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So I've never had pets (I don't count my short-lived goldfish from a carnival). FI grew up in a house full of cats and dogs and can't imagine not having at least one or two animals once we have a bigger place. We've talked out most of the issues - who would walk it / feed it / clean up after it, would it be allowed in our bed, what kind of animal, etc. But there is one HUGE issue we can't seem to resolve.
FMIL was discussing one of the cats and her health problems. The cat had cataracts and was going blind...surgery cost several thousand dollars. I was shocked by how expensive this is, and the fact that it comes out of pocket. Then I started asking for more details, and I was blown away by how much money FMIL spends on the animals. Dog ate a cat toy by accident? $1500+ surgery. Other dog got stomach problem? $500 vet visit. First dog ate a cat toy AGAIN? (I guess the first time didn't teach her) Yep, another $1500 surgery.
So, basically, I can't fathom throwing away this much money on pet health care. But FI says just letting the pet suffer and die is cruel, and I wholeheartedly agree. So it seems like the best choice would be not getting a pet at all. We are not wealthy at all, and while we can probably expect a comfortable upper middle class existence eventually, these types of expenditures would be a huge burden. I like dogs and cats fine, but I would not want to, say, skip our annual family vacation because the dog ate a cat toy.
Any thoughts and advice? I know a lot of families who aren't wealthy have pets, so how do they deal with this? Am I missing something?
Hmmm....we've had pets all my life and the most expenisve thing we've ever had was last year was a middle of the night vet visit that was $300 because our dog was going paralyzed (he had lymes) so it was extra expensive since it was late at night. But all our dogs have lived long happy healthy lives and no big vet bills, I mean there are some for shots and spaying and checkups once in awhile but nothing like 1500. Maybe we just got lucky.
We're not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but we have 2 cats and a very expensive horse. Honestly, you make your pets your first priority. I think you're being really smart in talking about this now, because too many people wait until they've put the animal in a bad situation, and do something unethical like not get it treatment.
Preventative health care is a big thing with animals. We buy ours better food, and my horse is on 24/7 turnout (actually cheaper, but way healthier) but some of the things we do (buying only wet cat food) is definitely more expensive than most people would consider.
I am of the mind that everyone does what they can, but way too many people buy pets without thinking through the consequences. Possibly this is because I work with cat and horse rescues where people "didn't know" their pets would cost so much money, need so much attention, etc. Most of them just abandon them, or threaten the rescue that they will shoot the animal if they don't come pick them up.
We go much farther than most people will for their pets. I'd rather go into debt than see one of my animals be put down before its time. Likewise, we made the hard decision to euthanize our beloved cat this December even though there were treatments we could have tried, because he was in lots of pain and would have died suddenly and in great pain within the next year or two even with treatment. In instances like that, even money can't help.
So, all this rambling later... there's no good answer, except that if it really makes you cringe, I'd wait til you're more financially comfortable. Pets will get sick and hurt in ways you could never imagine. The first week I got my horse she had to have the vet out and get antibiotics because of a reaction to her vaccines. It's definitely something you have to care way more about than money or your own comforts, which isn't for everyone at every point in their life. (We were like this with a dog until just this year, and I'm really glad we waited.)
ETA: It is really something that a couple has to be on board with, too, or else it will cause a lot of stress. When you see it as throwing away money, your FI will probably see it as absolutely necessary. I know if R and I disagreed, and he even implied that it'd be throwing away money (he wouldn't, he's pre-vet, haha) I'd be furious. But we're VERY animal oriented people; they're our lives.
it's hard and i agree that spending money on pets for SOME surgeries is a little rediculous...we have three animals - and many times we've had to "shell out" when something goes wrong - such as - 2 weekends ago both dogs had tapeworms :( and i had to take them in immediately and spent $250 for the visit to get a shot and some meds.
my 9 year old cat, however, really does need "dental work"...she's NOT in pain (well, doesn't show physical pain) - and my thinking is, i can barely afford my OWN dental work, let alone a few hundred bucks for my cat.
