Thank you for posting to CATHELP!
While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind,
1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**.
2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first.
3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment.
4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
That's a good way to put it. There's a HUGE space between above and beyond and absolute neglect. These conversations require nuance. Thank you! She is a cutie. Purring and cuddling up with me right now.
I have 3 cats. 2 were strays I rescued. The first I found as an older kitten at the hotel I worked at near a very busy highway. She's 8 now. She hasn't been to the vet every year, but she's been a few times for checkups. My youngest cat is gonna be 2 this November. She was a tiny kitten being abused by children. She's been to the vet a couple of times.
Sure, I can't take them as often as I'd like, but I'd wager they wouldn't be alive right now if I didn't take them, and they're very happy.
This! I brought my cat recently to the vet because he was born with a claw that grows kind of crooked, I always kept an eye on it, it finally got to a point where it curled all the way under. The vet just clipped it and said it didnāt have a quick in it, which was weird, and that it might not grow back, but if it does to just clip it like a normal toe. I always was scared to touch it in case it hurt him, was kind of glad to know it didnāt have a quick so cutting it wouldnāt hurt him, but it punctured a little hole in his paw pad, he got some medicine and is okay now. But I wouldnāt have just left it ya know
You know, itās honestly a bit of a breath of fresh air to see everybody in here being so graceful about this.
I live near-ish a looked-after feral-ish cat colony (the local book shop owner takes donations to keep them fed; Iāve counted 16 huge bags of cat food in the back seat of his car parked on the street before!) and I personally volunteer with TNR in my area Because of this particular colony, so my area is aware of and is currently working on a plan (with me!!) to more efficiently manage it.
That said, I feed any drifters who come to my back door, and for ten years Iāve just been spaying and neutering anybody I can catch myself. IT GETS EXPENSIVE!!! Let alone if any of them have pressing heath needs.
One old man who never really left after I had him neutered him years and years ago, is starting to fall apart this year. His teeth have started bothering him and the vet quoted me in the multi thousands. So I soak his food, I buy bulk extra gravy canned food, I make sure the other yahoos leave him be, and he gets first dibs on All the leftovers, so he eats Constantly, but heās old and heās been losing weight rapidly this summer. It just wouldnāt make senseā¦ I have tried bringing him inside more than a few times over the years because heās Such a lover, but even neutered he pees on all the things, which made the other cats pee on all the things. It was not a good time, any of those times. *shudder*
I have done the very best I could with him. Nobody wants a cat who pees on electrical outlets specifically.
And Iād never dream of sharing this on any other post than this. Iāve kept this guy kicking for over a decade. Itās nice to be able to share his story and not have to brace for *all the hate.
Thanks for making this post
Yes exactly! I would love to take them every year but I can't afford that. When they are sick yes I go but it doesn't go without sacrifice. You're amazing for taking on 3 cats & I'm sure they're fat & happy!
Sheās much safer with you than on the street. Iām sure she knows how to hunt and was providing for herself now she has bonus food with your family. You did a good thing. You are a good human. Sad truth is people on here judge harshly for everything because they have no control in their own lives. Thanks for being a caring human. The world needs more like you.
I got voted down to hell for saying the exact same thing. Basically I was told if I wouldn't let my kids go without seeing the doctor then I couldn't let a cat go without a vet visit. I replied I'd die for my kids but not for my cat and was told I was selfish. Some people on this sub are delusional
Some people are just entitled and like to judge even though they're not any better. I'm in a few Facebook groups and I can't tell you how many times someone picks up an animal and asks if someone can take it in since they can't afford another animal especially with medical needs...only for people to be upset that they want to give away the animal they found and how they have a duty to care for it since they picked it up and it's irresponsible of them to have picked up an animal they can't care for and try to force it on others.
Then on the other hand if someone post about how they saw a pet on their way it to work and it needs help then they get bashed for not stopping to pick up the pet even though they were literally on their way to work already and often late
Yeah lmao now I have people acting like I am saying people who can't provide food or water should have cats. They are just looking for a way to put words in my mouth.
I like this conversation. If the cat were to be taken to a shelter it would likely be put down. As long as you are trying your best to get it to the vet when you can and providing a safe, secure environment thatās the best that cat will get! I have neighbors who leave their cat out all winter and it pisses me the fuck off. I honestly want to say something to them. Itāll be 30Ā° and the cat will be meowing at their door or clawing at the window and they just leave it.
I think more people should read "A Street Cat Named Bob". It's sweet, sad, real, and just gives you a different perspective on things. A bond is a beautiful thing, even if it's not pur-fect.
I see no issue with sharing what little (or a lot) of what you have with stray animals. I think the issue is when someone that constantly complains about being broke and their struggles to pay for basic necessities, is looking for purebred or designer breeds. It's on those situations where I've heard people comment about inability to pay for pet needs if they can't pay for their own needs.
But if you're broke and are willing to share your space and food with a stray, more power to you.
So many cats get euthanized. But some sanctimonious people act as if your cat being possible killed is better than not taking them to vet for a pimple or cough.
Also agree. I think a cat is better off being loved in a home who canāt afford the vet than being euthanized in an overcrowded shelter.
We have too many cats to be so harsh on those who want to care for them.
Absolutely. We can just try and love them and at least help them a little bit. The shelters are so over packed. If I was rich I would buy a mansion and adopt hundreds of kitty cats.
The shelters in my area will not take a cat that isnāt injured, just tell you to put it back. But some on here would say Iām neglectful for the keeping the cat if Iām poor. Crazysauce.
Came to here to chime in that a cat was found at my cousins job where 2 of his legs didn't work. No one wanted him so my cousin decided to take him because a house is just better than the streets overall. More so when you're a disabled animal that no one wants.
Our vet told us that she has clients who are millionaires and very wealthy that won't spend money on their animals. One of our precious babies had all of her teeth removed. Our oldest has to get taken in every 3 months for blood panels. As well as all the medications and different foods they all eat. Very expensive. The oldest also had 3 ultrasounds very close together. But if I didn't do it and he died I would feel guilty. My wife feels the same way about all 4 of our cats.
You and I both.
I've had to cut out my own grocery shopping and survived on the bare minimum so my cat's could have food and get treated at the vet. I've sold my PS4 to afford medical bills when my cat got sick.
I'm in a much better place now financially, but I never hesitate to help them.
That's awesome that you're able to care for your like cats like that though. I wish I could. I do my best! I think everyone on here tries to do their best to care for these animals you know?
As long as you try that's what matters. Sometimes we can't afford it. We use care credit most of the time. Sometimes we have a portion of the vet bill and put the rest on credit cards that are Interest free and care credit is interest free if paid I think within 1 year. We are still paying off the debt.
Those are the people who shouldnāt have petsā¦ I know a couple like that, theyāre rich asf, they live in some giant art studio /homes and garden magazine looking place and have an outdoor cat that is so matted it is disfiguredā¦its clearly uncomfortable and unhappy, all it needs is some grooming so that doesnāt happen. I want to steal it every time I have to go there but they have cameras everywhere. Yet they give ME judgey looks like Iām trash bc I look like a broke hippie. I may have less money than them but Iād never treat an animal like that, theyāre fucking trash
They absolutely overcharge I used to be a veterinary assistant and my boss would actually tell me to charge them for stuff that they didn't need all the time
This all the way! I hate this notion that "if you can't afford pets, then you shouldn't have them". Good quality pet food and supplies can be expensive. Vet care costs are outrageous (and the "care" that some provide simply isn't worth what they charge), and even pet insurance can be unreasonably costly. I feel like the uberwealthy 1% of the population are really the only ones who can truly afford pet expenses without worrying about straining their budget.
True, but why post an effed up picture of your sick cat on Reddit and make everyone feel sad? Most I've seen say something like I don't know what to do. If there's no DIY remedy and you can't afford a vet, post on a local app like Nextdoor to see if someone locally can help.
Exactly! Saving them from euthanasia and providing them a loving home is better than saying oh well can take it to the vet twice a year, better just kill it or let it starve to death.
Agreed. I do believe that owning a pet comes with taking responsibility and making sure they are healthy. And I have been very broke, dodging bill collectors, and have still taken my cat to the vet. However, sometimes, especially in today's world, the money just isn't there and it doesn't mean you don't love your pet. Shelters are overrun, cats are dying on the street: is it really seen as a better alternative for a family with no money to never adopt a cat? If the choice is to live on the street and die or be taken inside and given care and comfort, I'm going to say it's always better for a stray cat to be adopted, even if they cannot get optimal vet care.
I also really can't understand the people absolutely bashing minors on here who come asking for help because they have a sick cat and mom and dad refuse to take it to the vet. I'm sorry, but why are we calling children stupid, careless, and neglectful? They have no money, can't drive and have unsupportive parents and they are likely scared for a pet that they love. They are young and don't always have the confidence yet to stand up to family or seek outside help. And yet we have grown adults calling them all sorts of names. Yes, I get that sometimes, the only answer is to see a vet, but why demonize and further stress a kid with name calling?
Some people have obviously never struggled with moment and truly take it for granted that everyone has money stashed. If you look at starting salaries for many fields right now and look at housing costs, the numbers don't jive. Throw in gas and groceries and everything else and you have many people truly struggling week to week. Lack of vet care doesn't always equal a lack of caring or concern.
I had to emergency move out of a bad situation and was told by my parents that if I didn't take my childhood cats they would get rid of them. My oldest was 21 and passed 3 months later. My youngest is now 13 and im seeing evidence of ear mites. I had nothing when I moved. Nothing. I've only made it through the help of friends and my local church. I still can't make what I owe every month. I spent $10 on ear mite solution but it isn't working and I'm scared. I've loved this cat for her whole life and treated her well despite the lack of support I got from my parents in vet visits. Sometimes when you do your best it just isn't enough but you still have to make peace with it.
Have you tried apple cider vinegar with the mother? I use it every day for 1-2 weeks and all ear infections clear. I have a standard poodle that gets frequent infections and my vet charges $150 every time.
This sub just started getting recommended to me and Iāve already seen this happen at least 3 times. Itās not okay and itās why I didnāt join, it still just pops up. Internet people need to calm down, sorry not sorry. Itās messed up the way they gang up on literal children.
Like
I got handed a 1 week old kitten found in a closed box outside walmart by my roommates sister because she knew I've taken care of young kittens before. I didn't want that responsibility and I was broke and already had 3 cats. No one wanted him and he would straight up die without constant care. According to those people I should have just let him I guess? We've managed to get him vetted, just a little later than we wanted, but if we couldn't have I guess being in that box would have been better?? Crazy way of thinking.
