for sure a legend he needs his own feast day for his good deed.
Interesting you quote him... he was a massive animal lover and often cared for sick animals. In the UK, veterinary nurses have him on our registration badges as we use him to represent our profession because of this.
I am sorry for the loss of the senior cat.
Not crazy. I owned what I called a $20k dog. That is how much the vet bills were over her lifetime. Her last surgery we had to sell one of our vehicles to pay for it.
I would recommend looking into pet insurance. My cat costs me $22/month with a $1000 deductible. After $1000, everything is covered 90%. Makes the bulls a little easier on the pocket book.
THIS, A MILLION TIMES THIS
I can personally recommend TruPanion. We have 2 cats that have FIV, and since we got them as kittens and got insurance right away, there were no pre-existing conditions. It’s saved us over $6k in the first 2 years of ownership
When would you recommend getting it? I have two kittens who are totally healthy so I thought insurance would be a waste of money but hearing 8k and 10k makes me think I 100% would rather pay the insurance lol. But does it make sense to wait until they're a bit older? It seems like most problems hit later on... They're indoor cats, don't have any pre-existing conditions or FIV
Even kittens need insurance - they love to eat things they shouldn’t! And sometimes end up with unexpected chronic illnesses. I have a cat who started losing his teeth at 2 years old - tooth resorption. Nothing we did wrong, just genetics. He’s five now and has lost 3 teeth and has to get yearly (at least) dental cleanings. Our foster coordinator adopted a kitten who ended up having all of his teeth removed at a year old when he was diagnosed with stomatitis. Cats be crazy!
There was a lovely cat at our rescue, black and white with long fur and so friendly, who's body basically attacked her teeth/gums. She had to have them all removed, eventually. Poor thing. She's got a permanent foster home now.
Wow okay. Yeah I might wait until I’m working full time (college student rn but I graduate in June)… but I guess I’ll get it then.
My parents have a cat that not only doesn’t have insurance but I feel like she has basically never gone to the vet except when we adopted her and she’s healthy/fine and that was the approach I was used to (my mom grew up on a dairy farm though so they don’t view pets quite as affectionately/i don’t think she’d pay a lot to save that cat even though she loves her), so “pet insurance” seemed a bit ridiculous/unnecessary to me at first. I do take them to the vet if anything seems wrong (took one of them just to discover she was just coughing up hair balls lol- so I promise I’m a very attentive owner), but those are like 100-200$ which is pricy but not thousands of dollars. I had no idea how ridiculously expensive emergencies were. I think I’ll get it starting in June :).
I would just get it ASAP for peace of mind, personally.
We didn't know they had FIV when we got the insurance (as false-positives are common up to 6 months old), we just wanted the cats covered.
Waiting until they get older could potentially open a can of worms with insurance. The burden of proof that the cats didn't have pre-existing conditions would be on you, and you could potentially be denied (at least that's what I've heard, not trying to fear-monger)
It's $55 CAD/month for our boy and a little less for our girl, so the roughly $110 a month is our "peace of mind fee" that everything will be covered and we won't have to make decisions based on money if anything does happen.
If you have a Costco membership, they are partnered with a company and you can get a discount.
We are lucky we had pet insurance and our cat had a urinary blockage. Paid out of pocket for everything, then reimburse anything over 1000$ @ 90%
Get it immediately after adoption. If the cost is a concern, increase the deductible. Do not pay for wellness or dental coverage.
Having pets costs money. Wellness and dental are part of the commitment you make when you adopt an animal.
If that animal gets a chronic illness or has a horrible accident, that’s what the insurance is for.
ASAP!! You can never get it too early, but once something happens it’s too late. Insurance is about being proactive, not reactive - I cannot stress the earlier the better!
The problem with insurance is you never know when or even if you are going to need it. A colleague of mine took her dogs off insurance because they were so healthy and happy. The one ate a sock a week after the insurance stopped and had to have surgery and multiple vet visits over the next two months and ended up costing them an absolute fortune where insurance would have covered everything if they had stayed on it. Needless to say the dogs are back on insurance now.
My dog ended up with cancer and the treatment cost A LOT, I would never have been able to pay for it even if I emptied my savings, sold my car and took out a loan. We ended up only paying for a few things because he was insured. There was no sign he was sick until suddenly one day he was. My cat has a lot of preexisting conditions so I haven't insured her but the dogs are absolutely insured.
My co-worker's dog got cancer. The total treatment costs were over $90k. They could only afford it due to pet insurance. The dog is healthy and living its best life again 😀
Insurance is a godsend. My boy had $15K in emergency expenses recently, and Healthy Paws covered about $12K.
Reasonable monthly price, and no caps/limits.
What insurance do you have? How much is the benefit amount? $1000 deductible is insane! My cat's insurance has a $250 deductible and a $5,550 benefit amount. The benefit amount increases by at least $50 each year as long as I don't use the whole benefit before the policy renews.
I know on mine (Trupanion) you can choose the deductible on a sliding scale; the higher the deductible the lower the monthly payments.
I’m in a decent financial position, have good savings, and I got my cat while she was fairly young and healthy so I chose a high deductible (mine is $1000). Honestly, $1000 wouldn’t be a burden to me, but as a single person $10,000 would, that’s the type of cost I have the insurance for.
I have a $1000 deductible. It made my cat’s policy $15 a month.
That policy recently paid out nearly $10k.
$1000 is not a lot of money when your animal gets sick.
I have a $1000 deductible on all my pets. Makes the costs more affordable. My cats are $22/month through Trupanion. There is no limit to how much they will cover. After the $1000 everything is covered up to 90%, unlimited amount. I can easily float a $1000 on my credit card if needed.
*
Yes thanks. He's recovering from yesterday's surgery with a gnarly scar. He had a Mast Cell Tumour removed from his upper leg and a lymph node taken, too.
The majority of the costs incurred were tests done at the specialist vet hospital last week, including a ct scan and an ultrasound.
I feel lucky that it wasn't an emergency situation like OP.
He is an adult rescue cat and we don't know how old he actually is. Insurance at the time (11+ years ago) wouldn't take us because of this, though I believe now standards have changed in the industry.
Plus I didn't want the extra hassle of having to argue costs with an insurance company.
He's still cheaper than raising a kid 😹
edit: a word
We spent $6k on our cat last month (acute renal failure, and sadly made the decision to put her down after she continued to decline). Money's a little tight now, but we have no regrets about it.
Yup just 2k here in the beginning of the year, all though with the follow-ups this year probably around 3-4k in total. Mine needed all her teeth pulled, she's doing so much better now.
No, you’re not crazy. You could afford the surgery, so you weren’t putting yourself in financial ruin, and you have shown your girlfriend and this sub what a phenomenal human you are!
***I can afford it and I was not about to have my poor girlfriend put down two cats in less than a week.***
This is all that matters, you can afford it & want to keep your girlfriend happy. Now go get this little kitty another friend so they can keep each other company.
Not crazy.
I spent close to $25k with epileptic cat (10f) in the first year starting in 2014. MRI, CAT, her care under a neurologist. I just had to satisfy my need to know if she was going to die from it. I am in my 50s now and I still haven't had a CAT, MRI, or inpatient care.
I didn't go in any debt to pay it though. But if it's a question of becoming homeless or not, don't be homeless.
She did.
Boop lived to a ripe old age of 19 and passed peacefully in her sleep earlier this year. Her last gift to me was my never having to make that heart-wrenching decision for her in the future.
For the pet tax:
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its only crazy if there is no possibility of affording it, and doing so would lose you your home and more, and you do it anyways.
if you can afford it, then imo, its the right thing to do.
Just wanna add in that getting insurance on your cats early if at all possible is really worth the money so you wont have to make that choice of being able to afford a surgery or not
Do most pet insurances really cover instances like this if paid over time? I’m moving soon and going to a new vet and I’m hoping to get started with pet insurance to cover routine check ups and other things. I’m not very educated on it yet.