i know a LOT of people will NOT agree with me - but really - i guess my hubby and i are the kind that both agree that spending THOUSANDS of dollars on a surgery for an animal IS just not in the cards for us. we love our animals more than anything - but no we just can't do it.
again - i know a LOT of people would yell at me "then why own an animal???" but we do what we CAN do and again, when stuff like the worms came up, yes we paid - but we also really can't say unless something (god forbid) were to really happen...
my cat, for instance - though - has "needed" the dental work for years and I've not had it done - and she doesn't SEEM like she's in pain at all - and i've switched her to wet food instead of dry...
sorry i'm not much help!
really - all you can do - if you get pets - just do what you can when it's needed.
well luckily my dog has never required major surgery like that; however, I do have a pet insurance plan for her that will cover some of the costs in case something were to happen (it also covers her twice a year check ups, and a yearly dental cleaning, as well as a discount on flea and heartworm preventatives for $20/month premium). If she ate a toy I probably would get the surgery for her, but if she was going blind I don't think I'd get surgery. It is probably cruel. :(
I have a couple of thoughts on your post. It really stuck me when you called it "throwing away money". I bet your FI and you MIL don't see it as throwing away money but as a necessary expense. Would you call it throwing away money if you or your FI or you children needed to have medical procedures that cost that much money? I bet not. It all comes down to how you view the pets. Some people see them as truly members of their family and will go to great lengths for them. Last year my dog had cancer and we spent a pretty penny on her vet bills and then spent a LOT of energy and time to look after her and make sure she was comfortable in the last months of her life. Loosing her was seriously the worst pain I've ever experienced. But if you see a pet as just an animal that's just for the amusement of the family, then yeah, you might have problems with spending that money.
Secondly, look into pet insurance. Just like human health insurance but much much cheaper and can save you a lot of money if god forbid you pet ever has huge medical needs.
Few things...
1) If you are careful with your pets you significantly minimize the risk of expensive surgeries and such. Why was the cat ABLE to eat another toy is what I want to know?
2) This stuff is probably more rare than you realize. I had a total of 3 dogs, 2 cats, 3 rabbits, and other assorted animals growing up, and a dog and a cat as an adult. The most expensive thing that happened to any of them was when my cat got ill with feline luekemia (he was a pound kitty and they told me he didn't have it but he did). I think it was around 700ish and we ended up putting him to sleep because he couldn't be cured.
3) You set some kind of limit in your head. I love my dog... like crazy love him. I can't even think about the fact that he won't even be with me... but the bottom line is that I don't HAVE 10k for surgery for him if he needed it. And I don't think that owning a pet means "sparing no expense." Yes, you have to expect certain expenses and illnesses, but when we're talking about thousands upon thousands of dollars... at some point you draw a line. That doesn't mean letting the pet suffer, but if it is seriously ill and the only thing that will save it is a 10k surgery? You put the pet to sleep.
4) I know a lot of people would prob disagree with #3 but if the only people who ever adopted pets could afford ANY possible expense... no one would adopt pets.
talk about weird timing. i got a phone call around 8a this morning from my uncle who was watching my dad's dog (my late mother's dog to be exact) he's a 13 year old chihauha and apparently had what appeared to be an abscess and swollen face up to his eye. 8 hours later, 3 pulled teeth i had to pay $800 to the vet (my dad is on a fixed income and definetly couldn't swing the cost. does it suck, yes. but is is worth it, yes. a pet's a responsibility pure and simple. now don't get me started on my cat lol.
Since the FI feels strongly about wanting to have pets, could he make sure and put money away every month for a "pet emergency fund"?
If he puts money into the account every month (maybe even auto-deposited from his savings account), that could finance a lot of pet care! Plus if he knows he has to make regular savings deposits, maybe he'll cut back elsewhere...
Have you guys talked about getting pet insurance? My fiance and I are planning on doing this soon - it only costs about $40 a month, and they'll cover most of the costs if something horrible were to happen. I know of someone who saved thousands by having pet insurance when her dog needed some surgery!