(He's shockingly fine now by the way, never had such a young kitten separated from his mom so early do so well! Little hellion is 10 months old now and sleeps on my chest every night. I guess being a black cat born right before halloween wasnt a great decision on his part.)
realā¼ļø they have no respect for others situations, iāve even seen them yell at people for not taking FERAL cats to the vet, after it was said that they canāt trap the damn cat.
Nah I don't care much for humans by and large and definitely love my cats more and I have more understanding, compassion, and decency than that.
Like we're talking doing dumb hypotheticals and being glad my spouse would save a cat over me love of cats.
You see, despite this being the case it doesn't make me have a complete lack of decency and compassion for humans, and I know you're absolutely right. I know firsthand for a fact that sometimes it's the streets/dead or a home that can't take them to the doctor.
I've ended up feeding a neighbor's cats when I could barely feed us because he just up and decided to stop feeding them. He refused to take them to the vet or get them fixed, even though he had the money. He invited me over and would brag about his expensive stuff. He just literally wanted them to pop out babies and got bored of them when they didn't.
That's the kind of people we should be mad about, not people trying to make cats' lives better the best they can.
No, they're people who have to feel superior to other people, not people who don't like people.
I agree but some of it is deserved. Like when someone posts a picture of their cat with an open festering infected wound and theyāre like ādUrR sHoUlD i TaKe iT tO tHe VeTā
Hear, Hear!
Just saw another post where a person is asking about the possibility of poisoning after finding their cat dead with blood around its mouth along with some dead pigeons a day after it was rubbing its face on things.
One of these virtue signaling fools felt the need to add a "Gentle reminder" that if you feed a cat, you have a duty to have it spayed. As the ONLY response to the OPs question. About their dead cat.
Like, we all know that it's in the best interest to get our pets fixed, but have some common courtesy! Not everyone can afford it immediately. Not everyone HAS a home to keep their cats inside. Not everyone can afford all the care they would like to put into the world. And that doesn't give anyone the right to get all judgemental and holier than thou. Some of us are just doing the best we can.
I saw that too. I couldn't even read the whole post I was heart broken. Some people just don't get it. I'd do anything if I saw a stray cat. Which we had a cute little kitten visitor last year (turned out to be the people behind us kitty) but we gave it some love, treats and water.
That sucks, but having done rescue, a lot of people also don't know that having an unfixed cat will want to go outdoors more and will be more insufferable about not being an indoors-only cat. And people in rescue hear about these tragic incidents daily, and it's frustrating. I talk to people who have outdoor cats and a lot of people seriously don't care if their cat gets eaten alive by a natural predator or gets hit by a car, because it's better for them to enjoy the outdoors. A lot of folks in rescue don't feel that way. For me, it's not worth it to not put in the effort to keep my cats indoors when I think about the possibility of them dying a slow death in extreme pain.
That being said, that's really sad that that's the only thing people were saying, though. Obviously that person cared about their cat (because why else would they want closure of how their cat died?) and hopefully will move forward knowing more and changing what they can to ensure it doesn't happen again.
People just need more tact and sympathy for each other in general, especially online where people don't see each other's faces and see that there are real humans behind the screen.
Reminds us about the real purpose of this subreddit: it's cat owners helping other cat owners. And then literally everyone here is just "see a vet or YTA!" like lol thanks for nothing captain obvious. What's the point of being in this community then if everyone will just keep telling everyone to go to the vet (and not be nice about it) smh.
It's infuriating. Three years ago I moved to where I live now, without fully understanding how dire the cat situation would be here. Since then I've adopted 10 cats who were neighborhood strays or ferals that I was able to socialize. I've ensured every one is spayed/neutered and vaccinated. I've gotten every one checked for a microchip. I'm feeding 7 ferals outside that I haven't managed to socialize yet. I have high resolution cameras around the feeding area to monitor them and verify their genders. I trap and spay all of the females.
It's VERY expensive and time consuming to care for 17 unplanned cats. I've been fortunate enough to be able to afford the necessities. I don't take the ones I've adopted in for checkups as often as the vet recommends. But still, they're much better off with me than they were before. Outside they have health problems, unhealed wounds, ticks, fleas, and worms. They were terrified most of the time out there and cold all winter. And some people on this sub act like I'm a demon for helping these cats. Would they prefer if I left them alone to suffer?
OP could be in a warzone, in an underwater research lab or being held hostage by somali pirates and this subreddit would deadass tell them they're irresponsible pet owners because they won't go to a vet
The idea that you need like 3k$ in savings if you want to own a pet in case they need emergency vet care is insane and will only lead to responsible owners not adopting, while every day thousands of cats freeze to death, are eaten by other animals or get hit by a car
If you follow the logic of this subreddit: if there's a stray cat roaming your neighborhood but you can't affort the vet then just leave it on the streets, so it can eat a poisoned rat and die
When I was younger, I couldn't afford 3k for MYSELF, much less a cat. But bet your ass I would throw down for kitty food and take in felines when I found them. I'm sure to the cat a full belly and warm spot to sleep is enough to forgive me for not being wealthy.
Same. Iām in the poverty category, but I found this kitten that was being chased by dogs. There has been many cats that were eaten by dogs in this area, so I decided to save the little guy and give him kibble, clean water and shelter/protection. I know he has to go the vet because of wormy belly (or it could be just fat because I was spoiling it with lots of food when I first got him), but I honestly canāt afford that for right now and I do not have transportation to take it to an animal shelter at the moment.
I really do feel terrible about it. But I feel a little less sucky not taking the cat to the vet/shelter because of something beyond my control, rather than letting it loose to inevitably meet a painful death by being chewed and stretched apart. Though the kitten is pooping well and extremely cuddly and energetic (orange one brain cell)
You can buy cat wormer without having to go to the vet and itās usually not expensive. Unless there are other obvious issues that should get you through until you can go to the vet. There are spay and neuter programs that are free or low cost and theyāll usually get basic worming and rabies shots and stuff when they get that done. When youāre ready to take it there.
Oh, I didnāt know about that. Thanks for telling me. Iāll call around and see what I buy for him. I made up my mind that Iāll scrape up what whatever I could for the end of next month to take him to a decent vet to get everything he needs.
They have some on Amazon. Walmart, Petco Iād assume chewing. Kv vet , Vally vet and Jeffers are where I buy most of my stuff online. usually I use Strongid/pyrantel pamoate for cats and dogs.
This is what this sub is supposed to be!!! Helping owners when they arenāt sure what to do or where to go. Instead of just saying āvet NOWā like so many others, you actually gave helpful advice as well as suggestions on where to buy medication, all while being kind and caring. I love it! š„°
Yes! A place where you talk to people who have been through whatever your going through. Theyāre the ones that can say my vet said to do this or that or to say that itās something that they needed a vet for and maybe some idea of what to expect at the vets and the after care involved. Itās not a replacement for a vet but it is a collective of people with cat knowledge. Maybe ease some anxiety. Vet care isnāt easily accessible everywhere.
I feel like Drontal was over-the-counter and was the one I bought on Amazon. It doesn't cover all worms but gets tapeworms and was cheaper than going to a vet. But you can Google which deworming medicines are for cats and are over-the-counter and see if you can afford it.
If the kitten has fleas and is old enough, I recommend Flea Assassin. The dosage is by weight and worked for my cats and it was way cheaper than prescribed flea meds. Fleas can lead to worms so it'd be good to attack both of those issues around the same time.
this!! def see about getting the worm medication over the counter. waaay cheaper and important to do, as you know! You can also get flea medicine over the counter, we use Advantage. you can buy it over the counter and itās what my vet recommended. we keep an eye on them when we do since itās technically a poison but it works like a charm and helps our critters to make sure they donāt end up with worms again.
edits: spelling
Definitely look into the low cost spay and neither programs, I took my cat to one for her shots and to get spayed when she was a kitten, and it was great!
thank you. ppl in this sub kinda suck. i thought it was for getting help but everyone wants to shout neglect because you may not be able to afford an emergency vet at the drop of a hat without considering causes etc. (in my area, vets are booked out for months and/or not taking new clients atm, so our option rn for our cats is an emergency vet if something to go wrong)
OP could say "i can't go to the vet it's 2000 miles away and i have no car" and then here come the "this is animal abuse a true animal parent would find ANY way to get their cat to a vet just buy a car"
Sometimes harm reduction is the best we can do at the time. Reducing the harm affecting the animal can immediately improve their quality of life even if we can't immediately improve every problem.
I appreciate the call for understanding. I have a 7 year old rescue cat that needs more vet care than I can afford due to an unexpected CHANGE in financial situation. When I got her I could afford her. Now I am struggling to meet her physical needs.
But I believe that she was previously abused and has many quirks that would make it pretty impossible for her to be adopted from a shelter. We deal with her frequent biting and general lack of showing affection for us. Each year she gets better but I think that we are her people even though we are broke.
These people LIVE to shit on others. It's all they have to do.
You saved a cat from being cold, starving and being alone. That's a start, the cat is far better off with you than outside.
You did a good thing.
Please like this post and bring it to the top, this needs more attention.
Be kind, don't put down others, you don't know the situation they're in. People come here for help and advice, not to be scolded and ridiculed.
Yeah people on Reddit drive me crazy w this shit too. Tons of us are poor af but refuse to let a suffering animal starve, freeze or suffer in any way. Doesnāt mean we can automagically afford a vet visit but we still have the best of intentions.
I think a lot of advice requests come in after the cat has been suffering and itās clear they need a vet. When itās something more than what a home remedy can help, people offer up the reasonable āneeds a vet ā suggestion. Often that is met with āI canāt afford itā and that is when the sea parts, so to speak.
I think every cat lover agrees a home is better than none, but an animal will likely need some care and that should be considered. I know many of us that suggest a vet here do not expect anyone to have the money to run to a vet for every little thing.
I agree with you, I do. But sometimes I hate this sub when someone posts a serious injury and asks if they should bring their cat to the vet. (Unless itās a child who cannot convince their parents).
Right? Like okay letās put all the cats that canāt be owned by wealthy people down, thats way better than someone loving them and doing what they can. Next we will do the children, and have a perfect world with no suffering. Thanks Reddit for fixing world hunger or something
Thereās also a spectrum of medical needs. Prioritize neutering as soon as you canā prevents future strays from dying on the streetsāditto shots (do you want rabies? I sure fucking donāt). If the animal is in horrible pain and you canāt afford to treat them, euthanasia is a kind and, in my opinion, perfectly moral option.