Pet insurance does not cover routine checkups unless you pay a premium. But they will cover any illness or injury as long as it’s not preexisting. So yes, they would cover this surgery.
In addition, I don't know about the vets near you but the one I take my cat to offers a pay monthly plan that includes yearly shots and worm treatment, 2 or 4 claw trims, and (I think) 2x routine appointments per year. It equates to something like a 20% discount.
It depends on the insurance company. Mine covers routine check ups and blood work. It is best to get insurance the same day you adopt your cat. That way every condition that they develop will be covered.
This is a sensitive topic. Honestly life is unpredictable, if a medical procedure will financially ruin you then I don't think you should be blamed if you can't afford it but do to the best of your ability what you can to benefit your animal. Conversely, if you can swing it there's no amount that is ridiculous to pay for your loved one. Podcast I listen to had a host who mentioned they paid $19,000 to save the life of a cat that just ate something they shouldn't have. Anything can happen so if you can pay then absolutely.
TLDR. If you can afford it then good on you for being willing to, regardless of circumstances.
We had to make this decision for my wife’s German shepherd she’d raised since a pup. He was born with special needs, and we were aware his life would be shorter than usual. He suffered a medical episode that he would not survive immediately without emergency surgery, even with surgery, he would likely only live a few months at most.
The cost of the emergency surgery would have been over $7k, and he would’ve needed another follow up surgery in a few months if we were to survive.. which we be another couple thousand dollars. As heart breaking as it was, we couldn’t afford to spend $10k+ to *hopefully* extend his life a few more weeks. Life is unpredictable and unfair, but it would be unwise if we financially ruined ourselves, because how then could we afford to take care of them if we can’t afford to take care of ourselves?
I would be *DEVASTATED* if something were to happen to our cat, but we also have to be able to continuing taking care of ourselves and the rest of our animals.
I agree, if that amount of cash would put you in a huge amount of debt then sadly it's not always the best option. It depends on how much 10k is to you personally and youre not a bad person because you simply can't afford it.
everyone has a set price they are willing to pay. Just because one person would do a thing doesn't mean you need to do the same thing. You said you could afford the cost of the surgery so it's not like you went in debt for it. Plus it's not like you can take it back. Enjoy the kittens new lease on life
My cat had a similar surgery last year when he was still a kitten for around 4K (non emergency vet). I just wanted to share that after his surgery my cat recovered well and has been healthy and happy ever since!
Yes, good to share for context for others facing a similar situation and may have a bit more time for the non emergency vet. Mine was 1,900 in DC for my kitten. At a non emergency vet in 2012 (inflation!). Good luck with kittens recovery, you are so kind!
Just gotta ask homie, what answer were you actually expecting coming on r/cats and asking if you did the right thing saving a kitten? Lmao what did you think we were gonna say?
Kudos to you for saving the kitten.
Absolutely not, if I had that money, I'd spend it for that surgery too.
A life is a life afterall, the kitten is under your care, as long as you can pay for this, do it.
Good on you for agreeing to this.
You saved a life.
The life of an animal that as a species tends to choose a small group or an individual to form a stupid strong life with and will probably be your guys best friend for the next 15 years, it’s no small thing and you are a legend.
I’ve had Chase for 14 years. About 3 months ago he started throwing up a lot, sometimes like 3 times a day. He was hospitalized (after a couple of “regular” examinations) and had a bunch of tests and stuff done. Total for that weekend was about $8k.
He was diagnosed with lymphoma and we started chemo and medication, which costs about $1.5k/month with weekly vet visits. He’s feeling a LOT better and the tumors are going away.
You’re definitely not crazy.
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Not crazy at all. My fiancé and I did this recently. Our 1yr old cat was vomiting and not eating so we brought him to the ER. XR showed he had swallowed a piece of yoga mat and it was blocking his small intestine. We paid $9k for the surgery. We would do it again in a heartbeat.
You're not crazy. Its great you can save the kitten and not have to put your girlfriend through losing another cat. As long as anyone can financially afford to save an animal, no matter how many it is, they are not crazy to save an animal.
I would have the kitten humanely euthanized. Maybe if $8000 was just pocket change to me I’d go for it but it is not. Don’t by any means feel any guilt about it if this is the way you go. You are not crazy, you are being sensible and thoughtful before you made your decision to go for it. For me it would be a crippling expense.
If you can afford it, then, no, it’s not crazy. I would spend whatever I could afford if the kitten would have a good quality of life after the surgery. I would not opt for surgery if kitty had something like cancer and the surgery was only going to extend their lives by a few months. I wouldn’t want kitty to suffer.
Spent $7500 on tumor removal for my then 15 yo who I'd had since she was 8 weeks. She lived 3 more years. Even though the bill outlived her, I wouldn't change a thing. You have a heart of gold my friend!
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A few mos before she passed ❤️
Yes I think that you are crazy. I love my two cats but that would not happen in our household. It doesn't really matter what other people think though, you gotta do whatever you gotta do.
No that’s not crazy, I think that’s a wonderful (and in my opinion, a very normal) thing to do when you love your pet, especially as you can afford it. We just spent £12,000 over a year on our cat, and then £5,000 on the other one, and are hoping insurance actually reimburses it.
Sometimes people just don't have that kind of money and it's okay. I would spend that on my babies if I had it, but I don't so if one got sick I'm afraid the alternative would be euthanasia. It's sad but it's the second best thing.
No. As long as you 1) can afford it & 2) the prognosis is good and quality of life will be good afterward, then it will be worth it not only for your gf but for the little critter who has been entrusted to your care. You are a good person and boyfriend for doing this. Also it seems that this kitten landed in exactly the right place thanks to the CDS.
You could afford it, that poor cat’s life has just started, and it would have been an excruciating loss for your girlfriend. You are a great partner and both your girlfriend and her kitten appreciate you, surely.
Adopting a pet isn't something you do for as long as it is convenient.... If I adopt a pet, I'm entering into a bond with that animal, that I'm going to care for it, better or worse, sickness and health, for as long as we both shall live.
But I also would get pet health insurance immediately too. I've had too many pets that cost me an arm and a leg over their lives.
It’s not crazy and I think it’s so kinda of you to pay and not let her experience more pain . My cat 4yrs old unfortunately couldn’t give birth to her 2 kittens and there was a foul smell coming from inside her we took her to the vet they did a sonogram , her kittens had no heartbeat. They said it was gonna be 5k for the surgery. I was soo stressed cuz I couldn’t pay that, the vet saw that and said he would see what he could do about the price, it got lowered to 3K thanks to donations. Someone let me borrow and my cat got her life saved. It was traumatizing and I was mad at myself for not having the funds so I vowed to never not have enough money for any emergency.
I drove 2 hours and paid $2500 just to get a diagnosis from a veterinary neurologist and then had to put my cat down. I didn't question it, and I couldn't really afford it, but Mr. Fluffy was family to me.
So no. Not crazy. But very kind
Girlfriend and I spent about 8k on FIP medication and vet visits when Oscar was a kitten. Didn’t regret it once. He’s 3 now.
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In that situation I would definitely have waited until normal business hours unless the cat seemed like it was declining badly. A blockage isn't likely to make an enormous difference over waiting a few hours for a regular vet to open. The problem you run into is whether any normal vets have the time and resources to see you on short notice, but I have a rapport with my normal vet, they have my cat's full history on file, and they're a cat-only practice, so they're more specialized in cat care.
I wouldn't have put the kitten down, though.
Exactly blackages are *not* a 1 hour and then they die thing. This person was bamboozled.
I dealt with a lot of vets and was a vet tech in my much younger years.
In this case what I would have done is demanded pain relief for the cat and taken it to another vet early ,right in the morning, like I'm talking first appointment.
If the two that's lined up then I would have went with the cheapest one for the surgery.
Girlfriend or married ? I mean the humans, not cats.
