Need opinions - Scared for Sneezy

"MaryL" wrote

I read your message carefully, and you made it very clear that you love
this cat and also that you do not have the money for a vet. Nevertheless,
I beg you -- *please* get this cat to a vet. He is in desperate need of
veterinary care, and people on a newsgroup cannot possibly diagnose
something like this. You have the best intentions. Please follow through
and find some way to get him to a vet -- use a credit card or call around
to find a vet who will let you pay in monthly installments. Years ago
(when I was in graduate school and had *no* money), my cat was sick. I
made arrangements to pay over time. It took a *long* time for payments,
but it

I agree MaryL and I'll add a story of real life that will get me flamed as a
fake, but it's true. Every bit of it.

I once adopted a cat by accident. I was out jogging (getting ready for a
Navy PRT) and found this poor little ball of fluff along the roadside. This
was in Universal City TX, an outskirt of San Antonio.

I was an E3 barely making ends meet but I wrapped up this little hurt-unit
in my jacket then froze my way home (couldnt run, it would have hurt him to
be jostled). Ok, so I get home with him and he's hurt *bad*. I didnt know
much about animals, but I knew ribs were supposed to poke outwards, not
inwards and legs were not supposed to bend where they were bending.

I grabbed my handy dandy phone book and started making phone calls. It took
something like 18 calls to get anyone who was willing to do more than show
this little fellow a shiny silver needle. Years later I was to learn that
the vets started calling one another to warn of the young E3 (no money) kid
with an expensive need who'd probably default on payments. Little did they
know *me* but one call reached a gold mine. See, I'd somehow touched the
heart of a totally premier vet. I remember looking at this whole page add
for this last guy and how he was a specialist with fancy pedigree folks and
in a very upscale address area. He's the one who told me years later,
everyone else was calling about and it ****ed him off.

So finally, after so many calls, got a vet who said 'I can't promise
anything but to try'. I was in my car like a flash. Many hours later, I
came home with a cat in a full body cast (I mean, even 3 of his legs!) and a
bunch of cat milk and a dropper to feed him with. They asked me for a name,
and i said 'Bobby'. The vet just smiled.

I was firmly explained he had to eat once an hour for the first several days
then every other hour if he survived. I called my boss in panic, told him
what I had done and gave him the vets number. I asked if i could take leave
(vacation). Boss called back about 45 mins later and said he'd be at my
place to drop off my leave papers. Later, they let me bring Bobby to work
in a box so we could all take turns feeding and loving him.

There are many tales on how Bobby lived, loved, and was well appreciated but
pertinant to this is his vet bill was severely reduced to just cost and not
sure if I even paid that. I paid all I could scrounge up and still have a
bit left for petfood for him, and ate alot of beans and rice for me.

It was in the end, an excellent deal ;-)

"cshenk" wrote

I once adopted a cat by accident. I was out jogging (getting ready for a
Navy PRT) and found this poor little ball of fluff along the roadside.
This was in Universal City TX, an outskirt of San Antonio.

[...]

So finally, after so many calls, got a vet who said 'I can't promise
anything but to try'. I was in my car like a flash. Many hours later, I
came home with a cat in a full body cast (I mean, even 3 of his legs!) and
a bunch of cat milk and a dropper to feed him with. They asked me for a
name, and i said 'Bobby'. The vet just smiled.

I was firmly explained he had to eat once an hour for the first several
days then every other hour if he survived. I called my boss in panic,
told him what I had done and gave him the vets number. I asked if i could
take leave (vacation). Boss called back about 45 mins later and said he'd
be at my place to drop off my leave papers. Later, they let me bring
Bobby to work in a box so we could all take turns feeding and loving him.

There are many tales on how Bobby lived, loved, and was well appreciated
but pertinant to this is his vet bill was severely reduced to just cost
and not sure if I even paid that. I paid all I could scrounge up and
still have a bit left for petfood for him, and ate alot of beans and rice
for me.

It was in the end, an excellent deal ;-)

Well this just made me cry. Good for you. I want to see pictures and hear
more stories.

"---MIKE---" wrote in message
...
The OP stated that her grandfather's prescriptions used up all of his
social security.

What does her grandfather have to do with anything?

"cshenk" wrote in message
...
"MaryL" wrote

I read your message carefully, and you made it very clear that you love
this cat and also that you do not have the money for a vet.
Nevertheless, I beg you -- *please* get this cat to a vet. He is in
desperate need of veterinary care, and people on a newsgroup cannot
possibly diagnose something like this. You have the best intentions.
Please follow through and find some way to get him to a vet -- use a
credit card or call around to find a vet who will let you pay in monthly
installments. Years ago (when I was in graduate school and had *no*
money), my cat was sick. I made arrangements to pay over time. It took
a *long* time for payments, but it

I agree MaryL and I'll add a story of real life that will get me flamed as
a fake, but it's true. Every bit of it.

I once adopted a cat by accident. I was out jogging (getting ready for a
Navy PRT) and found this poor little ball of fluff along the roadside.
This was in Universal City TX, an outskirt of San Antonio.

I was an E3 barely making ends meet but I wrapped up this little hurt-unit
in my jacket then froze my way home (couldnt run, it would have hurt him
to be jostled). Ok, so I get home with him and he's hurt *bad*. I didnt
know much about animals, but I knew ribs were supposed to poke outwards,
not inwards and legs were not supposed to bend where they were bending.

I grabbed my handy dandy phone book and started making phone calls. It
took something like 18 calls to get anyone who was willing to do more than
show this little fellow a shiny silver needle. Years later I was to learn
that the vets started calling one another to warn of the young E3 (no
money) kid with an expensive need who'd probably default on payments.
Little did they know *me* but one call reached a gold mine. See, I'd
somehow touched the heart of a totally premier vet. I remember looking at
this whole page add for this last guy and how he was a specialist with
fancy pedigree folks and in a very upscale address area. He's the one who
told me years later, everyone else was calling about and it ****ed him
off.