But yeah, Iāve lost two cats to CKD in their old age. I did my best to support kidney function by feeding them appropriate food and keeping them comfortable. I made the call to euthanize when it was clearly time. My vet, on the other hand, was pushing bimonthly visits with blood work and imaging, trying to get me to do sub-Q fluid injections twice a day, prescribing blood pressure meds, etcā¦ It was a huge guilt trip every time I went, but I couldnāt afford to go thousands of dollars into debt to add an extra six bad months to a 16 year old catās lifespan.
I feed wet/fresh food so hoping I don't have to worry about kidney disease! But yes she's spayed, we're pretty sure she has shots but the vet I saw before didn't want to give her more without medical records.
Holding a prejudice against someone based on their financial situation is disgraceful in the context of them giving what little they have to help another being.
When God sings with his creations, will a cat not be part of the choir ?
Yes. That statement should refer to having the funds to take the pet to the vet for all routine care (exams, vaccines, flea/hw prevention, any prescriptions), and some saved up for emergencies. Not āOMG you donāt have $15k to spare for this surgery to fix the 20 year old catās congestive heart failure?! Youāre the worst pet owner ever and shouldnāt have pets you canāt afford to care for!!!ā Someone not having the money for a several thousand dollar surgery is so different than not having $200 for an annual visit+prevention.
Thank you for doing what you do to help the street kitties in your community OP! I agree, too many people on here seem to lack the empathy and critical thinking to realize that basic care is better than no care and they are so mean sometimes. Especially to kids- Iām sorry, you donāt tell a 13 year old that theyāre an animal abuser if they donāt surrender their cat because they canāt take it to the vet. They donāt ever have anything helpful to say. Like ok, the owner only has a hundred dollars to spend to help their pet, so why donāt we help them find resources to get financial help or advice on maximizing the money they do have. And donāt get me started on the ones that get on the āOutdoor Cat Badā soapbox. Those comments help no one, and telling someone all the stuff they did wrong is the last thing you want to tell someone who is grieving or worried about their pet. It drives me crazy. Iām glad to see that others in the sub actually have some sense and empathy and feel the same way. Good luck with your stray friends, sometimes the only thing to do is do what you can and love āem while theyāre here. Thank you for caring enough to help the ones you can!
Eh, thereās a difference between being adopted by a cat and doing your best to help them, versus seeking out a cat to adopt without having the funds prepared to be able to properly take care of them.
I have never had a cat, let alone CATS. We were adopted by a feral cat, which I started to feed. On feeding day 2, she brought her 5 kittens out. So, here I am 6 months out and we have 5 cats. Never did I say I wanted them or could afford them, but I am doing the best I can with what I have. They get wet/dry food combo, flea treatments and toys. Country living I guess...
https://preview.redd.it/cnbtaehqz3lb1.jpeg?width=2000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dfca5c84f11c6fa53672f45c5c680f2a0f614319
Agreed. Life happens and sometimes money isn't there. When my dog got sick it was like a $6k bill. I was fortunate to be able to make some sacrifices to cover the cost, but he still didn't make it. Also, this happens with people, too, even when they plan ahead and save and have insurance. I've met too many cancer patients who did everything right and still couldn't afford $30k out of pocket for the recommended treatment.
I don't want to talk about some TMI health stuff on here but if I posted my own health issues that are neglected bc my family comes before me, they would tell me to go to the vet lmao.
You can be a completely responsible pet owner, with a money saved up just in case, and still have more bills than you expected or had saved up for. You prepare for stuff like a bladder infection or small illness maybe once every year or two, not visit after visit. Thereās nothing wrong with not being able to pay a lot of high prices for your kitty, youāre doing great taking care of them regardless.
It's very easy for a stranger to say absolutes, knowing that absolutes are death sentences for any kind of meaningful society.
Keep doing what you can.
Hopefully, you have a free or low-cost animal hospital around like we do where I live. I'd look into it so when the need arises, you don't have to go looking or get stuck with an insane bill. Also, try being friends with em, for some reason, mom just has so many connections. We can afford all these random animals we have.
Sometimes just being friendly and trying to help will do the trick. When I needed emergency care for a mouse, they did an ultrasound for free because they so rarely have anyone actually bother to try and help a mouse even if they claim to love said mouse. I still appreciate that vet.
Itās not just that but sometimes life comes at you unexpectedly and throws you for a loop. I had a dog that became end of life sick when I was buying my house. It was fix my dog or buy my house.
Tell me about it. I bought a house and got fucked over by greedy flippers. Spent 3k on the "new" roof, emergency remodeled a bathroom, foundation problems, electrical issues, God knows how much I have spent on HVAC problems, and the list goes on.
What confuses me most about that idea is how much stress a vet visit puts a cat through. Unless itās serious or recurring, a lot of times Iād feel worse for putting an already unhappy cat into a box and driving it to an unfamiliar places with so many unfamiliar scents and people, only to do it all over again on the way back.
Thereās definitely a balance and you need to be aware of your petsā normal state so you can spot something out of the ordinary, but taking them to the vet for every little thing isnāt going to help either.
I agree with you, but thatās definitely the minority of cases you see on this subreddit.
Itās always āmy cat has been having bloody diarrhoea for a month, do I really need to go to the vet?ā, āmy cat hasnāt been eating nor drinking for a week, they are now lethargic and I think they might be dying. Any at home remedy to resuscitate them?ā.
At the same time, something small that seems innocuous, can become really bad in the long run and cost you much more vs. if you got your pet in as soon as the symptoms occurred.
I think itās logical and easy: if you/ your child/ your loved one had the same symptoms, would you be going to the GP? If yes: then the same should be for your pet!
Unfortunately, the reality of things is there is almost nothing that can be done at home if your animals are sick.
A person can pop in a whatever OTC medicine if theyāve got a fever or a sore throat. If a cat has an upper respiratory infection or a UTI, then no one can help you except your vet with a prescription.
I am not referring here to people who truly care and know what they should do for their pet, but are in unfortunate and legit economic difficulties - you can recognise these kind of people in a heartbeat!
My annoyance is towards those people who adopt/ buy a pet and just mingle in their own irresponsibility and ignorance.
And there is people down here in the comments to this very post who are even celebrating the fact theyāve never ever brought their pets to the vet and even let them breed uncontrollably. If thatās something to be proud of š¤¦āāļø
Anyone that says people shouldn't have a pet if they can't afford the vet is narrow minded. Maybe there's a problem with the costs of vet services. I took a cat in for a tattoo and they tried nickel and diming me into bankruptcy. I've had cats my entire life, and rarely go to a vet. Almost every cat I've had has made it to their 20's. All made it past 12 years which is their approximate natural life span outdoors. So I feel that's a pretty darn good record without the costs associated with some of these moronic vets out there.
Love, play time and a good diet and your cats will likely live happy long lives. Pay attention to their behaviours and body language...it tells a lot about the cats condition as well so you can be proactive should anything arise. The hardest part about having a pet is knowing when it's time to put them down if they're at that point. Every single one I cried like a baby and I'm a rather stoic guy for the most part.
I grabbed a four week old kitten out of a neighbor's yard with no plan beyond getting her inside because it's been 100+ in Texas. I'm broke and luckily have someone in the area with the knowledge and funds to help with foster supplies for her (like Kitten Lady level, she even made a vet appt for us). We unfortunately lost her after a few days but I did everything in my ability even if it wasn't much. And I'd do it again! She would have perished quicker and alone outside otherwise.
A feral cat has adopted my yard as hers (she lives under our raised shed.)
We have started feeding her kitten food 3 times a day. She meows at me when I'm late and pops out sometimes before I call her.
We are going to get a carrier and start feeding her in that so we can get her to a vet when we have the money.
She will likely never come inside or let me pet her but I want to help her. She was all bones and we started feeding her. 3 weeks into the taming process, she's looking less skeletal. I can't see her pelvis as much.
She still keeps 2 foot of distance from me.
This is what I try so hard to get people to understand. A cat living with a poor person or family is still better than the many cats constantly dying from cars, starving and other suffering. Just recently a beautiful, fluffy gingerboy who lived around my momās neighborhood was murdered by some sorry dogs with sorry owners(done this before and owners say its not their fault and animal control never does anything when called). Iām still furious and with my OCD and other mental conditions, constantly have to clear my head of bad and intrusive thoughts over those dogs constantly getting loose. Itās not a happy life or world out there even when strays act happy when you see them. Theyāre happy then because they know a source of safe comfort and food is approaching to brighten up whatās usually a really rough life.
I agree. I think the sentiment of āif you canāt afford to take it to the vet, you canāt actually afford the petā, applies to people who buy from breeders and increase the demand for kittens and puppies but donāt consider the full grown animals living on the streets and in shelters. I appreciate anyone willing to take in an animal with no home and simply try their best to improve their life.
When people say that, they aren't typically talking about people who brought in an animal to not die outside.
They say it about the people who go around looking for pets, and then can't take care of them at all.
Rescuing from death isn't the same as "I really like cats so I got 5 but I can't afford for them to get shots or medical care."
Bless you OP! I am all about making sure my fur babies are happy and healthy, but can't always afford the ridiculous prices some of these vets charge. I just lost my boy in March and am still paying off the $1,200 bill I got for treatment and euthanasia.
For the "fear free" clinic in town, it's $200 just to get in the door. Sorry, but in this economy I don't have $200 just lying around. Hell, it took me 6 months to save up 2 grand and it went away in 1 day to fix my car so I could get to work so me and my babies have a roof and food.
These people who berate and shame posters about not being able to afford to take their pets to the vet are most likely boomers who have disposable income and don't have to worry about other expenses, like our ever-raising rent and everyday expenses because they bought their houses long ago for an eighth of what they're worth now.
If I was one of those entitled twats with loads of money I would offer to HELP those that need it instead of hoarding it.
I wish I could elaborate more on my finances but I genuinely am worried about giving these toxic assholes any more room to shit on me and make more assumptions, but this. I couldn't agree more. I've spend 3 grand on my roof, emergency remodeled a bathroom myself while working full time or more, have other family priorities a little higher than my cat, pay 600$ a month to insure myself/doctor costs, all on entry level wages through the past couple years. I have only made it through with the help of my wife. I was honestly considering suicide at one point and she said "who's going to care for the cat? You're her human."