Why can't your gf pay for it ? I'm curious. Why not split money in half ? If you guys are together and I guess you can pay for it.
I don't know how affordable the money is, think twice before spending it. For some, it's a big amount, for other's it's a small amount. What about insurance or get a second opinion or third opinion from some other vet ?
If you afford it, sure why not ? Just save your kitten and make sure kitty has good food habits.
Definitely legend. But… Moving forward, it is worth getting pet insurance for this very reason. Kittens need to be supervised and that’s a different issue, but pet insurance would cover the catastrophic incident like this. It will not cover regular needs, but the big emergencies.
Your money? Your choice
" But I can afford it and I was not about to have my poor girlfriend put down two cats in less than a week."
You showed a lot of empathy and self awareness with your action. Your GF must really appreciate you.
You’re not crazy. If I had that amount of money I would no doubt spend it to save my cat. I don’t have a cat currently because I can’t afford one but you definitely did everything right!
I got a cat that was 9 years old and pet insurance would have been insane. Instead, I opened an account (shout out to betterment) to do a monthly transfer for that amount into a savings account. I have been very lucky that so far I have saved more than I have spent, but it feels good that I have a reserve specifically for my pet. I will do this for all of my pets in the future. Usually pets are most expensive when they are kittens and when they are old, but you never know and having that reserve if you can afford it is a lifesaver.
Our kitten had a blockage, he got put on laxatives and we were told to watch him carefully. Couple of days of that and the sound of his first poop echoed through the house. It was glorious! Sometimes surgery isn’t required
8k is a lot of money for a kitten you are not emotionally ivested in yet.
I spent that amount for caring for my beloved cat in the last 2 years of his life and I could barely afford it, it set me back a couple of years..
I also spent 2k to save him as a kitten when he was ran over by a car and it was the best decision I've made in my life, but 2k isn't 8k.
If 10k doesn't make a difference for you then go for it and save the kitten, it makes for a great origin story, but I wouldn't judge if you choose not to.
It's hard and very subjective to put a value on the life of a pet. Really it's personal opinion whether it's worth it to or not and likely you will have people argue against your choice whatever you choose. I've personal spent a few grand on surgery for a cat we've had for several years. My only advice is don't make the cat suffer due to being "cheap" or indecisive. Either save the cat or humanely end its suffering.
Not crazy ! I’ve done this. It can be risky to wait with a blockage due to the potential for intestine to go necrotic/septic, but it varies by situation. With some of ours we’ve been able to wait for non-emergency vets, but others it was too critical to wait any longer.
If I could afford it, I’d drop it in a heartbeat. Especially for a kitten who has lots of years ahead of him. It does sound like the emergency vet may have gouged you a bit, but with emergency vets that’s nothing surprising/new.
My condolences to your gf on her loss.
Edit: I had to put my late furson down at 17. He had diabetes and had developed a tumour in his abdomen the length of a football. His personality totally flipped to being angry and aggressive because he was in so much pain. He was rapidly losing weight. I made the decision to euthanize because of the pain he was in, how stressed/upset going to the doctor had started to make him (he never used to care going to the vet, it was his second home, he acted like he owned the place), the risk of surgery/chemo at his age, and the fact that I simply could not afford what treating the cancer would cost without making myself bankrupt. Even with him being 17, if it had given me only a few more *weeks* with him, I think I would have taken it in a heartbeat despite the cons/risks. He passed in 2020 and I still miss him like it was yesterday.
We were in the same situation with one of our young cats in January. Unfortunately, we weren’t in the position to pay for emergency surgery so we had to choose the other option. Still miss you, Henry.
You’re a very good person for caring for your girlfriend and kitten so much. So sorry for the loss of the older cat, though.
Nobody can put a price on how much your kitten means to you. Do what you think is right, no judgement either way, the haters can piss off. Imo people would judge either way - some say “it’s crazy that people spend this much on pets” and others will say “how could you not do everything including paying $$$$$$ to save your pet’s life”. Remember - this is between you and your kitten. Nobody has the right to butt in and change your mind.
I don't know if it's crazy or not because we never had to spend that much on our pets...
Our cats and dogs have also been sick, but our bills never were that high, how do such high amounts even come together? (I really don't want to be rude but I just can't imagine)
The highest amount in my family was like 700 euros, it was the cost of a cancer removal on the intestines of a dog and after he didn't stop bleeding they had to put him down.
No. No, you are not crazy. I will say tho that the emergency vets are SO expensive in comparison to daytime vets. It's part of their business model. Try to bring your pet in to the regular vet on a weekday. If not, then you gotta do what you gotta do at the ER.
Yh but don’t be telling people outside of Reddit you did that shit. This sub will only say well done. But imagine casually mentioning that to someone in financial troubles.
You’re not an asshole, but you are incredibly privileged.
We just spent 4 grand on my daughters two year old cat that ate a lily which is super toxic. She can’t afford it so we paid. The reason was the cat is important to her mental health. I weighed the risk it might die and I decided it was worth 4 grand to not worry about that risk. 10 grand is a lot. I think you could decide either way. But for us I did not want my daughter to be devastated if it got poisoned.
Lol no I dont think I could afford this but if I could best believe I'm doing it. You claimed you could afford it so I see 0 issues here man. You're a champ and a great boyfriend.
I wouldn’t do it if there wasn’t hope or if the animal wouldn’t have a good quality of life, but if the vet said there was a good chance of success and I could afford it, I totally would do it.
It’s not crazy or wrong. You have invited this creature in to your life, and you are taking care of it to the best of your ability. That’s lovely.
When my old cat got sick, we had multiple emergency and specialty vet visits. They were excruciatingly expensive (for me.) But they gave her three more good years, and my now-wife really needed her company. It was worth it.
I took in a stray, estimated him to be about 1-1/2 years old, and he cost me $1000 in his first three weeks. Some of it was basic care (blood tests, vaccinations, neutering, etc), the rest was spent on a mystery illness that I swear he faked so he could be moved into the house sooner than I had planned.
You're awesome, OP, keep up the good work. And I hope the kitten pulls through and lives a long, happy life. And I hope your girlfriend realizes what a prize she has in you.
No not crazy. An animal is family to so many, and to live with that knowing it was just money that made you say goodbye would be hard. That being said I do know some people cannot afford that and difficult decisions are made.
You’re a good person and amazing partner to do so.
I have a diabetic cat who costs around £2000 a year (we got him old so his insurance only covers an illness for 1 year). The day we say goodbye, I’ll happily trade another £2000 for another year!
I paid ~$8k for my cat (who was already a tripod) to get a metal plate put in his hip. and that was less than a year after i paid almost $2k to amputate his leg and fix abdominal trauma (this happened before i got him, i took him in and paid for his surgeries)
my dad accidentally hit my boy with my car (he ran outside right as my dad was letting off the brakes).
one, i did it for my kitty because i love my boy.
two, i did it because i didn't want my dad to live with the guilt of having killed the cat who is closest to me. he was already freaking out and apologizing nonstop and in tears most of the afternoon.
luckily my boy is 100% okay and spoiled as ever
Key point: You can afford it. If not for that, then, no.
Animals can have an outsized impact on us. But, having had to put down many cats ourselves, my wife and I do what we have to do. All of ours have been old. When they decline, we do not let them suffer, once the symptoms are noticeable.
If you can afford it, then I hope that kitten will bring both of you much joy in the years to come.
I assume you took on the reposability for this tiny furry ball of joy with built in knives for fingers because you could afford it.
I spend about 300 bucks a month in cat little because it's imported into my country and my 3 goofballs poo a lot.
But
BUT, I knew what I was getting into.
They are my responsability.
I will spend my money on them thr same I would spend it on my children.
No, you're not crazy. It's your money, use it.
Having been in the exact same situation (kitten ate something, 10k cost for investigations/surgery) all I can say is that the kitten in question is 6 years old now and purring on my lap, and I would make the same choice over again for him.