Having owned several different pets who have all had expensive health problems at one point or another, it's just a sacrifice you make because you love them. I think of my pets as members of my family, and when a family member needs expensive surgery or pricey medicine, you pay for it.
Not everyone shares my views, which is fine. I would look into getting pet insurance if you're worried about not having enough money in case of an emergency.
I know my dogs are my my and my fiance's life. We took 2,000 out of our wedding budget to get surgery done for our pug who had a mishap and swallowed a pair of my undies! We both did it with out evening considering the money. And we are so happy we did because he wouldn't be with us anymore if we had waited it out. Everyone is different, but for us our pets are our children. :) They have options now we had to take our something called CareCredit. It is a credit card used for things that insurance doesn't usually cover. My vet offered this and we applied for $2,500 and they accepted. We paid it off at a later time in peices like you would any other credit card.
First of all, major, MAJOR kudos to you and your fiance for even discussing this. Too many people adopt animals without considering the financial ramifications.
As a perhaps unsatisfactory answer to your question - I'm a veterinarian and have done quite a few emergency shifts. When it comes to spending money you don't have, people have three choices: decline treatment or go with a cheaper treatment and just see what happens, go into debt, or euthanize their animal. If it's truly an emergency, option #1 often does not end well. Option #3 sucks for everyone involved - no veterinarian wants to euthanize an animal because the owners can't afford treatment, and obviously no owner wants to euthanize their pet who has a treatable problem. Option #2 is also awful, as no vet wants to see a client go into debt and I've yet to meet anyone who was thrilled about accruing credit card debt.
With that said - emergencies are not all that common. True, when it happens to you, your odds are 100%. But with all of the animals I've owned, I've only been an emergency room client once. Your best bet is to evaluate how much you are willing to spend, and if that number varies WIDELY between the two of you, try to figure out why. And either way, if you end up adopting an animal, I'd strongly consider either pet insurance or setting up an emergency fund and contributing to it monthly.
Oh, and kericita - cataract surgery isn't cruel. I've seen quite a few animals restored to almost puppy/kitten behavior after their cataracts have been removed. JuneBride_26June2010 - Be careful about assuming your cat isn't in pain. They're really good at hiding it when something hurts. And lilyfaith - based on your description, I'd guess your cat might have had an aortic thromboembolism (blood clot that basically paralyzes the back legs). If I'm right, it's one of the few emergencies where I would, without any medical regret whatsoever, elect to euthanize my cat. The chance of recurrence is almost inevitable, and I would hate myself forever if I went away for a weekend, came home to find that she had died, and had to wonder how long she had suffered.
@redherring - spot on, and thank you for reaffirming our decision. It was a hard one, and so painful to make. He was 1 1/2, and it came on very suddenly on Christmas Eve of this year. His back legs were already paralyzed when we found him, and his tongue was blue from lack of oxygen. It was hands down my most heartbreaking pet experience to date. In that moment, I could have cared less about the money, but I knew no amount of it could have restored him to the happy go lucky kitten we knew. It still makes me cry just remembering the pain he was in, and I'm not a very outwardly emotional person.
i think if you really like pets and all that then yea, you're willing to spend it. i never had pets, and i agree its insane, but there are people who's animals are like their kids. To me kids and pets are two different things, but thats about as comparable as it gets. And in that case, i'd pay whatever i needed to, shit lets just look at the 45k bill my 1 year old son just racked up at the hospital.....
But i think it depends on how you were raised and you view on pets. i'm just not sharing my opinion on animals, cause i'd get ripped a new one, lol.
@JuneBride: Have you considered calling around to see if any vets will be willing to work pro bono? Perhaps a vet newly out of school who needs experience? Or you could call your local SPCA and see if they have any financial assistance? It does seem awefully cruel to know your cat has such severe dental problems that she can't eat dry food, and your only solution is switching to wet food...cats are particularly stoic about pain so your kitty IS probably in pain!