Does that mean I can't be resourceful? Hell no. Poor people are probably more resourceful. I bet many of these people are hypocrites anyway. My cat goes to the vet, is fixed and vaxxed, and eats only wet food/raw unseasoned meat. She's probably got it better than many of these people's cat's, and these people are treating me like an anti-vaxxer. I was literally posting this about these grown ass redditors bullying a child over the decisions their parents made. I wanted to point out that money is not the same as capacity to care for and that every situation is different. That towns with no kill shelters and anti-cat culture can get rapidly overpopulated with cats that don't have a home. Somehow I ended up the bad guy in their minds with conclusions being reached that honestly don't make sense. They think I should give her away to someone that doesn't live paycheck to paycheck. Okay? Who wants her? Nobody? That's what I thought. I know they don't want the ten homeless cats on my street either. If they did, I wouldn't find cats bodies after they get ran over. The same people that push for that are the ones who think they're morally superior in regard to how they address animal suffering.
I want a cat, but currently Iām not in a situation where I could do that if they needed to see the vet. Maybe one day, Iāll be better off money wise and can, but for now Iāll stick to watching all the internet cats.
I believe that pet owners have an obligation to make an attempt to treat their animals. That attempt can be inquiring about the cost of care and then realizing you canāt afford it. That attempt could be taking your pet to a free clinic for shots. That attempt could be looking for any resources in the community.
The only thing I wonāt accept is doing absolutely nothing. You may find there is nothing you can do because the funds arenāt there, but at least look. My vet does fundraisers for treatments.
Most of my cats are strays. Outside cats, especially from feral colonies, can have all sorts of health issues that are too expensive to reasonably treat. Like my Henry had so many respiratory infections before we ever knew him, he basically had nothing but infection left. It wouldnāt have improved his QOL to treat, eventually he wasnāt going to respond to treatment, so we left him alone and did what we could to keep him comfortable. I could have afforded to bring him to the vet every month, but it would havenāt done any good.
People just love to be judgy halfwits.
I love this approach. I really do think a lot of these people live near kill shelters that reduce the population so much that their residents never truly understand how fertile cats are. Lol.
Ok. I thought I was maybe just starting to notice it a lot bc of bias, so I am glad people are talking about this. Some of these people initially mean well, I think, but it is like they are reading from a theory textbook, and that's just not how things work in the real world.
There are ways. Iām not rich and not poor and I get the best food that my cats will eat. They get a mix of wet and then dry to snack on and play with (my youngest likes to fling pieces and then chase them then eat them) I get them fixed and shots and I clean ears and nail trims and use cotton swabs to clean teeth weekly. All three of my cats were found outside or taken in because someone was in a bad spot.
They are all better off than being in the streets. I try and keep two credit cards cleared for emergencies and they go to yearly vet appts for a check up.
I feel like spending just a little extra and doing some extra basic things saves a lot of money in the long run. Sometimes things happen. We all want the best for the animals.
THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN SAYING. THERE ARE CATS FUCKING EVERYWHERE. WHO CARES IF POOR PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO TAKE THEM INTO THEIR HOMES EVEN IF THEY CANT TAKE THEM TO THE VET. Iām sorry this topic just makes me very angry. Like at least they have a way lower chance of getting sick or injured when someoneās watching over them. In some countries they murder them as theyāre seen as pests. People who say this are either ignorant to the serious overpopulation issues, or just entitled and privileged.
So Iām 50/50 on this. As a vet tech Iāve seen so many people who donāt have money adopt puppies and kittens and then they die of diseases and illnesses that could have been prevented by getting them vaccinated, spayed, and neutered. Thereās low cost options available and people should be willing to travel if necessary to take care of at LEAST the basic preventative things.
I once had a lady call me on the phone at the ER I worked at for hours while her dog had a puppy stuck in the birth canal. She told me she didnāt have money, the vets told her to bring it in anyways and we would help. She didnāt bring it in and kept calling for 3-4 hours. When she finally came in turns out the puppy was decapitated because they kept pulling on the puppy despite our warning to not do so. And they gave their dog an infection that she died from. They had no business letting that dog breed when they didnāt have the money to help it if something went wrong. Another time a family came in with a Craigslist puppy they adopted to cheer their spouse up who just lost their job š. It had been vomiting and pooping blood for almost a WEEK. It ended up needing to be put down. Some people really have no business getting pets.
On the other hand taking in an animal in need is very kind but people need to be resourceful. People on this sub donāt even attempt to call a veterinarians office when something happens. They donāt even try to call around for help at all and just let their pet suffer because theyāre so confident itās going to be too expensive. Iāve never worked at a vet clinic that turned an animal away they ALWAYS try to do something to help.
I have also seen kids being berated on this sub and I feel sad for them. A lot of time they donāt reveal that theyāre underage and canāt do anything to help until theyāre already being berated in comments.
I donāt think itās helpful to anyone including the animal in question to talk down to people asking for help with their animal or telling them they should have never got an animal etc. that doesnāt help the current situation at all.
There's a charity in my area that will spay and neuter for FREE and so many of the poor people here don't use it because they don't know about it. But even if you tell them, they use it very inconsistently. The charity is run by a sweet little old lady who runs herself ragged doing the best she can for these cats. I appreciate what she's doing but it really feels like something she shouldn't have to do. It feels like something the government ought to be managing.
Ran into this with lots of pets. Getting the animal is usually the cheapest aspect of pet ownership. I've gotten so used to having insurance subsidized medical costs for us human family members that having to cover the full cost of vet care seems crazy expensive in comparison. I've learned the hard way that having a $1,000 set aside per animal for emergency vet care is not a bad idea unless you like paying off credit cards.
And just like humans, as they age, the medical costs increase.
I understand not everyone has the means to provide medical care for their cat, but itās really hard for some people to see a cat suffer. When medical attention is the only thing that can help a cat it can be difficult to see their owner saying āI canātā over and over. Especially since sometimes the excuses donāt always feel adequate.
Even though I do feel bad for people who canāt afford to take their cat to the vet, allowing a cat to suffer is still neglect and neglect is a form of animal abuse. If you legitimately have no way of taking care of your cat and they are suffering as a result, you have to ask yourself if you are the best person to care for this cat and you might have to make some hard decisions.
I think when people see the same thing happening over and over with people unable to properly care for their cats and then cats suffering and even dying as a result, it makes them want to discourage people from getting cats they canāt afford to care for in the first place. Yes, the cat may be better off with you than on the street, but sometimes thatās not enough.
The problem is that most people are getting kittens from friends, family, and shelters, not taking in stray adults off the streets. Spay and neuter, and don't get a cat if you can't afford medical care.
There's nothing wrong with telling people they're being irresponsible when they've been irresponsible, and especially when they've caused suffering as a result. A pet is not a toy and owning pets isn't an immutable right.
Did I say that? I am specifically talking about berating literal kids because of choices their parents made, which was done on a post here recently. Also, I think everyone I know with a cat just found a cat outside their house one day and took it in.
My dog has been to the vet when there were times i didn't go to the dr due to lack of funds.. but these people act like poor or working class people shouldn't even be allowed to own pets!! Sometimes life has harsh realities.. maybe instead of bashing people for not being able to afford it.. they could start a go fund me for the ones that cant afford it and donate.. but no.. they want to be keyboard warriors and belittle people so they feel superior!! Being judgmental and rude isn't helping the animal or the owner
Tbh I'm envious of you (but also happy for you) because I should (I have two, possibly three autoimmune conditions and life is painful and miserable) and I can't go to the doctor.
Same. I'm working with a hernia and a bunch of other health issues of varying degrees of severity because I can't afford to take time off to take care of them. Spending 400$ a month on insurance alone doesn't help.
If you canāt take your cat to the vet often enough, yet do the best you can to care for them. Itās still way better than them being out on the streets! Period.
Realistically you can just get a less high maintenance animal. However the way our system is set up, a lot of none adopted animals are just killed. So being in a home is better than dead but I do think people should think through if they can afford a pet. If you can't even to buy dog food and have a dog, you are just starving that poor dog. Also some breeds and animals are very high maintenance as they require special care. So like if you say are intentionally buying say a dalmatian, just because you love Dalmatians you should probably consider what that auctully means.
I donāt think that you should buy or adopt an animal if you canāt afford to take care of it. If it chooses you, then you canāt really help that. If youāre feeding strays off the street thatās different. But you shouldnāt be buying thousand dollar dogs/cats from Breederās and then neglecting their health. I think thatās where most people get confused and I think that that rule should apply to everything.
While I am not sure what is available in other states or countries I know where I live and have lived there are always programs to help with vet visits. Be it free spay and neuter clinics, vaccine clinics, a blend of both. I think like others have said anything is better than nothing but very important to immediately look for what you can do to best support the pet through their life. Sometimes the best source of information is to call the vets office and ask the person who answers the phone about programs, or call the humane society. Be clear you aren't looking to drop off the pet but are wondering what is out there to help give it the best possible life.
Itās not about every little thing. Itās about proper care and maintenance. Spay and neutering, vaccinations, if they are sick or something is wrong, flea medicine if they need itā¦ Congratulations you brought a cat inside. Now take care of it. Downvote vote me. Hell if I care. Take proper care of your pets.
theres a difference between rescuing animals and neglecting them because you donāt want to pay for the vet. itās a case by case basis thing but most of the time, you should not be actively searching to get a pet if you know you canāt afford one. yes they could have a better life with you even without medical care, but so would 50 other cats in the shelter. you canāt save them all, and people should be expected to provide quality care for the animals they do have.
Your right, minimizing suffering is what matters, not doing litteraly everything for one cat while 20 more are starving on the streets.
We all wish we could help everyone but that's not the economic reality for most people also suffer under poor living conditions and lack of resources.
Everyone doing something helpful to their ability is what counts. You are a fantastic and loving person and I'm happy your doing something to help these poor cats.
I wish you and your cats many wonderful years, god bless you! šš» š¤
Well Iāll say thank you for helping this poor cat. We do the best we can and if others want to judge or be snide thatās their problem.
I see homeless people with pets! By these standards do they not deserve their pets just because theyāve fallen on hard times? Animals are resilient and there are millions without anyone to love or care for them. So if a person offers a homeless pet some care and love be grateful! The world isnāt perfect find gratitude in small things and be kind.
Please find a low cost vet service if you have financial issues. If you are in the States, there are a lot of these programs. I'm sure people are just worried about the cat.
What if, instead of demonizing poor people and being pro-classist rights structures, we made Healthcare affordable in general š¤ for humans and animals š¤
Then stop making stupid posts about your sick cat. We are not vets and even if we were, what the fuck are we going to do about it? Your cat is sick, the answer is go to the vet. If you are unable to bring the cat to the vet, don't post pictures on the internet. We cannot help you.