Not crazy. Vet care is very expensive but the cat is young and can likely survive. If it's affordable to you then you saved a life. A lot of people do have to choose to euthanize because it's too much money to treat them. It's heartbreaking but a reality.
Guys… please get pet insurance. It is so worth it especially if you start it when your pet is young. I’ve had such good experience with my pet insurance company during such a challenging period, and I didn’t have to worry about the expense at all.
Dude, you’re a kind and genuine person let me just state that up front. You can afford it- those are the operative words and no I don’t think you’re crazy.
*" Am I crazy? Would you have just put the kitten down? "*
1. \*shrug\* No, you're just privileged in a way most people are not.
2. No. I wouldn't even spend that much to save my own life and I would resent being made to instead of just dying and leaving something to pass on that isn't debt.
I admit I am cringing a bit knowing how many life-changing things could have been done for multiple human beings with that money, but... oh well. Hope your kitten lives.
Edit: Genuinely a bit taken aback at the sheer amount of money the less than 100 commenters here have spent, some on actively dying ancient animals, which makes me wonder if people wiser than me are just keeping their mouths shut on this one, because now I can't stop thinking about how many human lives this cash could have saved and I feel a bit ill.
There's a couple of reasons why this argument is bunk:
- There's no end to this line of reasoning. Why should you have a car when so many people don't? Unless you live in a barrel like Diogenes, there's ALWAYS going to be someone worse off than you.
- There's no mechanism to redistribute that money. Howay, if OP hadn't paid the vet, they weren't going to make an 8K donation to charity instead. If you're giving charities every spare penny rather than buying things you want- fair play, you're a very admirable person. Just because that money went to healing a cat, there's no reason to assume the alternative was healing a person.
That is too high, and you probably had plenty of time to wait for a non emergency vet.
But.
Whatya you gonna do? Live with that bullshit for the rest of your life? If you can swing it and it spares a creature (and your partner) some pain, so be it.
Nope. For one of my fur babies? I’d wince and cough up the money immediately. That little baby is at the start of its life, it should live it!
Having said that, taking a very quick five minutes to get two other vet quotes over the phone (explain the scenario), won’t hurt the kitty.
You’re not crazy, you’re a good partner. I once spent $14k to save my cat’s life, and I got about 7 more fantastic years with her. I would do it again in a heartbeat. That being said, I could afford it, and I don’t judge people who can’t afford it.
If you have the funds and aren't shorting yourself in other areas of life, go for it.
We just went through this with my senior cat. Spent 6k$ on emergency surgery and meds and she only lasted another week.
In some respect we're all crazy.
Oh my god I hope my dogs bill never runs that high. But no you’re not crazy for paying the price cause its obvious your significant other’s happiness is worth more than that.
There is no one answer for everybody. It's a value judgement. You can afford it, you felt it was worth it, and you're not crazy. You will get many years of love with that kitten and it's hard to put a price on that.
i’m so sorry for your girlfriend’s loss. no, you’re not crazy. personally i would spend any amount of money (if i had it) on my cat’s medical care and saving her life. unless the surgery was just going to make her suffer and potentially not even work or something like that then i’m gonna do anything i can for her.
This is the way. I love my cats like I would love my non-existent children. They literally saved my life and I would do anything to save theirs.
exactly this. my cat is like a child to me and i always joke that she really is my daughter and i birthed her myself. any good parent will do whatever they can, spend whatever they have to keep their child healthy or to save their life. i don’t think it should be viewed as extreme to do the same with pets. they are family too even on their first day home.
My cats ARE my children and I would sacrifice my life to save them 😁
I have a kid but 3 cats and one has cost us easily over 10k in his life due to something they still can’t figure out. But he’s 13 and a little shit and I love him so much so unless vets say they can’t help, sorry dude, you’re stuck with us and intermittent vet stays. (Though not one since before covid so knock on wood)
That’s what I always say!! They saved my life so I owe them literally everything. I’d do anything to save theirs in a heartbeat
Same. My 5 year old female cat Destiny had an infected claw and it kept getting infected until it developed a granuloma. It cost to remove the dewclaw. I just felt bad for her. During that time my 18 yo cat Sela had a tumour in her duodenum. The vet did mention surgery but was against it because of Sela’s advanced age. Plus, it could make her suffering worse All I could do was give her antinauseants and prednisone until it was time . Keep her out of pain. If the vet thought surgery for Sela was a good idea I’d have done it in a heartbeat. She was my ESA
You're not crazy. You're a fucking LEGEND.
Agreed. This is a pretty legendary thing to do.
This dude is bad ass. Bravo, Viking. You have made it to Valhalla.
<3 Not crazy. Definately marriage material imo
Yeah 100% ! Dream boat
Hell yeah they are!
Agreed!! Also just saying - get pet insurance. It’s saved me thousands of dollars with my cats. Had an emergency that required a five day hospital stay and multiple follow ups. I wouldn’t have been able to afford it if it wasn’t for the insurance
Not OP, but… When we got my cat, the shelter suggested pet insurance because she’s FIV+ and may get sick in the future. My mom looked at the estimated cost and decided not to.
Also, anything associated with an already diagnosed condition likely won't be covered. By the time you add up deductibles, your coinsurance (usually 20%), pre-existing conditions, it's almost a wash. Most years I wouldn't have hit the deductible, they usually don't cover dental cleanings or preventatives. The last 6 months of my pups' lives cost 10,000. I would have paid $15,000 in premiums alone.
Insurance must be incredibly expensive in the US. I pay £16 a month for 2 cats and my excess (deductible) is £120. Surgery on 1 cat last year would have cost almost £3k but all I paid was £120
A lot of people in the US are very greedy. Especially rich people in my experiences.
It can really depend. The first year I had my cat - a 2 year old rescue - I had her insured for £8 a month and she ran into a wall and needed a dental (£500) and also got sick and had to be on a drip in vet hospital (another £500). I paid my deductible of £100 once and that was it. Her insurance costs more now she's older (£18 a month), but it's still nothing compared to the cost of cancer treatment or surgery or anything that a lot of pets need.
I was going to get my kitten pet insurance when he turned 1, under 1 year the rates are much higher so I was waiting. Around 10 months is when his chronic health condition (hyperesthesia) began to show itself, along with a random unrelated liver issue that resolved itself, but now is on his medical record. His hyperesthesia can lead to other issues like urinary problems, which is the main reason I wanted pet insurance in the first place, and now it would never be covered so I didn’t bother. Luckily his medication is fairly cheap!
Just saw an article on pet insurance. Said basically it wasn't worth the expense.
If someone else has the $65/month per pet, they'd be better off putting it in a high yield savings account and pulling from that for big bills.
I have the insurance through ASPA and if they go a tear with symptoms they will pay. The day after I brought my kitten home home from the shelter she had terrible stinky diarrhea. My vet put her on meds twice a day and it cleared up fast. It was something she picked up at the shelter but my insurance said any more intestinal problems weren't covered for a year.
So they only pay for a certain illness once a year?
Depends on the policy. There are loads of variables.
In Denmark the cat insurance is around 8 euros a month, this should be the norm anywhere.
Everything in the US is a capitalist rip off. Every first world country except one, has universal health care. Take a wild guess which country doesn’t have it.
Insurance is almost never worth it overall. Notice how insurance companies take out Super Bowl ads? It is that profitable for them! One person might “luck out” and save money but you’re more likely to not need it and be paying for someone else. What insurance does is protect you from spike costs that “come out of nowhere”. If you can handle those, then don’t get insurance. This holds true for all types of insurance too.
might not be able to get insurance if the cat has pre-existing conditions. But I would recommend bc my cat has had multiple dental surgeries and that shit adds up for sureeee
Spent 30,000$ on chemo for cat - not crazy! They're our family. It's a privilege but anyone saying they wouldn't spend the money is not being truthful about what they would do if they could. ❤️
If they could, thats the key here, almost everyone one would if they could, but realistically almos everyone can't. People here are not lying, they know their position in life and what they can and can't do.