For the OP: we have a special savings account that we set up for medical bills. Instead of waiting for something bad to happen and using Care Credit and paying it down later with interest, we have saved beforehand so that we have cash on the spot. Really owning a pet is like owning a car. If the transmission goes out, you can't just ignore it, you HAVE to fix it. And somehow, even though it is very inconvenient, you make it work. I would recommend staying with either a small breed of dog or a hearty breed of cat. You reduce your bills considerably simply by having smaller animals! That could be a good compromise between you and your FI. Or you could also tell him that you would have to "ok" the breed you're getting. Most purebreed dogs have some significant health issues to worry about. A purebred daschund is likely to have back problems, as are basset hounds and other "long" dogs. Maybe just do a lot of research and pick a pet with very few known health risks.
Totally second @redherring on the kudos for having talked about this; I feel like this should be part of one of those pre-marital exercises where you get down the details :)
I think it's hard to have a discussion about a situation before it happens - similar to how fruitless conversations about how you'll raise your hypothetical kids can be. I shared in your thought process of throwing away money (and I grew up surrounded by pets) until we raised our puppy together. I swear the lil' guy is like my own child. The conversation I would have now is a 180 from what I would've said before...
I 100% agree with the pet insurance, and think it could be a great compromise (add it to FI's list of $ responsibilities). We've saved $1000s on routine medical care stuff, plus gotten great preventative care that we otherwise never would have taken the pup in for. And truthfully, I think we've spent WAY more $$$ replacing the things he chewed up as a puppy than his medical care...
@lilyfaith - I'm so sorry, but know that you absolutely made the best decision for your cat. I've treated a few cats that had thrown clots, and it never ended well. If we even managed to get the first clot to dissolve, many of them threw another clot before even leaving the hospital. And the longest any of them lived before recurrence and subsequent euthanasia was a few months. And my god, are they ever in pain. I've tried constant-rate-infusions of some fairly potent drugs, and some of them are still noticeably uncomfortable.
just wanted to come back and say it's not that I "refuse" by any means - but most vets have said the surgery would cost $400 - $500 and I have a lot of dental issues MYSELF that need to be taken care of first (sorry but i DO feel that way...) and $400 - $500 is a LOT of money - i did receive a nice PM with suggestions of low-cost places that might be able to do surgery at a lot lower price - and of course that's always an option for pet owners - finding places that do things for less.
for example - we LOVE our vet - but he is VERY expensive...i called and for our two dogs to get their exam and shots for the year, he said it would have been $212 total for both.
we found out the humane society here in indy was doing them for cheap and took the two dogs AND the cat in and got all three done for $95 total.
+1 on pet insurance, clinics for shots, and preventative care, which all help minimize costs....but there will always be the unexpected, it can cost quite a lot, and there is an ethical obligation to care for a sick or injured pet if you agree to take on the responsibility for that animal. So I think the answer might be not to get a pet if you're still feeling that it would be money better spent other places (and for lots of people, it is). People generally spend money on pets' health because the pets are important to them, but if you're feeling iffy about that, there will probably be a load of other related problems with getting a pet (e.g., with dogs you have to make sure someone's free to come home and let them out; with all pets you have to plan and pay for someone to care for them if you go away; you have to clean much more frequently, and deal with occasional sick pets; food and routine care for healthy pets can cost a lot---we spend $600+/year on food for our dog with wheat allergies!) So I would be cautious about embarking on any of that without both people being 100% sure it's worth it, because it could translate into resentment over caring for the pet.
If you really want a pet and don't lean one way or the other between cats and dogs, though, my general experience has been that most cats are far less costly over their lifetimes (and easier logistically too since they don't need attention quite as regularly). So that could be a place to start, too.
@redherring - sorry I meant not getting the surgery is probably cruel. But I don't think I could spend the couple thousand that it would cost.
I have pet insurance. It is totally worth it because in January, my one year old dog had a double luxating patella surgery. It cost me a little over $3k! Luckily I got reimbursed everything over $100-which was my co-pay. Just last week my 3 year old dog had to go in for a tooth extraction. This was also covered by my insurance.