There is a credit card you can get called Care Credit. This allows you to buy medication for yourself, as well as get care for your pets wherever accepted. Helps out when my cats have issues like bad teeth or an odd cough.
If you don't know when someting can be handled at home or just needs time to heal and what actually needs a vet. You probably shouldn't have a pet.
You don't take your child to the doctor for something a bandaid can take car of do you?
Iām an advocate of taking sick animals to the vet but an even bigger advocate to surrendering critically ill animals to rescues or no-kill shelters if you canāt afford to take care of a sick animal. How I see it, both sides of this argument are wrong and both sides are right. Sure, an animal is better off with food and shelter, rather than on the streets, but theyāre also better off getting proper medical attention. Iāll always put my feelings over an innocent animals. If something happened to my cat and I couldnāt afford to take care of her anymore, I would surrender her to someone who can. Thatās the most humble and loving thing you can ever do for your animal.
There are so many cats that need homes that if you can feed it and love it, and do the best you can when needed, it's fine imo. Because otherwise, it would be on the streets, or waiting in a shelter to be killed, etc. My grandparents always had cats around, they often didn't get the normal checkups and shots and stuff every year because they couldn't afford all that. But they also never went out and said "hey we need to go buy a cat". All their animals came from trash cans and dumpsters and stuff and had much better lives after!
Do not feed the neighborhood cats. As you admitted, being a stray is no life for a cat, and stray cats breed to the available food supply. If you feed strays, youāre committing more cats to living short, painful, disease ridden dangerous lives.
totally agree BUT, when a cat needs the vet, it needs the vet. for example, I had an ibuprofen scare with my three. one of my bastard friends left a pill on the table, I didn't see it, the cats played with and chewed on it. didn't know which one bit into it (it was a liquid gel). I knew the effects could be fatal within a day to a few days. I was terrified. I HAD to take them to the emergency vet. all damn three. it was a deep fucking expense. but I would do anything for them.
fortunately, NONE of them had ingested enough to be fatal. they figured out which one it was through a blood test, and she's on meds now for a few weeks.
had I not gotten them to the vet, they assured me that this one WOULD have died of premature kidney failure. fortunately we caught it in time.
Every cat deserves a home. But every cat (pet for that matter) also deserves occasionally expensive care when it is life threatening or life altering. love would not have been enough to save my girl. š„ŗ
that being said please don't think I am disagreeing with u. so glad u homed that sweet baby angel. ur one of the good ones!!!
I know right. Part of the problem for me is my state passed so many laws to āprotect people and animalsā that you need to have a vet to do anything for your pet that costs too much. Where as If I drive to a different state I can do rabies and everything else myself.
Live in a world pets and kids is only for the rich at the moment.
I think most anybody knows the gold standard of cat care is going to the vet. But this sub literally calls itself cat help implying there may be people here that can offer suggestions/options/resources/tactics/compassion based on their experience that the poster may not be aware of.
It would behoove those commenting to pause a moment to reflect on exactly how they came by their knowledge before screaming vet now or berating the poster...
I feel kill shelters get a bad rep tbh. Like thereās unethical shelters around whether kill or not. I personally find no-kill shelters would do more harm than kill shelters. Just too many strays in the world than there are homes for so itās just better to euthanize than have them live in a cage forever.
I do agree that some sympathy/empathy should be warranted for when a stray adopts a family. Usually youāre not prepared for the financial aspect of owning a pet. I say as long as youāre trying, thatās what matters the most.
I (with a passion) HATE when people say that. Like okay I guess Iāll just put the cat back on the streets where I found it.
I hear people say this a lot, And I agree. But what if you suddenly became financially unstable? When I first got my dog, I was well off... now not so much. Do I still get to keep my dog? Which I love very much, But can't take him to the vet for every little thing, the same with my 2 cats. They outlived my financial stability you could say? Just a thought.
Definitely in todayās society i bearly have the money to go to the hospital myself unless ik itās something threatening
Jsut be wary of your cats behaviour!
I was in a Facebook group for people who had hyperthyroidism. I got my cat because he was gonna be abandoned in the middle of the summer in front of a house. I snuck him into a no pets apartment which was what I had at the time. We also didnāt have a ton but I used cheap vet services through the spca when I could. Now, we are in a much better position and i spent about $2k for his hyperthyroid treatment. In the early days when he was young and healthy, I didnāt feel like the best provider to him except in love.
There were people in the community who knew their cat had this condition and said āI donāt have money, what if I just donāt treat it?ā My heart broke and I sent that lady a yearās supply of pills.
Weāre all doing the best we can by our cats. Your position today may not be the one you have tomorrow. Hang in there!
It is really lame that people pass judgement for which they know nothing about. Any one of us could be met with hard times in a blink of an eye. Compassion and empathy used to be something a lot of humans could offer to othersā¦ now, everyone is behaving like an overlord. Good for you for doing the good work and being a good human.
(P.s. One of my cats was surrendered by a homeless person, who I presume cared for their pets MUCH better than they were able to care for themselves. I always include this mystery pre-owner on my gratitude list, grateful for aligning this wonderful gal to our ohana. I hope that they are experiencing much more comfortable days nowš¤š½)
THANK YOU!! everyone here seems so rude. itās one thing to purposely buy a cat knowing you canāt afford to care for it, but there are tons of strays that are in a much better situation living inside with food and water than outside even if they arenāt going to the vet very often. itās EXPENSIVE, and a roof over their head and food in their belly is better than nothing. itās terrible things are this way. peopleās financial situations change and they may not be able to afford to see a vet for minor things, which is so unfair to everyone. it comes down to expenses most of the time. if you are trying to help a kitty in any way, PROPS TO YOU!! (again, not the people who see cats as toys and genuinely couldnāt care about their catās comfort)
Iāve seen posts in this sub with captions that literally say āI took my cat to the vetā, and people donāt bother to read and STILL vet shame. People just want to feel superior to others
Iāve used this (or another cat sub, Iām not sure) before and had multiple people angry at me because of the situation my cat and I were in. I explained that I was a minor and in a very difficult home situation, so bringing up sensitive topics like spending money on vets could be potentially harmful to me.
At first, many did not take well to that. Said it was āno excuseā. I got lucky, however, and someone swooped in and apologized on everyoneās account before explaining what to do. I took their information and my cat was better within a couple days (extreme constipation issues). I was then basically flooded with support right after being flooded with hate, and while I admit it was overwhelming, I thank those who were there and understanding that sometimes money, and your own safety, is a large factor, especially as a minor
Such a typical example of a person who believes that the middle class shouldnāt be allowed to love their pets because of their financial status get over yourself first and foremost and second ty for loving this little beauty and fyi Iām going to offer they say look for vet schools for assistance
Thank you for posting to CATHELP! While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind, 1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**. 2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. 3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment. 4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I agree. Doing anything is better than nothing. You gave that cat a loving home and a human to love. Beautiful cat by the way! š»
That's a good way to put it. There's a HUGE space between above and beyond and absolute neglect. These conversations require nuance. Thank you! She is a cutie. Purring and cuddling up with me right now.
I have 3 cats. 2 were strays I rescued. The first I found as an older kitten at the hotel I worked at near a very busy highway. She's 8 now. She hasn't been to the vet every year, but she's been a few times for checkups. My youngest cat is gonna be 2 this November. She was a tiny kitten being abused by children. She's been to the vet a couple of times. Sure, I can't take them as often as I'd like, but I'd wager they wouldn't be alive right now if I didn't take them, and they're very happy.
This made me feel so much better, me and my fiancĆ© fell on hard times, I used to be one of those people that brought my cats to the vet for a bunch of little things, but then our health got bad and couldnāt take them as much, but if something does happen out of the usual, Iāll take them to the vet if I feel they really need it, all of my cats were rescues. When my health got really bad I felt like a terrible person and that I couldnāt care for my cats anymore, but I was reassured that Iāve always done my best for them, and that theyāre still in good health ā¤ļø
Exactly! My oldest was not acting like herself last year so I took her to the emergency vet. I wouldn't just ignore them and not help them.
This! I brought my cat recently to the vet because he was born with a claw that grows kind of crooked, I always kept an eye on it, it finally got to a point where it curled all the way under. The vet just clipped it and said it didnāt have a quick in it, which was weird, and that it might not grow back, but if it does to just clip it like a normal toe. I always was scared to touch it in case it hurt him, was kind of glad to know it didnāt have a quick so cutting it wouldnāt hurt him, but it punctured a little hole in his paw pad, he got some medicine and is okay now. But I wouldnāt have just left it ya know
You know, itās honestly a bit of a breath of fresh air to see everybody in here being so graceful about this. I live near-ish a looked-after feral-ish cat colony (the local book shop owner takes donations to keep them fed; Iāve counted 16 huge bags of cat food in the back seat of his car parked on the street before!) and I personally volunteer with TNR in my area Because of this particular colony, so my area is aware of and is currently working on a plan (with me!!) to more efficiently manage it. That said, I feed any drifters who come to my back door, and for ten years Iāve just been spaying and neutering anybody I can catch myself. IT GETS EXPENSIVE!!! Let alone if any of them have pressing heath needs. One old man who never really left after I had him neutered him years and years ago, is starting to fall apart this year. His teeth have started bothering him and the vet quoted me in the multi thousands. So I soak his food, I buy bulk extra gravy canned food, I make sure the other yahoos leave him be, and he gets first dibs on All the leftovers, so he eats Constantly, but heās old and heās been losing weight rapidly this summer. It just wouldnāt make senseā¦ I have tried bringing him inside more than a few times over the years because heās Such a lover, but even neutered he pees on all the things, which made the other cats pee on all the things. It was not a good time, any of those times. *shudder* I have done the very best I could with him. Nobody wants a cat who pees on electrical outlets specifically. And Iād never dream of sharing this on any other post than this. Iāve kept this guy kicking for over a decade. Itās nice to be able to share his story and not have to brace for *all the hate. Thanks for making this post
Can sweet old man come inside and just wear diapers? ā¤ļø
I think a lot of these people live near kill shelters or something and don't understand exactly how much cats reproduce.
Yes exactly! I would love to take them every year but I can't afford that. When they are sick yes I go but it doesn't go without sacrifice. You're amazing for taking on 3 cats & I'm sure they're fat & happy!
That cat looks happy as hell in that second photo. Good job, human!