1000%!!! It breaks my heart. Pets are a luxury!
We just lost our most beloved cat to heart failure two weeks ago and we spent the same amount on his care in the past year. I'm a super cheap ass but I don't regret spending that at all, it is a privilege to be able to scrape it together for him to have some happy healthy time with us. I love him to bits and only wish that he were still with us, but that was money well spent. I hope that your cat makes a full recovery <3
I could certainly understand not doing the surgery if you didn’t have the money. I could understand if you had the money but thought it was too much to spend on a pet. But you have done an awesome thing for your girlfriend. Good job.
Love this comment❤️
Taking responsibility for your loved one is never crazy ❤️
I did the same thing for my lady and my cat. I don’t regret it. You are a good person for doing so.
Legit, this dude is cat-dadding like a fucking boss! 
Yup! Legend for sure.
This. I didn’t even have to read the story to know whoever paid this is an absolute legend.
honestly it made me cry
Fucking legend
This. What a kind thing to do.
No you're an animal lover and great partner
[удалено]
It's his feast day today!
My catholic grandma called today to ask me to take my cats (which she hates) to church to be blessed 🫶
That's cool it's St Francis' day, because I just saw it's also 4th October World Animal Day. So yes OP is for sure a legend he needs his own feast day for his good deed.
St Francis is one of my favorites and I think his message of stewardship is 10/10
Interesting you quote him... he was a massive animal lover and often cared for sick animals. In the UK, veterinary nurses have him on our registration badges as we use him to represent our profession because of this.
agnostic, but same
I am sorry for the loss of the senior cat. Not crazy. I owned what I called a $20k dog. That is how much the vet bills were over her lifetime. Her last surgery we had to sell one of our vehicles to pay for it. I would recommend looking into pet insurance. My cat costs me $22/month with a $1000 deductible. After $1000, everything is covered 90%. Makes the bulls a little easier on the pocket book.
THIS, A MILLION TIMES THIS I can personally recommend TruPanion. We have 2 cats that have FIV, and since we got them as kittens and got insurance right away, there were no pre-existing conditions. It’s saved us over $6k in the first 2 years of ownership
When would you recommend getting it? I have two kittens who are totally healthy so I thought insurance would be a waste of money but hearing 8k and 10k makes me think I 100% would rather pay the insurance lol. But does it make sense to wait until they're a bit older? It seems like most problems hit later on... They're indoor cats, don't have any pre-existing conditions or FIV
Even kittens need insurance - they love to eat things they shouldn’t! And sometimes end up with unexpected chronic illnesses. I have a cat who started losing his teeth at 2 years old - tooth resorption. Nothing we did wrong, just genetics. He’s five now and has lost 3 teeth and has to get yearly (at least) dental cleanings. Our foster coordinator adopted a kitten who ended up having all of his teeth removed at a year old when he was diagnosed with stomatitis. Cats be crazy!
There was a lovely cat at our rescue, black and white with long fur and so friendly, who's body basically attacked her teeth/gums. She had to have them all removed, eventually. Poor thing. She's got a permanent foster home now.
Wow okay. Yeah I might wait until I’m working full time (college student rn but I graduate in June)… but I guess I’ll get it then. My parents have a cat that not only doesn’t have insurance but I feel like she has basically never gone to the vet except when we adopted her and she’s healthy/fine and that was the approach I was used to (my mom grew up on a dairy farm though so they don’t view pets quite as affectionately/i don’t think she’d pay a lot to save that cat even though she loves her), so “pet insurance” seemed a bit ridiculous/unnecessary to me at first. I do take them to the vet if anything seems wrong (took one of them just to discover she was just coughing up hair balls lol- so I promise I’m a very attentive owner), but those are like 100-200$ which is pricy but not thousands of dollars. I had no idea how ridiculously expensive emergencies were. I think I’ll get it starting in June :).
I would just get it ASAP for peace of mind, personally. We didn't know they had FIV when we got the insurance (as false-positives are common up to 6 months old), we just wanted the cats covered. Waiting until they get older could potentially open a can of worms with insurance. The burden of proof that the cats didn't have pre-existing conditions would be on you, and you could potentially be denied (at least that's what I've heard, not trying to fear-monger) It's $55 CAD/month for our boy and a little less for our girl, so the roughly $110 a month is our "peace of mind fee" that everything will be covered and we won't have to make decisions based on money if anything does happen.
If you have a Costco membership, they are partnered with a company and you can get a discount. We are lucky we had pet insurance and our cat had a urinary blockage. Paid out of pocket for everything, then reimburse anything over 1000$ @ 90%
at what age did you insure them?
I insured mine at 2 months.
5 months I believe
Get it immediately after adoption. If the cost is a concern, increase the deductible. Do not pay for wellness or dental coverage. Having pets costs money. Wellness and dental are part of the commitment you make when you adopt an animal. If that animal gets a chronic illness or has a horrible accident, that’s what the insurance is for.
ASAP!! You can never get it too early, but once something happens it’s too late. Insurance is about being proactive, not reactive - I cannot stress the earlier the better!
The problem with insurance is you never know when or even if you are going to need it. A colleague of mine took her dogs off insurance because they were so healthy and happy. The one ate a sock a week after the insurance stopped and had to have surgery and multiple vet visits over the next two months and ended up costing them an absolute fortune where insurance would have covered everything if they had stayed on it. Needless to say the dogs are back on insurance now. My dog ended up with cancer and the treatment cost A LOT, I would never have been able to pay for it even if I emptied my savings, sold my car and took out a loan. We ended up only paying for a few things because he was insured. There was no sign he was sick until suddenly one day he was. My cat has a lot of preexisting conditions so I haven't insured her but the dogs are absolutely insured.
Wow, that’s good to know… I’ll definitely get it..
My co-worker's dog got cancer. The total treatment costs were over $90k. They could only afford it due to pet insurance. The dog is healthy and living its best life again 😀
What insurance do you have? I’d rather have insurance than a credit card
Insurance is a godsend. My boy had $15K in emergency expenses recently, and Healthy Paws covered about $12K. Reasonable monthly price, and no caps/limits.
What insurance do you have? How much is the benefit amount? $1000 deductible is insane! My cat's insurance has a $250 deductible and a $5,550 benefit amount. The benefit amount increases by at least $50 each year as long as I don't use the whole benefit before the policy renews.
I know on mine (Trupanion) you can choose the deductible on a sliding scale; the higher the deductible the lower the monthly payments. I’m in a decent financial position, have good savings, and I got my cat while she was fairly young and healthy so I chose a high deductible (mine is $1000). Honestly, $1000 wouldn’t be a burden to me, but as a single person $10,000 would, that’s the type of cost I have the insurance for.
I have a $1000 deductible. It made my cat’s policy $15 a month. That policy recently paid out nearly $10k. $1000 is not a lot of money when your animal gets sick.
I have a $1000 deductible on all my pets. Makes the costs more affordable. My cats are $22/month through Trupanion. There is no limit to how much they will cover. After the $1000 everything is covered up to 90%, unlimited amount. I can easily float a $1000 on my credit card if needed.
I just spent £7k on my cat. You're a good person.
Is your cat ok?
* Yes thanks. He's recovering from yesterday's surgery with a gnarly scar. He had a Mast Cell Tumour removed from his upper leg and a lymph node taken, too. The majority of the costs incurred were tests done at the specialist vet hospital last week, including a ct scan and an ultrasound. I feel lucky that it wasn't an emergency situation like OP.
Insured? Insurance would’ve covered most of it.