So I totally recommend that if you are worried about vet bills get insurance. PM me if you would like to know where I get my insurance.
As others have said, by recognizing the fact that you think it may be better NOT to have a pet, then to wait for it to get ill and bypass treatment, you have already shown a LOT of thought and responsibility to this. I really do commend you for that.
I can't say much more than what has already been said. If you and your FH can agree on pet insurance, that could significantly reduce the financial impact. You can get plans that cover ONLY emergencies, or plans that also cover routine care. You just need to get it AS soon as you get your pet, because they will not cover "preexisting conditions". The chances of you needing the insurance are rare, but in the event that you do it could save you thousands. Things to be aware of; there is a deductible just like human insurance, and you have to be able to foot the bill upfront. After that, you submit the claim and you will be repaid all but the deductible. But it is important to realize that you will need to finance the care yourself before receiving any money back.
Some think pet insurance is like throwing away money, so many I know put what they would pay for pet insurance each month into a savings account specifically for pet care. There are pros and cons to this, as you can probably imagine. If your pet doesn't need emergency surgery, you will save a lot of $, but if it does you may not have enough saved up to cover it all.
I hope you and your FH continue to discuss this and can come to a resolution. Try not to use terms like "throwing away money" in the discussion, because some people truly see their pets as family members and phrases like that can be offensive and that might complicate the conversation. Good luck.
pet insurance! it's worth it. I've got Monster on meds for a heart thing he was born with, and Isabella on meds to keep her happy (and help her stop peeing). But if I could go back in time, I'd do pet insurance for BOTH and will definitely do it for any future cats. Of course they have pre-exisiting conditions now so it wouldnt do much good. Can we get Obama on this? :-)
Oh and yes, I know it's a strange name. I mean, Isabella, what a weird name right??? Just kidding! hee hee. Both are cats and Monster, incidentally, is afraid of everything!
I also want to add that even though myself and others have said the chances of such an expense aren't too great, you should definitely plan as if something like that is likely so you will never be caught off guard. Accidents happen, and conditions arise that you might never have seen coming. It is better for everyone involved to try to be prepared for the worst while still, of course, hoping for the best.
We have never spent that much on pet care. If something were seriously wrong with our pets that required thousands of dollars of surgery, I would probably consider putting them to sleep so they wouldn't suffer anymore.
i get your differences with your FI.
my parents are the same way - we have a dog that last year got his collar stuck on a branch, and had such a huge cut all the way up and down his neck he barely made it back home due to loss of blood. the same dog got some sort of bacteria later that year and ended up having eyeballs that looked like they would fall out.
both times my mom, who grew up on a farm and was used to animals dying was just going to go to the neighbours house, grab a shot gun, and kill the dog. my dad however grew up in a home with no pets, and couldn't concieve killing a member of our family, which is what he considered our dog.
thankfully my dad won both times because i love my dog more than anything and i can't even imagine what it would be like had we lost him.
I think the distinction on care may be for curable vs. incurable conditions....think kids with cleft palates. Simple operation, but unaffordable in many parts of the world, and dire consequences if they don't get the care. Similar with pets---e.g., some dogs get hip displasia that requires surgery. Costs thousands, but you're talking year-old puppies who, with the surgery, can lead happy painfree lives. And dogs still get put to sleep for this, which in my view is pretty unethical---at a minimum, give the dog to a rescue that might be able to find a new home willing to pay for the surgery. But that's very different, I'd argue, from an older dog with terminal cancer, like one we had when I was a kid)---we lived near a teaching vet hospital and they were willing to do chemo, but cost aside (which was also insane), the quality of life for a dog getting chemo to treat a terminal illness for an extra few months of life is questionable. (That said, there are certainly people out there who choose to do it.)
It's honestly the gray area in between that makes pet insurance the most valuable, though---we just have it for emergency care and basically look at it as $1K over the life of the dog to never have to make a difficult decision like that. Plus, some years it pays for itself on little things (ear infections, etc.), too.
