How much would you spend?

China Feast. I like it.

Adrian, I have two kids. They named her, as a matter of fact.

Slappy, I would have no trouble putting her to sleep if she were in pain (which I can't tell) or if it was certain that she was on her way out. I just don't know, and even if I decided not to treat her, how long before it's time to put her down?

Well you could always take your chances, and leave it be, then get her checked in 6 months or so. Or take the test results to another vet for a second opinion?

FreeDuck--

You are not a cruel and heartless woman for considering cost when you're weighing your options.

Is the vet aware that cost is a consideration? I'd make that very clear. You love the cat--but you have two kids and other expenses.

Because you love the cat you will notice when her life becomes a burden to her and the pain is overwhelming. Meanwhile, you can concentrate on giving her a good life before she needs a kind death.

Hold your dominion.

If the money isn't there then it's not there. The Kids have to learn about death sometime, somehow. You will be able to tell when the cat is suffering. It may be an idea though, to start keeping them inside. Cats have a tendency to just disappear when they know their time is up.

I wouldn't take her back to the same vet for any reason, and things might work out better elsewhere. If it turns out that amputating a leg will do the trick, I would say to go that route. If a second opinion works out to the same uncertainty with the same cash outflow, it's probably time to let her go. Do check out littlek's suggestion on where to go. If it's as bad as it sounds, I wouldn't prolong her misery or my own.

Have a vet moniter her possible pain level or tell you how to.

Let her sleep with you--or you know, let her rule the roost for a while if you can moniter her quality of life--put her down before she starts having too many bad days.

Life is so precious these days.

Her age would definitely be a factor in my opinion. A cat that young could have <i>so</i> many years left and the loss of a leg wouldn't impair her life quality for long.

It's kind of a tradition with my family to go into debt for vet bills, so I'd spend what I had to, as long as surgery seemed most likely to give her a fighting chance.

That would be good if you could foresee working your way out of debt...

Not to challenge that, but debt can really mess up people's lives.

Couldn't you get her name from the regular vet's receptionist? It would be worth a try.

I was thinking the same thing intrepid....someone there knows her name and where she is.



Re the money...that's a tough one. If you went ahead and spent the money, and the cat lived for years and had a happy life, would you look back and regret having spent it? Of course not.

If you spent the money, and the cat dies from cancer/ you have to put her down anyway...would you regret having spent it?

Years ago, I was some 20/20 show about a guy who spent literally thousands of dollars on his dog, who really looked like a goner. Whatever the amount, it seems like a shocking sum. (Now keep in mind it seems like this guy made a really good living and had spare money, but still it wasn't pocket change for him) The man was saying that people would get really pissed, asking him how he could justify spending that. He told them....If I went out and bought a new stereo system or car, you'd be happy for me...I don't want a new car, I want my dog.

That not meant to guilt trip you, but is there anything you were planning on getting in the next year that was something you'd like to have, but maybe don't want as much as this?

However, if you just don't got it, you just don't got it.

sigh.....I think it all hinges on getting a second opinion, and/or finding that other vet.

Thank you all for the very good advice. I think Chai and others are right that it has to start with getting a second opinion. I will try to find out the name of the vet that was there the first time we went in and see what she says.

The age of the cat is one of the things that has me considering the surgery. She is only 3 and has been through a lot. We got her from the humane society when she was only 1, or maybe even younger. She had already had a litter of kittens by that time. When they picked her up, they apparently didn't pick up her kittens, so she was very distraught when we got her. Because of that, we chose to get a kitten at the same time. She began nursing this kitten as her own and that's how she got the name "little momma".

The other consideration is that the money is tight right now but it might not be much longer. We currently have all of our savings (and some debt) sunk into a fixer upper house. Presumably, when it's finished, we can sell it and have some breathing room, but that will be at least a couple of months away. And I don't know if that will be too late.

I guess the thing is, if I had the money I would spend it, though I might still feel bad about spending more money on my cat's health than some countries spend on medical care for one person over their lifetime.

Thanks again for all the advice. I really appreciate it.

Free Duck--

Greetings to another Western Pet owner with a guilt complex/ complex guilt.

Thank you, Noddy. It's good to know I'm not alone.

Sorry to hear about your kitty.

I just have a minute right now but are you aware of "Care Credit"? My vet participates in it - the are no interest loans



More: http://www.carecredit.com/patients/whatis.htm

boomerang, thank you!! I went to the site and got a list of participating vets in my area.

That is an awesome program. I'm so glad you posted that link.

Freeduck, I'd do what we did for my old dog, Fred when he was diagnosed with cancer. We let him live out his life until he couldn't live it any more. He died naturally, but had he not had a quality of life, we would have put him down.

You will know when and if your kitty is in pain and her quality of life is gone.

If you can't amputate, I'd save the money on treatments (they made my dog sicker than the cancer) and just watch her and love her while you can.

But that's just me.

Hard decisions...

Bella, that's exactly what I would/will do if I have any reason to believe it has gone beyond her leg. What kind of cancer did your dog have, may I ask? Was he in pain at all, or could you tell?

Lung cancer. Too much smokin' behind the shed. No one smoked in our house. All non smokers.

Some days he was great. Like nothing was wrong. He'd run and play. Other days, he'd not be able to get up and walk on his own. Those were the days he was hurting and when those outweighed the good days, we were going to put him down.

The chemo was actually worse for him than the cancer itself. Made him really really sick. Wouldn't eat, drink, just laid there. That's when we put the kabosh on it and decided that quality was better than quantity.

I suspect the days that your baby isn't good will be noticable by a limp or favoring the leg. You know your animal best and I think you'll know when her quality of life is dimished to the point where her bad outweighs her good.

That's how I look at it. When the bad days outweigh the good days, it's probably best to put them down.

has it been suggested yet to get a 2nd opinion? if you can afford it?