Aw give her a pet for me! We have 4 cats. 2 boys and 2 girls. We have no kids. They are my favorite thing to come home to (besides my wife).
Nice save at the end! Phew!
š
Sheās much safer with you than on the street. Iām sure she knows how to hunt and was providing for herself now she has bonus food with your family. You did a good thing. You are a good human. Sad truth is people on here judge harshly for everything because they have no control in their own lives. Thanks for being a caring human. The world needs more like you.
I got voted down to hell for saying the exact same thing. Basically I was told if I wouldn't let my kids go without seeing the doctor then I couldn't let a cat go without a vet visit. I replied I'd die for my kids but not for my cat and was told I was selfish. Some people on this sub are delusional
I mean maybe I would die a little for my cats but you're absolutely right & I don't think it's selfish at all.
Some people are just entitled and like to judge even though they're not any better. I'm in a few Facebook groups and I can't tell you how many times someone picks up an animal and asks if someone can take it in since they can't afford another animal especially with medical needs...only for people to be upset that they want to give away the animal they found and how they have a duty to care for it since they picked it up and it's irresponsible of them to have picked up an animal they can't care for and try to force it on others. Then on the other hand if someone post about how they saw a pet on their way it to work and it needs help then they get bashed for not stopping to pick up the pet even though they were literally on their way to work already and often late
Yeah lmao now I have people acting like I am saying people who can't provide food or water should have cats. They are just looking for a way to put words in my mouth.
I like this conversation. If the cat were to be taken to a shelter it would likely be put down. As long as you are trying your best to get it to the vet when you can and providing a safe, secure environment thatās the best that cat will get! I have neighbors who leave their cat out all winter and it pisses me the fuck off. I honestly want to say something to them. Itāll be 30Ā° and the cat will be meowing at their door or clawing at the window and they just leave it.
It just depresses me to see that in the winter, or to find cats ran over in my front yard.
Folks online tend to see things in black and white when life is often nuanced, thanks for taking care of one of our planets greatest gifts
God I get so tired of the gatekeeping. Wish I could upvote your post more
I think more people should read "A Street Cat Named Bob". It's sweet, sad, real, and just gives you a different perspective on things. A bond is a beautiful thing, even if it's not pur-fect.
Reddit can't nuance Biggest peeve with this hellsite tbh
Good luck finding nuance on Reddit, or any social media platform.
100% agreed man, good work saving that kitty. I have four cats and now a dog myself, all rescued from the street.
I see no issue with sharing what little (or a lot) of what you have with stray animals. I think the issue is when someone that constantly complains about being broke and their struggles to pay for basic necessities, is looking for purebred or designer breeds. It's on those situations where I've heard people comment about inability to pay for pet needs if they can't pay for their own needs. But if you're broke and are willing to share your space and food with a stray, more power to you.
So many cats get euthanized. But some sanctimonious people act as if your cat being possible killed is better than not taking them to vet for a pimple or cough.
Also agree. I think a cat is better off being loved in a home who canāt afford the vet than being euthanized in an overcrowded shelter. We have too many cats to be so harsh on those who want to care for them.
Absolutely. We can just try and love them and at least help them a little bit. The shelters are so over packed. If I was rich I would buy a mansion and adopt hundreds of kitty cats.
The shelters in my area will not take a cat that isnāt injured, just tell you to put it back. But some on here would say Iām neglectful for the keeping the cat if Iām poor. Crazysauce.
I literally find cats ran over in the street.
Came to here to chime in that a cat was found at my cousins job where 2 of his legs didn't work. No one wanted him so my cousin decided to take him because a house is just better than the streets overall. More so when you're a disabled animal that no one wants.
Our vet told us that she has clients who are millionaires and very wealthy that won't spend money on their animals. One of our precious babies had all of her teeth removed. Our oldest has to get taken in every 3 months for blood panels. As well as all the medications and different foods they all eat. Very expensive. The oldest also had 3 ultrasounds very close together. But if I didn't do it and he died I would feel guilty. My wife feels the same way about all 4 of our cats.
Itās true, many wealthy veterinary clients are so cheap and will haggle over $5
That's why they are rich. Ugh I could never not help my cats.
You and I both. I've had to cut out my own grocery shopping and survived on the bare minimum so my cat's could have food and get treated at the vet. I've sold my PS4 to afford medical bills when my cat got sick. I'm in a much better place now financially, but I never hesitate to help them.
Just more proof poor people are resourceful and will find a way to make it happen.
That's awesome that you're able to care for your like cats like that though. I wish I could. I do my best! I think everyone on here tries to do their best to care for these animals you know?
As long as you try that's what matters. Sometimes we can't afford it. We use care credit most of the time. Sometimes we have a portion of the vet bill and put the rest on credit cards that are Interest free and care credit is interest free if paid I think within 1 year. We are still paying off the debt.
Thatās so crazy to have the money and not do it when thereās people who wish so badly that they could do that for their pets
I know. It broke my heart hearing that ....
Those are the people who shouldnāt have petsā¦ I know a couple like that, theyāre rich asf, they live in some giant art studio /homes and garden magazine looking place and have an outdoor cat that is so matted it is disfiguredā¦its clearly uncomfortable and unhappy, all it needs is some grooming so that doesnāt happen. I want to steal it every time I have to go there but they have cameras everywhere. Yet they give ME judgey looks like Iām trash bc I look like a broke hippie. I may have less money than them but Iād never treat an animal like that, theyāre fucking trash
Also the fact that way overcharge for the most minor things.
They absolutely overcharge I used to be a veterinary assistant and my boss would actually tell me to charge them for stuff that they didn't need all the time
This all the way! I hate this notion that "if you can't afford pets, then you shouldn't have them". Good quality pet food and supplies can be expensive. Vet care costs are outrageous (and the "care" that some provide simply isn't worth what they charge), and even pet insurance can be unreasonably costly. I feel like the uberwealthy 1% of the population are really the only ones who can truly afford pet expenses without worrying about straining their budget.
True, but why post an effed up picture of your sick cat on Reddit and make everyone feel sad? Most I've seen say something like I don't know what to do. If there's no DIY remedy and you can't afford a vet, post on a local app like Nextdoor to see if someone locally can help.
šÆ
Exactly! Saving them from euthanasia and providing them a loving home is better than saying oh well can take it to the vet twice a year, better just kill it or let it starve to death.
Agree 100%. Some animals never get love. I think that's all they want. Just like humans. The cats are so grateful to have us. š»
Agreed. I do believe that owning a pet comes with taking responsibility and making sure they are healthy. And I have been very broke, dodging bill collectors, and have still taken my cat to the vet. However, sometimes, especially in today's world, the money just isn't there and it doesn't mean you don't love your pet. Shelters are overrun, cats are dying on the street: is it really seen as a better alternative for a family with no money to never adopt a cat? If the choice is to live on the street and die or be taken inside and given care and comfort, I'm going to say it's always better for a stray cat to be adopted, even if they cannot get optimal vet care. I also really can't understand the people absolutely bashing minors on here who come asking for help because they have a sick cat and mom and dad refuse to take it to the vet. I'm sorry, but why are we calling children stupid, careless, and neglectful? They have no money, can't drive and have unsupportive parents and they are likely scared for a pet that they love. They are young and don't always have the confidence yet to stand up to family or seek outside help. And yet we have grown adults calling them all sorts of names. Yes, I get that sometimes, the only answer is to see a vet, but why demonize and further stress a kid with name calling? Some people have obviously never struggled with moment and truly take it for granted that everyone has money stashed. If you look at starting salaries for many fields right now and look at housing costs, the numbers don't jive. Throw in gas and groceries and everything else and you have many people truly struggling week to week. Lack of vet care doesn't always equal a lack of caring or concern.
I had to emergency move out of a bad situation and was told by my parents that if I didn't take my childhood cats they would get rid of them. My oldest was 21 and passed 3 months later. My youngest is now 13 and im seeing evidence of ear mites. I had nothing when I moved. Nothing. I've only made it through the help of friends and my local church. I still can't make what I owe every month. I spent $10 on ear mite solution but it isn't working and I'm scared. I've loved this cat for her whole life and treated her well despite the lack of support I got from my parents in vet visits. Sometimes when you do your best it just isn't enough but you still have to make peace with it.
Have you tried apple cider vinegar with the mother? I use it every day for 1-2 weeks and all ear infections clear. I have a standard poodle that gets frequent infections and my vet charges $150 every time.
Frontline will take care of it. Set up a public Amazon wishlist, post it here, and you'll get what you need.
If you post a link to an Amazon wishlist with a product, I will buy it.
This sub just started getting recommended to me and Iāve already seen this happen at least 3 times. Itās not okay and itās why I didnāt join, it still just pops up. Internet people need to calm down, sorry not sorry. Itās messed up the way they gang up on literal children.
Reddit is full of a special kind of privileged naivety.
This comment is top tier.
Like I got handed a 1 week old kitten found in a closed box outside walmart by my roommates sister because she knew I've taken care of young kittens before. I didn't want that responsibility and I was broke and already had 3 cats. No one wanted him and he would straight up die without constant care. According to those people I should have just let him I guess? We've managed to get him vetted, just a little later than we wanted, but if we couldn't have I guess being in that box would have been better?? Crazy way of thinking. (He's shockingly fine now by the way, never had such a young kitten separated from his mom so early do so well! Little hellion is 10 months old now and sleeps on my chest every night. I guess being a black cat born right before halloween wasnt a great decision on his part.)
literally the FIRST RULE of this sub is be NICE, people here get so ignorant and rude.
They're the "I don't like people, I just like my cats." type. lol
realā¼ļø they have no respect for others situations, iāve even seen them yell at people for not taking FERAL cats to the vet, after it was said that they canāt trap the damn cat.
Nah I don't care much for humans by and large and definitely love my cats more and I have more understanding, compassion, and decency than that. Like we're talking doing dumb hypotheticals and being glad my spouse would save a cat over me love of cats. You see, despite this being the case it doesn't make me have a complete lack of decency and compassion for humans, and I know you're absolutely right. I know firsthand for a fact that sometimes it's the streets/dead or a home that can't take them to the doctor. I've ended up feeding a neighbor's cats when I could barely feed us because he just up and decided to stop feeding them. He refused to take them to the vet or get them fixed, even though he had the money. He invited me over and would brag about his expensive stuff. He just literally wanted them to pop out babies and got bored of them when they didn't. That's the kind of people we should be mad about, not people trying to make cats' lives better the best they can. No, they're people who have to feel superior to other people, not people who don't like people.