I had a similar conversation with my FI before we got a dog except he was the one that has never owned a pet. Well, fast forward to us actually having a dog and now he understands my point of view. He loves the dog even though he didn't think he would get this attached. I'm sure if the dog needed an expensive surgery, my FI would not object. So maybe your missing piece in understanding how people that don't have a lot of money can own pets is actually owning and loving a pet.
However, I agree with previous posts. Like any other expense you take on as a couple, you both have to agree on how much you are willing to invest.
I care more for my dog than most people care for their children. She is an integral member of our family and I would be hard pressed to think of a situation where I wouldn't do anything in my power to make her life more comfortable and enjoyable.
Unbeknownst to be me, when I adopted her she had a sebaceous cyst on her skull. I had her about 6 months and awoke to her whining and whimpering in the nigth. The cyst had grown literally quadrupled OVERNIGHT and ruptured. Without a second thought we jumped in the car and went to the doggie ER. She had several complications with the treatment of her cyst and almost $2000 later she was cyst and complication free. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Would you do this for your fiance? Your child? Your parents?
With that said if we found out she had cancer or another potentially deadly and very costly disease (>5K) my FI and I would have to have a very serious talk.
It seems like your in-laws have bad luck with their pets! I've had pets all my life and haven't really had major cost expenditures- just normal once a year visits. I did have a dachshund who slipped a disk in his back and the surgery would have been $5000, and they couldn't guarentee that he's be ok after it. We had to put him to sleep which was terribly sad but we had to realistic about his outcome and the finances. I think its good to know your limit- whatever it might be.
I think that it is great you two are talking about this now.
If you cannot fathom and are not willing to spend that kind of money on the animal. Then you're right. Don't get a pet. I think the thing is to people who are willing to spend that kind of money on a animal; they are not just a pet to them. They are one of the family. Our pup is one of the family to us. Not just the family dog.
FI has always had a family pet. Me on the other hand I never had so much a goldfish! But I have always wanted a dog and we talked for a long time (long!) about it before adopting.
When we just adopted our pup she came with a whole host of health issues. The first year and half + of her life we were at the vets once a month, at least. Just off the top of my head we probably spent about 5K during that period on pet visits and medications. And that's not counting the typical food and day to day expenses of having a dog.
They ARE like a child. They can eat something out on the lawn and get digestive issues. Vet bills. Certain breeds are predisposed to certain health issues just like humans. FI's parent's Sheltie had hip issues and they had to operate on him. Couple thou. They did not blink a eyelash. It wasn't even a question.
So I say yes. If you're not prepared to spend that kind of money. Don't get a pet.
You may get lucky and have a animal with no health issues. But if you do not, are you prepared to spend that money? Or will you just return the pet like unwanted merchandise?
FI and I thank the powers that be each and every day that we adopted her instead of the family in front of us who met with her. We are 95% convinced the family with two young daughters who looked like they were only there because the daughters wanted a cute puppy would not have spend the money. The father worked nights while the mother worked days. They would not have had the time to train her properly or probably would not have spend the money on her that we did to fix all her health issues.
We love her to death and would rather go into debt to fix any health issues she may have than to let her suffer or drop her off at the local shelter. I personally feel if you are not willing to do the same you should not get a pet.
ETA: We are by no means even high middle class. I would consider us middle middle class income. But we will forego a vacation to spend money on a vet bill. We will eat spaghetti and meat sauce two weeks straight to pay a vet bill.
I volunteer at a local pet shelter which I guess impacts my opinion because really? If we only adopted our pets out to people who were willing to spend 1000s of dollars on their medical bills, we would have to put 100s of animals down every year. I would never say to someone "don't adopt a pet if you aren't willing to go into debt". I love animals and I don't want to see all our shelter animals killed if nobody is willing to take that sort of responsibility.
Wow, this is really helpful advice so far! I'm glad I'm not the only one that would consider a limit for how much to spend on a pet. We will definitely look into pet insurance - FI brushed this idea off when I mentioned it (they don't have pet insurance for whatever reason), but it sounds like it has helped so many of you.