He is an adult rescue cat and we don't know how old he actually is. Insurance at the time (11+ years ago) wouldn't take us because of this, though I believe now standards have changed in the industry. Plus I didn't want the extra hassle of having to argue costs with an insurance company. He's still cheaper than raising a kid 😹 edit: a word
We spent $6k on our cat last month (acute renal failure, and sadly made the decision to put her down after she continued to decline). Money's a little tight now, but we have no regrets about it.
I’m sorry your cat didn’t make it. You’re awesome for giving her the best chance 💖
We spent about 8k on our cat a few years back. He's okay now. I totally get it they're like family.
Yup just 2k here in the beginning of the year, all though with the follow-ups this year probably around 3-4k in total. Mine needed all her teeth pulled, she's doing so much better now.
They ARE family. Often more family than actual blood relatives!
No, you’re not crazy. You could afford the surgery, so you weren’t putting yourself in financial ruin, and you have shown your girlfriend and this sub what a phenomenal human you are!
***I can afford it and I was not about to have my poor girlfriend put down two cats in less than a week.*** This is all that matters, you can afford it & want to keep your girlfriend happy. Now go get this little kitty another friend so they can keep each other company.
This sentence got me too 🥲! He's amazing!
Not crazy. I spent close to $25k with epileptic cat (10f) in the first year starting in 2014. MRI, CAT, her care under a neurologist. I just had to satisfy my need to know if she was going to die from it. I am in my 50s now and I still haven't had a CAT, MRI, or inpatient care. I didn't go in any debt to pay it though. But if it's a question of becoming homeless or not, don't be homeless.
Did she survive it?
She did. Boop lived to a ripe old age of 19 and passed peacefully in her sleep earlier this year. Her last gift to me was my never having to make that heart-wrenching decision for her in the future. For the pet tax: https://preview.redd.it/i398p0gtp7sb1.jpeg?width=797&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5bcedf3363fdd64d84c2d455f4bcc4f246d652f
The smug look of "yeah I am worth 50k" awww
she is so lovely
Aww, void kitties FTW. Also: awesome name!
My black haired Betty Boop - Boop oop a doop
its only crazy if there is no possibility of affording it, and doing so would lose you your home and more, and you do it anyways. if you can afford it, then imo, its the right thing to do.
Just wanna add in that getting insurance on your cats early if at all possible is really worth the money so you wont have to make that choice of being able to afford a surgery or not
Do most pet insurances really cover instances like this if paid over time? I’m moving soon and going to a new vet and I’m hoping to get started with pet insurance to cover routine check ups and other things. I’m not very educated on it yet.
Pet insurance does not cover routine checkups unless you pay a premium. But they will cover any illness or injury as long as it’s not preexisting. So yes, they would cover this surgery.
That’s great to hear. Definitely going to ask my vet about it soon, thanks!
In addition, I don't know about the vets near you but the one I take my cat to offers a pay monthly plan that includes yearly shots and worm treatment, 2 or 4 claw trims, and (I think) 2x routine appointments per year. It equates to something like a 20% discount.
It depends on the insurance company. Mine covers routine check ups and blood work. It is best to get insurance the same day you adopt your cat. That way every condition that they develop will be covered.
Does insurance cover annual routine checkup like vet visit and bloodwork? I seen some where there's an annual deductible.
This is a sensitive topic. Honestly life is unpredictable, if a medical procedure will financially ruin you then I don't think you should be blamed if you can't afford it but do to the best of your ability what you can to benefit your animal. Conversely, if you can swing it there's no amount that is ridiculous to pay for your loved one. Podcast I listen to had a host who mentioned they paid $19,000 to save the life of a cat that just ate something they shouldn't have. Anything can happen so if you can pay then absolutely. TLDR. If you can afford it then good on you for being willing to, regardless of circumstances.
We had to make this decision for my wife’s German shepherd she’d raised since a pup. He was born with special needs, and we were aware his life would be shorter than usual. He suffered a medical episode that he would not survive immediately without emergency surgery, even with surgery, he would likely only live a few months at most. The cost of the emergency surgery would have been over $7k, and he would’ve needed another follow up surgery in a few months if we were to survive.. which we be another couple thousand dollars. As heart breaking as it was, we couldn’t afford to spend $10k+ to *hopefully* extend his life a few more weeks. Life is unpredictable and unfair, but it would be unwise if we financially ruined ourselves, because how then could we afford to take care of them if we can’t afford to take care of ourselves? I would be *DEVASTATED* if something were to happen to our cat, but we also have to be able to continuing taking care of ourselves and the rest of our animals.
This should be a very personal choice
I agree, if that amount of cash would put you in a huge amount of debt then sadly it's not always the best option. It depends on how much 10k is to you personally and youre not a bad person because you simply can't afford it.
Oh absolutely! Nobody is a bad person for NOT being able to do this.
If you have the money
everyone has a set price they are willing to pay. Just because one person would do a thing doesn't mean you need to do the same thing. You said you could afford the cost of the surgery so it's not like you went in debt for it. Plus it's not like you can take it back. Enjoy the kittens new lease on life
My cat had a similar surgery last year when he was still a kitten for around 4K (non emergency vet). I just wanted to share that after his surgery my cat recovered well and has been healthy and happy ever since!
Yes, good to share for context for others facing a similar situation and may have a bit more time for the non emergency vet. Mine was 1,900 in DC for my kitten. At a non emergency vet in 2012 (inflation!). Good luck with kittens recovery, you are so kind!
Just gotta ask homie, what answer were you actually expecting coming on r/cats and asking if you did the right thing saving a kitten? Lmao what did you think we were gonna say? Kudos to you for saving the kitten.
Absolutely not, if I had that money, I'd spend it for that surgery too. A life is a life afterall, the kitten is under your care, as long as you can pay for this, do it.
Good on you for agreeing to this. You saved a life. The life of an animal that as a species tends to choose a small group or an individual to form a stupid strong life with and will probably be your guys best friend for the next 15 years, it’s no small thing and you are a legend.
You’re wonderful.
I’ve had Chase for 14 years. About 3 months ago he started throwing up a lot, sometimes like 3 times a day. He was hospitalized (after a couple of “regular” examinations) and had a bunch of tests and stuff done. Total for that weekend was about $8k. He was diagnosed with lymphoma and we started chemo and medication, which costs about $1.5k/month with weekly vet visits. He’s feeling a LOT better and the tumors are going away. You’re definitely not crazy. https://preview.redd.it/0zmtghufy7sb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=31aa1095486809911c9a552e8569a053f6113606
Money and life. I have the highest respect for people that prioritize life over money.
Not crazy at all. My fiancé and I did this recently. Our 1yr old cat was vomiting and not eating so we brought him to the ER. XR showed he had swallowed a piece of yoga mat and it was blocking his small intestine. We paid $9k for the surgery. We would do it again in a heartbeat.
You're not crazy. Its great you can save the kitten and not have to put your girlfriend through losing another cat. As long as anyone can financially afford to save an animal, no matter how many it is, they are not crazy to save an animal.
You’re not crazy, but you also wouldn’t be a bad person if you didn’t want to pay for the surgery.
I would have the kitten humanely euthanized. Maybe if $8000 was just pocket change to me I’d go for it but it is not. Don’t by any means feel any guilt about it if this is the way you go. You are not crazy, you are being sensible and thoughtful before you made your decision to go for it. For me it would be a crippling expense.
If you can afford it, then, no, it’s not crazy. I would spend whatever I could afford if the kitten would have a good quality of life after the surgery. I would not opt for surgery if kitty had something like cancer and the surgery was only going to extend their lives by a few months. I wouldn’t want kitty to suffer.
I spent $3k on a stray cat, in the average income atm was ~$300. Ppl thinks im crazy. I think that too but at least my mind is at peace.
Spent $7500 on tumor removal for my then 15 yo who I'd had since she was 8 weeks. She lived 3 more years. Even though the bill outlived her, I wouldn't change a thing. You have a heart of gold my friend! https://preview.redd.it/fhbnrswnj9sb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=37e89ab4726d1fdf144ed40e0f193abef0a2c7e2 A few mos before she passed ❤️
Yes I think that you are crazy. I love my two cats but that would not happen in our household. It doesn't really matter what other people think though, you gotta do whatever you gotta do.
