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#21
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"kitkat" wrote in message om... Mary wrote: I am their caretaker, and it is my responsibility to not only get them health care but also to see to it that they do not suffer unnecessarily. This is so key. I hope that if and when the time should come that I have to make "big decisions" I am strong enough to do what is right by the cat...I simply can not imagine life without my Luna! I don't like to imagine life without Jasper either, but I kinda feel like he came to us on borrowed time as it is and I feel grateful to be able to give him a comfortable happy home to live out his senior years, however long that may be. Luna I have had since she was 6 months old...so it is just...*different*. I simply can not put a price on my cats. When Luna looks at me with her big round eyes and she is just full of wonder and contentment...well I could just float away! As for Jasper, when he squeaks with excitement because we are home and near him...that is what it is *all about*. pam Asking the question to me was like asking the question "How much is too much to spend on your child?" As Priscilla recently said, I openly admit that my cats are substitute kids. (I also spend a good bit of my disposable income making sure my nieces and nephews do not want for anything, too.) |
#22
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wrote in message
... But I feel it necessary to point out what a HUGE population of poor and indigent there is in America. There are MILLIONS of elderly and disabled living on $700 - $800 per month, TOTAL. That's BEFORE the rent/utilities are paid! (Next we purchase cat food and litter! LOL) They have NO jobs, NO credit cards, NO homes to mortgage. Perhaps NO family. Most do not have cars. Even their food 'choices' (like they 'have' a choice???) would probably appall you. Or the list of things they routinely, on an every day basis, do without. Like meds, soap, diabetes accessories, nightclothes, coats, bedding, etc. Are these folks (me), not supposed to have the companionship of pets??? Honestly, I don't know. I know for these people, a pet may be their only source of companionship. However, is it fair to that pet to keep him, when you can't afford basic vet care? I'm actually going through this debate with my fellow shelter workers. We just started a community service program to vet cats and dogs of low-income people, for little to no cost. I feel bad sometimes handing a cat back to someone who I know cannot afford to care for it. OK, we vetted it this time, but what about next? We're only doing routine stuff like spay/neuter and vaccines, what if this cat gets a urinary blockage (easily treatable, but costs several hundred dollars to fix)? Will he die because of this? If feel like, it's one thing if you are doing OK and able to afford a pet, and then hard times hit. But if you take on a pet when you have no income? I do have a bit of a problem with that. The fact is Hospitals do not REFUSE to treat children unless you have cash in your hand, as they do pets... Hospitals are also non-profit (oh please, not that debate again) in many cases, vet clinics are not. I really wish there was some sort of Medicaid and WIC for pet owners. I know, our gov't barely wants to provide health care for people, let alone animals. -- -Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net "Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG |
#23
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"-L." wrote in message
oups.com... It's sad that most ngs can't discuss ethics and things like that without it resorting to a flame-fest, and immaturity. I love these types of discussions. I think there is a lot of potential for learning. How true. I actually like to debate, and enjoy threads that get long and heated, while others beg for people to stop disagreeing. -- -Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net "Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG |
#24
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"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message
It's a scary question, but I'm sure that all of us have wondered at one time or another how much we could really afford to spend to keep our loved ones alive. That's one of the reasons so many folks talk about either having pet insurance or keeping a separate account just for pet emergencies. For a family member I would sacrifice everything, including my own life. There is a strict limit on the cat, however. Come on people, get real. |
#25
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"Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message ... On 2005-02-14, Glarb penned: I don't know, and I hope I never have to find out. But then, I have it easy; my husband and I both work, and we have no children, so Oscar is my only dependent. It must be a lot harder for people who have children, parents, or others depending on them for care. I know this is true. I have a sister who loves animals and feeds everything that shows up--but she cannot afford vet care. She's out in the country, in a county where there are no rescue programs and no help with spaying and neutering. I suspect people drop animals near her house. She has five children and they live on one low income. When I see intact cats roaming and breeding (about every other Christmas there is a litter of kittens) it kills me, but I can't pay for them, she can't pay for them, and there are no local services or rescues to help. They are far enough out that there are also things that eat cats. The same cats are not around for more than three years, on the average. But they are barely getting by--with a lot of help from the family, they just barely feed and clothe the kids and pay the bills. It's Robeson County, North Carolina, in case anyone has any better luck than I did finding an agency that might be able to help her with spay and neuter. |
#26
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"-L." wrote in message
I also recognize that many people with cats truly cannot afford adequate vet care. Yes, they shouldn't have cats if they cannot afford them, but many people do. They do the best with what they have. If you limited pet ownership to people who can afford catastrophic health care for their pet, then you'd have an awful lot of homeless dogs and cats, don't you think? |
#27
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"Rhonda" wrote in message ... Very hard decisions must be made at that point. Our diabetic, pancreatitus cat had a very bad year a few years ago. The vet bills were $4,000 in 6 months. After a couple of months of good health, he had an intense pancreatitus attack at Christmas. At that point, we had a horrible discussion of money vs. cat care vs. quality of his life. It ended with me not being able to face losing him at Christmas, and not being able to give up hope. After a few days in the hospital being treated by an internist, he as home again. I was never so glad that we spent the extra few hundred, he had a long, beautiful, healthy year after that. It was a joy to have him that extra time, and I never would have forgiven myself if we would have let him go without another try. It's a very personal and tough decision. I believe for animal-lovers that most times the money is a problem is after you've spent tons already and are not certain of their quality of life. For people who just say that they won't spend a certain amount on their pets, I don't think they understand the commitment they've made by bringing them home. When you truly love a creature, I do not believe you can even think of it in terms of placing a dollar amount on it. You just know you will do everything you can, including borrow or sell your possessions if need be. |
#28
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"Glarb" wrote in message ... "-L." wrote in message I also recognize that many people with cats truly cannot afford adequate vet care. Yes, they shouldn't have cats if they cannot afford them, but many people do. They do the best with what they have. If you limited pet ownership to people who can afford catastrophic health care for their pet, then you'd have an awful lot of homeless dogs and cats, don't you think? So what is the answer? That it is okay to deny your animal that you allegedly love the care they need just because you need the money for something else? Isn't that what you are after here? Some rationalization that will allow you to neglect the animal? |
#29
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"KellyH" wrote in message ... "-L." wrote in message oups.com... It's sad that most ngs can't discuss ethics and things like that without it resorting to a flame-fest, and immaturity. I love these types of discussions. I think there is a lot of potential for learning. How true. I actually like to debate, and enjoy threads that get long and heated, while others beg for people to stop disagreeing. -- This is not what Lyn means, KellyH. She is a control freak, and wants only a certain style of discussion. You are much more of a free speech person--with a lot more backbone than Lyn. You can actually admit it when you're wrong, and you can see others' sides. |
#30
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"Glarb" wrote in message news "Monique Y. Mudama" wrote in message It's a scary question, but I'm sure that all of us have wondered at one time or another how much we could really afford to spend to keep our loved ones alive. That's one of the reasons so many folks talk about either having pet insurance or keeping a separate account just for pet emergencies. For a family member I would sacrifice everything, including my own life. There is a strict limit on the cat, however. Come on people, get real. Okay. "Real" is that you don't love your cats the way many of us do. Takes all kinds. But don't expect anyone to congratulate you for this. |
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