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Need Advice or SupportStruggling to cope with my cat being sick
I had to leave my cats behind when I moved here, and this morning my mother texted me that one of the cats had to go to the emergency vet. My mother and I are not on good terms at all, and not any better since the situation with the basement creep. Since I am the cats' registered owner, the vet then called me to give me treatment options or to decide on euthanasia. The treatment (for a blocked urethra) for him to stay in for a few days would've been the safest for him, but not a sure bet and was prohibitively expensive. He would die in pain with no treatment at all, and so I very tearfully decided for the out-patient treatment that was 3x less than him being there for a few days and was not him just being euthanized, but still quite expensive. It really does something awful to that ethereal part of me that I have to reckon the value of his life by these numbers, but I am trying to remember that in nature there are no vets.
He made it though the treatment okay, and is now back home with my mother with pain meds and instructions for a special diet to try to prevent it happening again, but there are no guarantees that he'll recover or not just have the same issue again, which realistically is just too expensive to keep treating. My case manager thinks it might be worth seeing if I would qualify for low-income veterinary assistance, so I will have to look into that with her asap in case it can help if he urgently needs more care. I can't help but feel that with everyone struggling in the present state of the economy, that cat healthcare would be the first thing I'd cut from any budget, but grief is not particularly amiable to being reasoned away with the label of what's lost was just a luxury anyway.
I'm on the other side of town with a car that won't start from cold whether, so I can't even visit him - and even if my car did start, there is the can of worms that would be opened by the fact that I would have to negotiate with my mother to visit him. It was one thing to think I wouldn't likely see him very often or at all again and him still be alive. It's quite another that he's been sick and may or may not recover.
It's been a lot to deal with, and I just needed to get it out.
Feline friends are so precious, and get a lot less positive press than canines. Don't ever feel badly about doing the best you can for them. I hope he recovers in fine fashion and that you can be reunited soon.
I’m so so sorry to hear about your kitty. I have two boy kitties and a blocked urethra is my biggest fear about having males.
I am so sorry that you are in this situation. Bad family relationships suck for many reasons and this is an example of how they complicate what is already a painful ordeal.
In addition to seeing if you qualify for low-income veterinary assistance, also check into any animal rescue organizations in your area. Sometimes they can offer solutions to those who cannot afford care for their pets.
Every situation and organization is different, and some might only offer care if you agree to give up ownership. This would not be ideal, but it is a potential 'third' choice versus just costly treatment or euthanasia.
I really hope things go better for both you and your cat.
Oh, I’m so sorry. My boy has had a urinary blockage a couple of times and it’s terrifying. The way I ended up dealing with it was keeping him on 75% wet food and giving him this supplement, at about half the recommended dosage. I feel slightly ridiculous spending the money but it was recommended by a few different people and he hasn’t had any trouble since then 🤞
So sorry about your kitty, I had something similar happen to a boy kitty😥. I'm hoping that your kitty will get better soon. Diet management is critical. Is there a form of public transportation that you can use to visit? I do think a visit from you will go a long way in his recovery.
As a fellow boy cat mom, I am so sorry to hear this. Could you call your mom and have her put the phone near him to talk? Maybe your voice would be comforting for him.
My heart's hurting for you reading this =( I'm sorry for you and your kitty both.
One of mine has urinary Tract disease , so lots of issues with that sort of thing
It’s hard to deal with. It’s expensive. It’s sad to think one day you will have to put them down.
Sometimes, they just have flare ups from time to time. In the mean time, a change in diet helps I buy food that’s made specifically for urinary health. Apparently lots of the flare ups have to do with PH levels. Also try and make sure he has lots of water and feed him wet food, this helps too.
Mine hasn’t had an issue in about 3 years now! The last time he was at the vet, I thought that was it. I thought they were gonna have to euthanize him. So it can get better.
I’m wishing you the best in your situation! 💛