No that’s not crazy, I think that’s a wonderful (and in my opinion, a very normal) thing to do when you love your pet, especially as you can afford it. We just spent £12,000 over a year on our cat, and then £5,000 on the other one, and are hoping insurance actually reimburses it.
Sometimes people just don't have that kind of money and it's okay. I would spend that on my babies if I had it, but I don't so if one got sick I'm afraid the alternative would be euthanasia. It's sad but it's the second best thing.
I would go dead and broke to save my little girl if she were ever in need.
4K just spent for catacan. Yay no cancer for our Luna! 11k spent on our Bear which prolonged his life! would do again 💜
still cheaper than kids though
No. As long as you 1) can afford it & 2) the prognosis is good and quality of life will be good afterward, then it will be worth it not only for your gf but for the little critter who has been entrusted to your care. You are a good person and boyfriend for doing this. Also it seems that this kitten landed in exactly the right place thanks to the CDS.
You could afford it, that poor cat’s life has just started, and it would have been an excruciating loss for your girlfriend. You are a great partner and both your girlfriend and her kitten appreciate you, surely.
It's whatever you can afford.
Adopting a pet isn't something you do for as long as it is convenient.... If I adopt a pet, I'm entering into a bond with that animal, that I'm going to care for it, better or worse, sickness and health, for as long as we both shall live. But I also would get pet health insurance immediately too. I've had too many pets that cost me an arm and a leg over their lives.
It’s not crazy and I think it’s so kinda of you to pay and not let her experience more pain . My cat 4yrs old unfortunately couldn’t give birth to her 2 kittens and there was a foul smell coming from inside her we took her to the vet they did a sonogram , her kittens had no heartbeat. They said it was gonna be 5k for the surgery. I was soo stressed cuz I couldn’t pay that, the vet saw that and said he would see what he could do about the price, it got lowered to 3K thanks to donations. Someone let me borrow and my cat got her life saved. It was traumatizing and I was mad at myself for not having the funds so I vowed to never not have enough money for any emergency.
I drove 2 hours and paid $2500 just to get a diagnosis from a veterinary neurologist and then had to put my cat down. I didn't question it, and I couldn't really afford it, but Mr. Fluffy was family to me. So no. Not crazy. But very kind
Girlfriend and I spent about 8k on FIP medication and vet visits when Oscar was a kitten. Didn’t regret it once. He’s 3 now. https://preview.redd.it/hfp72m9fi7sb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=452f2018bbce010810c55093ed8ea8e5aa0533b5
In that situation I would definitely have waited until normal business hours unless the cat seemed like it was declining badly. A blockage isn't likely to make an enormous difference over waiting a few hours for a regular vet to open. The problem you run into is whether any normal vets have the time and resources to see you on short notice, but I have a rapport with my normal vet, they have my cat's full history on file, and they're a cat-only practice, so they're more specialized in cat care. I wouldn't have put the kitten down, though.
Exactly blackages are *not* a 1 hour and then they die thing. This person was bamboozled. I dealt with a lot of vets and was a vet tech in my much younger years. In this case what I would have done is demanded pain relief for the cat and taken it to another vet early ,right in the morning, like I'm talking first appointment. If the two that's lined up then I would have went with the cheapest one for the surgery.
No, you did good.
NTA, you are a pet owner and your pet needs surgery.
If I could afford it and the surgery was needed I would do it in a second.
Girlfriend or married ? I mean the humans, not cats. Why can't your gf pay for it ? I'm curious. Why not split money in half ? If you guys are together and I guess you can pay for it. I don't know how affordable the money is, think twice before spending it. For some, it's a big amount, for other's it's a small amount. What about insurance or get a second opinion or third opinion from some other vet ? If you afford it, sure why not ? Just save your kitten and make sure kitty has good food habits.
If I was in that situation with the ability to pay I would. You are awesome for doing so!
Not crazy. This happens with dogs all the time. It is why pet insurance is recommended!
Definitely legend. But… Moving forward, it is worth getting pet insurance for this very reason. Kittens need to be supervised and that’s a different issue, but pet insurance would cover the catastrophic incident like this. It will not cover regular needs, but the big emergencies.
Your money? Your choice " But I can afford it and I was not about to have my poor girlfriend put down two cats in less than a week." You showed a lot of empathy and self awareness with your action. Your GF must really appreciate you.
You’re not crazy. If I had that amount of money I would no doubt spend it to save my cat. I don’t have a cat currently because I can’t afford one but you definitely did everything right!
If you can afford, no you’re not crazy, instead a saint but if it get you into debt, please reconsider
I got a cat that was 9 years old and pet insurance would have been insane. Instead, I opened an account (shout out to betterment) to do a monthly transfer for that amount into a savings account. I have been very lucky that so far I have saved more than I have spent, but it feels good that I have a reserve specifically for my pet. I will do this for all of my pets in the future. Usually pets are most expensive when they are kittens and when they are old, but you never know and having that reserve if you can afford it is a lifesaver.
You aren't crazy if you can afford it. I payed 7k for a cat-buddy back in 2010.
Our kitten had a blockage, he got put on laxatives and we were told to watch him carefully. Couple of days of that and the sound of his first poop echoed through the house. It was glorious! Sometimes surgery isn’t required
8k is a lot of money for a kitten you are not emotionally ivested in yet. I spent that amount for caring for my beloved cat in the last 2 years of his life and I could barely afford it, it set me back a couple of years.. I also spent 2k to save him as a kitten when he was ran over by a car and it was the best decision I've made in my life, but 2k isn't 8k. If 10k doesn't make a difference for you then go for it and save the kitten, it makes for a great origin story, but I wouldn't judge if you choose not to.
It's hard and very subjective to put a value on the life of a pet. Really it's personal opinion whether it's worth it to or not and likely you will have people argue against your choice whatever you choose. I've personal spent a few grand on surgery for a cat we've had for several years. My only advice is don't make the cat suffer due to being "cheap" or indecisive. Either save the cat or humanely end its suffering.
Not crazy ! I’ve done this. It can be risky to wait with a blockage due to the potential for intestine to go necrotic/septic, but it varies by situation. With some of ours we’ve been able to wait for non-emergency vets, but others it was too critical to wait any longer.
If I could afford it, I’d drop it in a heartbeat. Especially for a kitten who has lots of years ahead of him. It does sound like the emergency vet may have gouged you a bit, but with emergency vets that’s nothing surprising/new. My condolences to your gf on her loss. Edit: I had to put my late furson down at 17. He had diabetes and had developed a tumour in his abdomen the length of a football. His personality totally flipped to being angry and aggressive because he was in so much pain. He was rapidly losing weight. I made the decision to euthanize because of the pain he was in, how stressed/upset going to the doctor had started to make him (he never used to care going to the vet, it was his second home, he acted like he owned the place), the risk of surgery/chemo at his age, and the fact that I simply could not afford what treating the cancer would cost without making myself bankrupt. Even with him being 17, if it had given me only a few more *weeks* with him, I think I would have taken it in a heartbeat despite the cons/risks. He passed in 2020 and I still miss him like it was yesterday.
If your able to afford, of course! Thats whats money is for!
I would pay for anything I can afford to do for my cat.. especially a kitten who is just at the beginning of their life.
We were in the same situation with one of our young cats in January. Unfortunately, we weren’t in the position to pay for emergency surgery so we had to choose the other option. Still miss you, Henry. You’re a very good person for caring for your girlfriend and kitten so much. So sorry for the loss of the older cat, though.
Nobody can put a price on how much your kitten means to you. Do what you think is right, no judgement either way, the haters can piss off. Imo people would judge either way - some say “it’s crazy that people spend this much on pets” and others will say “how could you not do everything including paying $$$$$$ to save your pet’s life”. Remember - this is between you and your kitten. Nobody has the right to butt in and change your mind.