Numerous repeptive thousand of dollars surgeries are unusual. Of course the more pets you have the more likely it is. Some breeds are more problem prone than others. I think you would do well to make sure you only get one pet if you are getting a pet. One pet will cost significantly less.
And I think that if you are living with someone who views a pet as non disposable you will have to make peace with it before getting a pet. Try to think of it more as, what if he had a hobby, like fast skiing that was quite possibly going to lead to broken bones and expensive hospital bills - but unlikely to result in huge prohibitive, repetitive bills - would you forbid him the hobby? You don't have to view pets the same as he does, you just have to accept that this is very important to him.
My dad encouraged me to put down Sushi Kitty down when his bills hit the $1,000 mark. He said I could “replace him”. But I just couldn’t. Sushi had ringworm, though—a very curable thing. But the treatments were really expensive. But I loved him SO much and I just couldn’t put him down without doing everything my power to save him. It just ate me up inside. Putting a cat down for ringworm costs? Oh it was awful.
But it got me thinking---how much was his love worth? Would I spend 5K on him? I probably would’ve. I could’ve afforded it. My mom offered to give me some money, too, but his last round of treatment (which could’ve caused liver damage—it was ketaconazole I think) actually saved him. I would’ve had to put him down if his liver failed though. It’s tough. But in my mind, barring anything major like him having cancer and dying from it, I took him into my life and accepted the responsibility to care for him, both emotionally and financially. Not just take care of him as long as he’s a cheap kitty. In regards to terminal illnesses and such, I’d likely decline treatment until he got sick and then I’d euthanize him because I couldn’t just let him suffer, either. My parents put our dog down when he had a stroke and couldn’t function well. They put a cat down when he got too old and couldn’t hold his pee in anymore. I hope it’s 15 years before I have to deal with that.
Also, if there are any veterinary schools nearby, I wonder if any of them offer surgeries at a reduced price? I know it’d be “practicing” but a licensed vet is right there, watching and guiding.
But ditto what Gerbera said--I'd sacrifice a lot of my own stuff and eat Ramen to fix my kitty. But it REALLY depends--am I prolonging the inevitable or am I honeslty fixing something?
@ceamoste: I wasn't going to post anything on this thread because my opinion is pretty harsh, but like your mom, it's because I grew up on a working farm. It really does form the way you see animals. I could never consider our pets as members of our family.
My husband and I haven't decided what exactly our "limit" is but we both have them and by a lot of people's standard's it's not very high. Maybe a couple thousand? I don't know. It would depend of what the cause and outlook were.
That said, I think I put $5k (maybe more, I never added it up) into my mare over a 3 month period of time before having to put her down. Would I do that for her daughter? No. Actually, after those three months I "told" Stella straight up that if she went through a fence she was SOL. I couldn't go through that again. I should add, that vet bill should have probably been a few thousand dollars more but my vet was awesome and "forgot" to charge me for certain things and let me do the work on others. (For example, wrap my own bandages for $5 worth of supplies instead of $35 for him to do it.)
One more for pet insurance! I've had my fair share of dogs and sporthorses, and the insurance has come in handy for both. The most memorable is probably a leg surgery on a horse that would have cost me roughly $5k, but ended up only costing me the $250 deductible! Lifesaver! If your husband is really resistant to pet insurance, then it's worth starting a savings account that you make a monthly deposit into for pet emergencies. The last thing you want is to find yourself at the ER vet having to make a decision about whether your pet lives or dies based on your ability to afford the care he/she needs. Like other posters above have said, prevention is a must as well - yearly vaccinations and vet visits, as well as a pet-proofed home will take care of the majority of issues.
Your FMIL should really get rid of all the cat toys! haha. We have 2 cats and occasionally they will get sick and require some medication, nothing over $150 though. It just depends on what you are willing to do. We love our cats to death but if one of them required a $1500 surgery we would probably have to put that cat down. I know it sounds really mean but we have discussed what we would do if this sort of thing happened. Sometimes there just isn't enough money to justify that sort of thing.
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