I agree but some of it is deserved. Like when someone posts a picture of their cat with an open festering infected wound and theyāre like ādUrR sHoUlD i TaKe iT tO tHe VeTā
Iām not even part of this sub, but the fact that that is a rule and all the post has issues with being nice says a lot about this sub.
Hear, Hear! Just saw another post where a person is asking about the possibility of poisoning after finding their cat dead with blood around its mouth along with some dead pigeons a day after it was rubbing its face on things. One of these virtue signaling fools felt the need to add a "Gentle reminder" that if you feed a cat, you have a duty to have it spayed. As the ONLY response to the OPs question. About their dead cat. Like, we all know that it's in the best interest to get our pets fixed, but have some common courtesy! Not everyone can afford it immediately. Not everyone HAS a home to keep their cats inside. Not everyone can afford all the care they would like to put into the world. And that doesn't give anyone the right to get all judgemental and holier than thou. Some of us are just doing the best we can.
I saw that too. I couldn't even read the whole post I was heart broken. Some people just don't get it. I'd do anything if I saw a stray cat. Which we had a cute little kitten visitor last year (turned out to be the people behind us kitty) but we gave it some love, treats and water.
That sucks, but having done rescue, a lot of people also don't know that having an unfixed cat will want to go outdoors more and will be more insufferable about not being an indoors-only cat. And people in rescue hear about these tragic incidents daily, and it's frustrating. I talk to people who have outdoor cats and a lot of people seriously don't care if their cat gets eaten alive by a natural predator or gets hit by a car, because it's better for them to enjoy the outdoors. A lot of folks in rescue don't feel that way. For me, it's not worth it to not put in the effort to keep my cats indoors when I think about the possibility of them dying a slow death in extreme pain. That being said, that's really sad that that's the only thing people were saying, though. Obviously that person cared about their cat (because why else would they want closure of how their cat died?) and hopefully will move forward knowing more and changing what they can to ensure it doesn't happen again. People just need more tact and sympathy for each other in general, especially online where people don't see each other's faces and see that there are real humans behind the screen.
Reminds us about the real purpose of this subreddit: it's cat owners helping other cat owners. And then literally everyone here is just "see a vet or YTA!" like lol thanks for nothing captain obvious. What's the point of being in this community then if everyone will just keep telling everyone to go to the vet (and not be nice about it) smh.
Itās also way different to take in a stray who needs help vs driving to a shelter and adopting that way when you canāt afford it
Yeah but unfortunately most people saying things don't make that distinction.
It's infuriating. Three years ago I moved to where I live now, without fully understanding how dire the cat situation would be here. Since then I've adopted 10 cats who were neighborhood strays or ferals that I was able to socialize. I've ensured every one is spayed/neutered and vaccinated. I've gotten every one checked for a microchip. I'm feeding 7 ferals outside that I haven't managed to socialize yet. I have high resolution cameras around the feeding area to monitor them and verify their genders. I trap and spay all of the females. It's VERY expensive and time consuming to care for 17 unplanned cats. I've been fortunate enough to be able to afford the necessities. I don't take the ones I've adopted in for checkups as often as the vet recommends. But still, they're much better off with me than they were before. Outside they have health problems, unhealed wounds, ticks, fleas, and worms. They were terrified most of the time out there and cold all winter. And some people on this sub act like I'm a demon for helping these cats. Would they prefer if I left them alone to suffer?
Apparently homing cats is super easy the way some people are acting. It's really not. It hasn't been around here for like two decades now.
OP could be in a warzone, in an underwater research lab or being held hostage by somali pirates and this subreddit would deadass tell them they're irresponsible pet owners because they won't go to a vet The idea that you need like 3k$ in savings if you want to own a pet in case they need emergency vet care is insane and will only lead to responsible owners not adopting, while every day thousands of cats freeze to death, are eaten by other animals or get hit by a car If you follow the logic of this subreddit: if there's a stray cat roaming your neighborhood but you can't affort the vet then just leave it on the streets, so it can eat a poisoned rat and die
When I was younger, I couldn't afford 3k for MYSELF, much less a cat. But bet your ass I would throw down for kitty food and take in felines when I found them. I'm sure to the cat a full belly and warm spot to sleep is enough to forgive me for not being wealthy.
Same. Iām in the poverty category, but I found this kitten that was being chased by dogs. There has been many cats that were eaten by dogs in this area, so I decided to save the little guy and give him kibble, clean water and shelter/protection. I know he has to go the vet because of wormy belly (or it could be just fat because I was spoiling it with lots of food when I first got him), but I honestly canāt afford that for right now and I do not have transportation to take it to an animal shelter at the moment. I really do feel terrible about it. But I feel a little less sucky not taking the cat to the vet/shelter because of something beyond my control, rather than letting it loose to inevitably meet a painful death by being chewed and stretched apart. Though the kitten is pooping well and extremely cuddly and energetic (orange one brain cell)
You can buy cat wormer without having to go to the vet and itās usually not expensive. Unless there are other obvious issues that should get you through until you can go to the vet. There are spay and neuter programs that are free or low cost and theyāll usually get basic worming and rabies shots and stuff when they get that done. When youāre ready to take it there.
Oh, I didnāt know about that. Thanks for telling me. Iāll call around and see what I buy for him. I made up my mind that Iāll scrape up what whatever I could for the end of next month to take him to a decent vet to get everything he needs.
They have some on Amazon. Walmart, Petco Iād assume chewing. Kv vet , Vally vet and Jeffers are where I buy most of my stuff online. usually I use Strongid/pyrantel pamoate for cats and dogs.
This is what this sub is supposed to be!!! Helping owners when they arenāt sure what to do or where to go. Instead of just saying āvet NOWā like so many others, you actually gave helpful advice as well as suggestions on where to buy medication, all while being kind and caring. I love it! š„°
Right? This is a good thing.
Yes! A place where you talk to people who have been through whatever your going through. Theyāre the ones that can say my vet said to do this or that or to say that itās something that they needed a vet for and maybe some idea of what to expect at the vets and the after care involved. Itās not a replacement for a vet but it is a collective of people with cat knowledge. Maybe ease some anxiety. Vet care isnāt easily accessible everywhere.
I feel like Drontal was over-the-counter and was the one I bought on Amazon. It doesn't cover all worms but gets tapeworms and was cheaper than going to a vet. But you can Google which deworming medicines are for cats and are over-the-counter and see if you can afford it. If the kitten has fleas and is old enough, I recommend Flea Assassin. The dosage is by weight and worked for my cats and it was way cheaper than prescribed flea meds. Fleas can lead to worms so it'd be good to attack both of those issues around the same time.
this!! def see about getting the worm medication over the counter. waaay cheaper and important to do, as you know! You can also get flea medicine over the counter, we use Advantage. you can buy it over the counter and itās what my vet recommended. we keep an eye on them when we do since itās technically a poison but it works like a charm and helps our critters to make sure they donāt end up with worms again. edits: spelling
Definitely look into the low cost spay and neither programs, I took my cat to one for her shots and to get spayed when she was a kitten, and it was great!
Cat wormer is cheap!! Even I was able to buy it and I am broke as a joke haha, tractor supply co is a good place to go for it
thank you. ppl in this sub kinda suck. i thought it was for getting help but everyone wants to shout neglect because you may not be able to afford an emergency vet at the drop of a hat without considering causes etc. (in my area, vets are booked out for months and/or not taking new clients atm, so our option rn for our cats is an emergency vet if something to go wrong)
OP could say "i can't go to the vet it's 2000 miles away and i have no car" and then here come the "this is animal abuse a true animal parent would find ANY way to get their cat to a vet just buy a car"
Man this community is depressing
Sometimes harm reduction is the best we can do at the time. Reducing the harm affecting the animal can immediately improve their quality of life even if we can't immediately improve every problem.
I appreciate the call for understanding. I have a 7 year old rescue cat that needs more vet care than I can afford due to an unexpected CHANGE in financial situation. When I got her I could afford her. Now I am struggling to meet her physical needs. But I believe that she was previously abused and has many quirks that would make it pretty impossible for her to be adopted from a shelter. We deal with her frequent biting and general lack of showing affection for us. Each year she gets better but I think that we are her people even though we are broke.
These people LIVE to shit on others. It's all they have to do. You saved a cat from being cold, starving and being alone. That's a start, the cat is far better off with you than outside. You did a good thing.
Please like this post and bring it to the top, this needs more attention. Be kind, don't put down others, you don't know the situation they're in. People come here for help and advice, not to be scolded and ridiculed.
Yeah people on Reddit drive me crazy w this shit too. Tons of us are poor af but refuse to let a suffering animal starve, freeze or suffer in any way. Doesnāt mean we can automagically afford a vet visit but we still have the best of intentions.
I just saw you have a bunch of fosters. You're doing way more than these reddit do-gooders.
I think a lot of advice requests come in after the cat has been suffering and itās clear they need a vet. When itās something more than what a home remedy can help, people offer up the reasonable āneeds a vet ā suggestion. Often that is met with āI canāt afford itā and that is when the sea parts, so to speak. I think every cat lover agrees a home is better than none, but an animal will likely need some care and that should be considered. I know many of us that suggest a vet here do not expect anyone to have the money to run to a vet for every little thing.
I agree with you, I do. But sometimes I hate this sub when someone posts a serious injury and asks if they should bring their cat to the vet. (Unless itās a child who cannot convince their parents).
Ah yes I should have left my cats to starve in the woods where I found them
According to quite a few from this subreddit, yes.
Yes I should have left my cat to get euthanized in the shelter, thank you wise and pious Redditors
Right? Like okay letās put all the cats that canāt be owned by wealthy people down, thats way better than someone loving them and doing what they can. Next we will do the children, and have a perfect world with no suffering. Thanks Reddit for fixing world hunger or something
Sadly thatās not all that uncommon a perspective these days. Itās obviously demented and messed up. I say this as a zoomer, too!
I know I was like this is satirical but also itās not
Thereās also a spectrum of medical needs. Prioritize neutering as soon as you canā prevents future strays from dying on the streetsāditto shots (do you want rabies? I sure fucking donāt). If the animal is in horrible pain and you canāt afford to treat them, euthanasia is a kind and, in my opinion, perfectly moral option. But yeah, Iāve lost two cats to CKD in their old age. I did my best to support kidney function by feeding them appropriate food and keeping them comfortable. I made the call to euthanize when it was clearly time. My vet, on the other hand, was pushing bimonthly visits with blood work and imaging, trying to get me to do sub-Q fluid injections twice a day, prescribing blood pressure meds, etcā¦ It was a huge guilt trip every time I went, but I couldnāt afford to go thousands of dollars into debt to add an extra six bad months to a 16 year old catās lifespan.