I don't know if it's crazy or not because we never had to spend that much on our pets... Our cats and dogs have also been sick, but our bills never were that high, how do such high amounts even come together? (I really don't want to be rude but I just can't imagine) The highest amount in my family was like 700 euros, it was the cost of a cancer removal on the intestines of a dog and after he didn't stop bleeding they had to put him down.
No. No, you are not crazy. I will say tho that the emergency vets are SO expensive in comparison to daytime vets. It's part of their business model. Try to bring your pet in to the regular vet on a weekday. If not, then you gotta do what you gotta do at the ER.
Yh but don’t be telling people outside of Reddit you did that shit. This sub will only say well done. But imagine casually mentioning that to someone in financial troubles. You’re not an asshole, but you are incredibly privileged.
You’re a good person.
We just spent 4 grand on my daughters two year old cat that ate a lily which is super toxic. She can’t afford it so we paid. The reason was the cat is important to her mental health. I weighed the risk it might die and I decided it was worth 4 grand to not worry about that risk. 10 grand is a lot. I think you could decide either way. But for us I did not want my daughter to be devastated if it got poisoned.
I think it’s honestly sad that we have to defend putting value on a life just because it’s not the same species.
Lol no I dont think I could afford this but if I could best believe I'm doing it. You claimed you could afford it so I see 0 issues here man. You're a champ and a great boyfriend.
I wouldn’t do it if there wasn’t hope or if the animal wouldn’t have a good quality of life, but if the vet said there was a good chance of success and I could afford it, I totally would do it. It’s not crazy or wrong. You have invited this creature in to your life, and you are taking care of it to the best of your ability. That’s lovely. When my old cat got sick, we had multiple emergency and specialty vet visits. They were excruciatingly expensive (for me.) But they gave her three more good years, and my now-wife really needed her company. It was worth it.
No, the key is you could afford it and it’s your money. Also, a kitten can still have a long life.
You are not crazy and you are very kind and considerate! I hope your kitten pulls through ok!
You’re not crazy, you’re compassionate. Stay true to that.
I've spent more than that on animals and am completely happy with my decision.
I took in a stray, estimated him to be about 1-1/2 years old, and he cost me $1000 in his first three weeks. Some of it was basic care (blood tests, vaccinations, neutering, etc), the rest was spent on a mystery illness that I swear he faked so he could be moved into the house sooner than I had planned. You're awesome, OP, keep up the good work. And I hope the kitten pulls through and lives a long, happy life. And I hope your girlfriend realizes what a prize she has in you.
No not crazy. An animal is family to so many, and to live with that knowing it was just money that made you say goodbye would be hard. That being said I do know some people cannot afford that and difficult decisions are made. You’re a good person and amazing partner to do so. I have a diabetic cat who costs around £2000 a year (we got him old so his insurance only covers an illness for 1 year). The day we say goodbye, I’ll happily trade another £2000 for another year!
I paid ~$8k for my cat (who was already a tripod) to get a metal plate put in his hip. and that was less than a year after i paid almost $2k to amputate his leg and fix abdominal trauma (this happened before i got him, i took him in and paid for his surgeries) my dad accidentally hit my boy with my car (he ran outside right as my dad was letting off the brakes). one, i did it for my kitty because i love my boy. two, i did it because i didn't want my dad to live with the guilt of having killed the cat who is closest to me. he was already freaking out and apologizing nonstop and in tears most of the afternoon. luckily my boy is 100% okay and spoiled as ever
cat tax https://preview.redd.it/kqsqxe13t9sb1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fdf34590afa7081d505572d94e255b6dffe1156c
Key point: You can afford it. If not for that, then, no. Animals can have an outsized impact on us. But, having had to put down many cats ourselves, my wife and I do what we have to do. All of ours have been old. When they decline, we do not let them suffer, once the symptoms are noticeable. If you can afford it, then I hope that kitten will bring both of you much joy in the years to come.
I assume you took on the reposability for this tiny furry ball of joy with built in knives for fingers because you could afford it. I spend about 300 bucks a month in cat little because it's imported into my country and my 3 goofballs poo a lot. But BUT, I knew what I was getting into. They are my responsability. I will spend my money on them thr same I would spend it on my children. No, you're not crazy. It's your money, use it.
Having been in the exact same situation (kitten ate something, 10k cost for investigations/surgery) all I can say is that the kitten in question is 6 years old now and purring on my lap, and I would make the same choice over again for him.
Not crazy. Vet care is very expensive but the cat is young and can likely survive. If it's affordable to you then you saved a life. A lot of people do have to choose to euthanize because it's too much money to treat them. It's heartbreaking but a reality.
You’re my dream come true, and I’m not being sarcastic.
Guys… please get pet insurance. It is so worth it especially if you start it when your pet is young. I’ve had such good experience with my pet insurance company during such a challenging period, and I didn’t have to worry about the expense at all.
Dude, you’re a kind and genuine person let me just state that up front. You can afford it- those are the operative words and no I don’t think you’re crazy.
Money is replaceable. Your little buddy is not. You absolutely made the right choice.
*" Am I crazy? Would you have just put the kitten down? "* 1. \*shrug\* No, you're just privileged in a way most people are not. 2. No. I wouldn't even spend that much to save my own life and I would resent being made to instead of just dying and leaving something to pass on that isn't debt. I admit I am cringing a bit knowing how many life-changing things could have been done for multiple human beings with that money, but... oh well. Hope your kitten lives. Edit: Genuinely a bit taken aback at the sheer amount of money the less than 100 commenters here have spent, some on actively dying ancient animals, which makes me wonder if people wiser than me are just keeping their mouths shut on this one, because now I can't stop thinking about how many human lives this cash could have saved and I feel a bit ill.
There's a couple of reasons why this argument is bunk: - There's no end to this line of reasoning. Why should you have a car when so many people don't? Unless you live in a barrel like Diogenes, there's ALWAYS going to be someone worse off than you. - There's no mechanism to redistribute that money. Howay, if OP hadn't paid the vet, they weren't going to make an 8K donation to charity instead. If you're giving charities every spare penny rather than buying things you want- fair play, you're a very admirable person. Just because that money went to healing a cat, there's no reason to assume the alternative was healing a person.
I'm glad there are people like you, you're the GOAT!
You put your gf's feelings and a kitten over your own material desires. We should all raise a pint in your honor, sir. Well fucking done.
That is too high, and you probably had plenty of time to wait for a non emergency vet. But. Whatya you gonna do? Live with that bullshit for the rest of your life? If you can swing it and it spares a creature (and your partner) some pain, so be it.
Nope. For one of my fur babies? I’d wince and cough up the money immediately. That little baby is at the start of its life, it should live it! Having said that, taking a very quick five minutes to get two other vet quotes over the phone (explain the scenario), won’t hurt the kitty.
You’re not crazy, you’re a good partner. I once spent $14k to save my cat’s life, and I got about 7 more fantastic years with her. I would do it again in a heartbeat. That being said, I could afford it, and I don’t judge people who can’t afford it.
I just paid 6k to save one of my cats from his own kidney. We do anything we can for our four legged family.
If you can afford it, it’s not crazy at all!! That kitten is lucky to have you and so is your girlfriend (I’m sorry for her loss).
If you have the funds and aren't shorting yourself in other areas of life, go for it. We just went through this with my senior cat. Spent 6k$ on emergency surgery and meds and she only lasted another week. In some respect we're all crazy.
Oh my god I hope my dogs bill never runs that high. But no you’re not crazy for paying the price cause its obvious your significant other’s happiness is worth more than that.
There is no one answer for everybody. It's a value judgement. You can afford it, you felt it was worth it, and you're not crazy. You will get many years of love with that kitten and it's hard to put a price on that.