by Here’s a 15 year old cat who had his leg amputated. Finney is not in as good shape, and he has arthritis, but still. Look at this cat move! I also found the post below when googling the subject. This is my vet! Except I would be doing the surgery elsewhere, because Finney’s would be more extensive and Dr. Shea said Blue Pearl is better set up for doing pain management.
“I cannot say enough good things about these vets. They saved our cat’s life and they held our hands throughout the process. She was diagnosed with fibrosarcoma and we were counseled to have her back leg amputated after the tumor was resected. It was a difficult decision but one year later she is alive and well. Dr. Sane performed the surgery and spent TWO nights over the weekend at the clinic with her after her surgery. Dr.Shea oversaw her care before the second surgery and between treatments. Thank you Dr. Sane and Dr.Shea and to all the staff at GVAH.”
Greta seems to be moving fine indeed, especially for a 15-year old cat. I have a 16-year old who needs to use steps to climb up into her cat bed, so cats are just like people: they all age at their own unique rate.
I have spent mucho moola on pets’ end of life care, and 8 years ago I took in a very sick stray whose medical bills prevented me from going on my annual trip to New Orleans (a sacrifice I was willing to make). But I’ve never gone into debt for my pets, which is another matter to consider.
I’ve had as many as 14 cats at a time; I now have only 8. I always have more cats than I really want (but what can you do when strays and ferals show up on your doorstep or, once, on my woodpile)? But I wouldn’t go into debt for them because I am too aware that for every $1,000 I spend to prolong an ailing cat’s life, that’s money I could spend on saving other homeless cats who live terrible lives in kill shelters or out on the street.
I really do have a “chat’ with each new cat to explain that as long as they are with me they will have medical care and plenty of food and love and, if they want, a warm bed inside my house, but that the terms of our relationship include their having a Living Will.
BTW, I also have a Living Will.
I realize that having as many cats as I do prevents me from having the intensity of connection as you and Finney have, and as I’ve had when I had a one-on-one with the best cat ever, Woody Robinson (1980 – 1996), whose expensive end-of-life care I gladly paid when I was single, freelance, and barely made my rent each month — but I did not go into debt for Woody — and although I never had to make the choice, I was ready to make a hard decision: Debt was never an option. It just meant that I went without a rainy day fund, which was scarey, and incredibly stressful, and I highly recommend not putting yourself in that position.
There. Thats my opinion.
But there’s no wrong or right choice and no matter what you choose, it will be heartbreaking in the end, because that’s the deal when you love these irresistible, wonderful, adorable, life-enhancing critters.
I love that kind people are telling you what their hearts felt in similar situations. I think you will know what is right for you and Finney, when the time comes for you to decide. Follow your intuition. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it, whatever ‘it’ is.
I do appreciate the time people are taking to share their stories and to advise me. I’m taking it all in.
Vivian, I’m already in debt, but yeah, I’m about to go into serious debt and it’s giving me pause, but I just can’t not do it, if the treatment is the right thing to do. I may decide it isn’t. I have to hear the results of the CT scan.