So finally, after so many calls, got a vet who said 'I can't promise
anything but to try'. I was in my car like a flash. Many hours later, I
came home with a cat in a full body cast (I mean, even 3 of his legs!) and
a bunch of cat milk and a dropper to feed him with. They asked me for a
name, and i said 'Bobby'. The vet just smiled.

I was firmly explained he had to eat once an hour for the first several
days then every other hour if he survived. I called my boss in panic,
told him what I had done and gave him the vets number. I asked if i could
take leave (vacation). Boss called back about 45 mins later and said he'd
be at my place to drop off my leave papers. Later, they let me bring
Bobby to work in a box so we could all take turns feeding and loving him.

There are many tales on how Bobby lived, loved, and was well appreciated
but pertinant to this is his vet bill was severely reduced to just cost
and not sure if I even paid that. I paid all I could scrounge up and
still have a bit left for petfood for him, and ate alot of beans and rice
for me.

It was in the end, an excellent deal ;-)



What a fantastic, heartwarming story. Thanks for sharing.

MaryL

"cybercat" wrote

The OP stated that her grandfather's prescriptions used up all of his
social security.

What does her grandfather have to do with anything?

She lives with him and his pension seems to be about all they have. Because
of his work with the phone company, he gets almost free internet. (Bell
possibly).

I don't hink we are looking at a lazy person here, but one with possibly
some physical disability making obtaining work difficult.

"cybercat" wrote
"cshenk" wrote

I once adopted a cat by accident. I was out jogging (getting ready for a
Navy PRT) and found this poor little ball of fluff along the roadside.
This was in Universal City TX, an outskirt of San Antonio.
(snips)

It was in the end, an excellent deal ;-)

Well this just made me cry. Good for you. I want to see pictures and hear
more stories.

Smile, this was many years ago and predates digital cameras. I am just a
month shy of 48 now and I was 23 then. I guess he was my first 'rescue pet'
but then, all of them have been even if 2 were kittens when I rescued them.

Bobby grew on to be a lovely cat. He was bigger than expected. See, it
turned out part of the reason for the dropper feedings, is he wasnt weened
yet. I did not know this as he was pretty big, call it 5 lbs or so? Memory
dims but he was more than a tiny handful. Bloody but not tiny. Not full
grown looking either.

As he got glossy and healthy, the cast was taken down in various stages and
he was carted to work and back in a box. I didnt have fancy money left for
a real carrier. So, a bunch of the guys at work got together and built one.
It may not have been much by today's fancy standards, but it was roomy and
warm and he rather liked to use it as a scatching post once his limbs healed
well enough to do that.

Bobby grew up in various sailors laps in a mainframe computer room. Gosh,
he'd eat and eat and eat! Got to be huge but still seemed to be a little
underweight when the vet weighed him in at 20 lbs. He was still a gangly
looking youngster then. Once he filled out, he was between 35-40 lbs which
is bigger than his mixed breed should be, but then, no one knows who the
'papa' was.

See, the vet smiled when I named him Bobby... I wasnt to find out why for
several months. Common to the area, bobcats often breed with ferals, and
Bobby was of such a union.

There's a farm about 40-50 miles north of the outer San Antonio loop who had
a lady allergic to dogs and a man who loved big ones. When I was
transferred to Hawaii, Bobby stayed there til he died about age 16 or so. I
got xmas cards every year from them with pictures of him and his kittens
(first cat, never had had him 'fixed).

Hence, Bobby the bobcat entered and left my life. Never to be forgotten.
Yes, I know it sounds to fantastical to be true. I look back and shake my
head and go, gee, it doesnt sound very real does it?' It is though. Every
bit of it.

"MaryL" wrote

I agree MaryL and I'll add a story of real life that will get me flamed
as a fake, but it's true. Every bit of it.

I once adopted a cat by accident. I was out jogging (getting ready for a

It was in the end, an excellent deal ;-)

What a fantastic, heartwarming story. Thanks for sharing.

Glad to help pass along a moment of joy! As I typed that up, my rescue dog
Cash (beagle mix, 45lbs and at perfect weight because he's mixed with a
bigger dog breed) got fed then my rescue cat Daisy got fed, and both are now
snoozilating on the rug.

capricious wrote:

On Apr 22, 3:22 pm, "cybercat" wrote:
"capricious" wrote

I am in absolutely no financial position to even have him taken in to
any vet for the most minor of a regular check-up.

Take this cat to a shelter immediately, along with your other cats.
Vet care is part of having a cat. This cat is suffering, because of
YOU.


Excuse me?!?!? How ****ing DARE you! I should take YOUR ass to the
shelter you SCUMBAG!


Calling names will *not* detract from the *fact* that you are irresponsible
in the *extreme* as regards to having pets...


I have done nothing but HELP this cat as much as I could. I took him
in to my home when he was starving, then fed him and got him as
healthy as I could. Even financially strapped, I am always able to
provide them food and water. It is by no means MY fault he suddenly
became ill.


You are self - aggrandizing in the extreme...it's fairly obvious that you
are clinically depresed and so took in a pet in order to feel "better" about
yourself...

I'd say you are suffering from "Munchausen's Syndrome", look it up...

In any case you had no business "rescueing" an animal...as you can't even
"rescue" yourself...

--
Best
Greg

Gregory Morrow wrote:


I'd say you are suffering from "Munchausen's Syndrome", look it up...

And you'd be wrong. Münchausen's syndrome is when one makes oneself ill.
Münchausen's sydrome by proxy is when one makes ill someone in one's
care and charge. She did neither.

Look it up.