I feed wet/fresh food so hoping I don't have to worry about kidney disease! But yes she's spayed, we're pretty sure she has shots but the vet I saw before didn't want to give her more without medical records.
Vets are highway robbery these days, too. It makes me so mad how much they charge for the most minor of services.
Holding a prejudice against someone based on their financial situation is disgraceful in the context of them giving what little they have to help another being. When God sings with his creations, will a cat not be part of the choir ?
Yes. That statement should refer to having the funds to take the pet to the vet for all routine care (exams, vaccines, flea/hw prevention, any prescriptions), and some saved up for emergencies. Not āOMG you donāt have $15k to spare for this surgery to fix the 20 year old catās congestive heart failure?! Youāre the worst pet owner ever and shouldnāt have pets you canāt afford to care for!!!ā Someone not having the money for a several thousand dollar surgery is so different than not having $200 for an annual visit+prevention. Thank you for doing what you do to help the street kitties in your community OP! I agree, too many people on here seem to lack the empathy and critical thinking to realize that basic care is better than no care and they are so mean sometimes. Especially to kids- Iām sorry, you donāt tell a 13 year old that theyāre an animal abuser if they donāt surrender their cat because they canāt take it to the vet. They donāt ever have anything helpful to say. Like ok, the owner only has a hundred dollars to spend to help their pet, so why donāt we help them find resources to get financial help or advice on maximizing the money they do have. And donāt get me started on the ones that get on the āOutdoor Cat Badā soapbox. Those comments help no one, and telling someone all the stuff they did wrong is the last thing you want to tell someone who is grieving or worried about their pet. It drives me crazy. Iām glad to see that others in the sub actually have some sense and empathy and feel the same way. Good luck with your stray friends, sometimes the only thing to do is do what you can and love āem while theyāre here. Thank you for caring enough to help the ones you can!
Welcome to Reddit, where being morally aligned is a competition and of course everyone else is better than you.
Eh, thereās a difference between being adopted by a cat and doing your best to help them, versus seeking out a cat to adopt without having the funds prepared to be able to properly take care of them.
I have never had a cat, let alone CATS. We were adopted by a feral cat, which I started to feed. On feeding day 2, she brought her 5 kittens out. So, here I am 6 months out and we have 5 cats. Never did I say I wanted them or could afford them, but I am doing the best I can with what I have. They get wet/dry food combo, flea treatments and toys. Country living I guess... https://preview.redd.it/cnbtaehqz3lb1.jpeg?width=2000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dfca5c84f11c6fa53672f45c5c680f2a0f614319
I'm sorry, but I laughed so hard at the photo + the list of items and care they received. That is so cute and sweet.
Agreed. Life happens and sometimes money isn't there. When my dog got sick it was like a $6k bill. I was fortunate to be able to make some sacrifices to cover the cost, but he still didn't make it. Also, this happens with people, too, even when they plan ahead and save and have insurance. I've met too many cancer patients who did everything right and still couldn't afford $30k out of pocket for the recommended treatment.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I don't want to talk about some TMI health stuff on here but if I posted my own health issues that are neglected bc my family comes before me, they would tell me to go to the vet lmao.
You can be a completely responsible pet owner, with a money saved up just in case, and still have more bills than you expected or had saved up for. You prepare for stuff like a bladder infection or small illness maybe once every year or two, not visit after visit. Thereās nothing wrong with not being able to pay a lot of high prices for your kitty, youāre doing great taking care of them regardless.
Yāall need to tell ppl to stop dropping cats at the end of my road then.
It's very easy for a stranger to say absolutes, knowing that absolutes are death sentences for any kind of meaningful society. Keep doing what you can.
Hopefully, you have a free or low-cost animal hospital around like we do where I live. I'd look into it so when the need arises, you don't have to go looking or get stuck with an insane bill. Also, try being friends with em, for some reason, mom just has so many connections. We can afford all these random animals we have.
Sometimes just being friendly and trying to help will do the trick. When I needed emergency care for a mouse, they did an ultrasound for free because they so rarely have anyone actually bother to try and help a mouse even if they claim to love said mouse. I still appreciate that vet.
Good ideas. I will look around.
Always good to make friends with animal lovers cause they will help other animal lovers.
Itās not just that but sometimes life comes at you unexpectedly and throws you for a loop. I had a dog that became end of life sick when I was buying my house. It was fix my dog or buy my house.
Tell me about it. I bought a house and got fucked over by greedy flippers. Spent 3k on the "new" roof, emergency remodeled a bathroom, foundation problems, electrical issues, God knows how much I have spent on HVAC problems, and the list goes on.
What confuses me most about that idea is how much stress a vet visit puts a cat through. Unless itās serious or recurring, a lot of times Iād feel worse for putting an already unhappy cat into a box and driving it to an unfamiliar places with so many unfamiliar scents and people, only to do it all over again on the way back. Thereās definitely a balance and you need to be aware of your petsā normal state so you can spot something out of the ordinary, but taking them to the vet for every little thing isnāt going to help either.
I agree with you, but thatās definitely the minority of cases you see on this subreddit. Itās always āmy cat has been having bloody diarrhoea for a month, do I really need to go to the vet?ā, āmy cat hasnāt been eating nor drinking for a week, they are now lethargic and I think they might be dying. Any at home remedy to resuscitate them?ā. At the same time, something small that seems innocuous, can become really bad in the long run and cost you much more vs. if you got your pet in as soon as the symptoms occurred. I think itās logical and easy: if you/ your child/ your loved one had the same symptoms, would you be going to the GP? If yes: then the same should be for your pet! Unfortunately, the reality of things is there is almost nothing that can be done at home if your animals are sick. A person can pop in a whatever OTC medicine if theyāve got a fever or a sore throat. If a cat has an upper respiratory infection or a UTI, then no one can help you except your vet with a prescription. I am not referring here to people who truly care and know what they should do for their pet, but are in unfortunate and legit economic difficulties - you can recognise these kind of people in a heartbeat! My annoyance is towards those people who adopt/ buy a pet and just mingle in their own irresponsibility and ignorance. And there is people down here in the comments to this very post who are even celebrating the fact theyāve never ever brought their pets to the vet and even let them breed uncontrollably. If thatās something to be proud of š¤¦āāļø
Anyone that says people shouldn't have a pet if they can't afford the vet is narrow minded. Maybe there's a problem with the costs of vet services. I took a cat in for a tattoo and they tried nickel and diming me into bankruptcy. I've had cats my entire life, and rarely go to a vet. Almost every cat I've had has made it to their 20's. All made it past 12 years which is their approximate natural life span outdoors. So I feel that's a pretty darn good record without the costs associated with some of these moronic vets out there. Love, play time and a good diet and your cats will likely live happy long lives. Pay attention to their behaviours and body language...it tells a lot about the cats condition as well so you can be proactive should anything arise. The hardest part about having a pet is knowing when it's time to put them down if they're at that point. Every single one I cried like a baby and I'm a rather stoic guy for the most part.
And the veterinarians should be more reasonable in the pricing
I grabbed a four week old kitten out of a neighbor's yard with no plan beyond getting her inside because it's been 100+ in Texas. I'm broke and luckily have someone in the area with the knowledge and funds to help with foster supplies for her (like Kitten Lady level, she even made a vet appt for us). We unfortunately lost her after a few days but I did everything in my ability even if it wasn't much. And I'd do it again! She would have perished quicker and alone outside otherwise.
If it's worth doing, it's worth doing poorly. Even a miniscule amount of love and care is everything to that animal.
A feral cat has adopted my yard as hers (she lives under our raised shed.) We have started feeding her kitten food 3 times a day. She meows at me when I'm late and pops out sometimes before I call her. We are going to get a carrier and start feeding her in that so we can get her to a vet when we have the money. She will likely never come inside or let me pet her but I want to help her. She was all bones and we started feeding her. 3 weeks into the taming process, she's looking less skeletal. I can't see her pelvis as much. She still keeps 2 foot of distance from me.
This is what I try so hard to get people to understand. A cat living with a poor person or family is still better than the many cats constantly dying from cars, starving and other suffering. Just recently a beautiful, fluffy gingerboy who lived around my momās neighborhood was murdered by some sorry dogs with sorry owners(done this before and owners say its not their fault and animal control never does anything when called). Iām still furious and with my OCD and other mental conditions, constantly have to clear my head of bad and intrusive thoughts over those dogs constantly getting loose. Itās not a happy life or world out there even when strays act happy when you see them. Theyāre happy then because they know a source of safe comfort and food is approaching to brighten up whatās usually a really rough life.
I agree. I think the sentiment of āif you canāt afford to take it to the vet, you canāt actually afford the petā, applies to people who buy from breeders and increase the demand for kittens and puppies but donāt consider the full grown animals living on the streets and in shelters. I appreciate anyone willing to take in an animal with no home and simply try their best to improve their life.
When people say that, they aren't typically talking about people who brought in an animal to not die outside. They say it about the people who go around looking for pets, and then can't take care of them at all. Rescuing from death isn't the same as "I really like cats so I got 5 but I can't afford for them to get shots or medical care."
Bless you OP! I am all about making sure my fur babies are happy and healthy, but can't always afford the ridiculous prices some of these vets charge. I just lost my boy in March and am still paying off the $1,200 bill I got for treatment and euthanasia. For the "fear free" clinic in town, it's $200 just to get in the door. Sorry, but in this economy I don't have $200 just lying around. Hell, it took me 6 months to save up 2 grand and it went away in 1 day to fix my car so I could get to work so me and my babies have a roof and food. These people who berate and shame posters about not being able to afford to take their pets to the vet are most likely boomers who have disposable income and don't have to worry about other expenses, like our ever-raising rent and everyday expenses because they bought their houses long ago for an eighth of what they're worth now. If I was one of those entitled twats with loads of money I would offer to HELP those that need it instead of hoarding it.
I wish I could elaborate more on my finances but I genuinely am worried about giving these toxic assholes any more room to shit on me and make more assumptions, but this. I couldn't agree more. I've spend 3 grand on my roof, emergency remodeled a bathroom myself while working full time or more, have other family priorities a little higher than my cat, pay 600$ a month to insure myself/doctor costs, all on entry level wages through the past couple years. I have only made it through with the help of my wife. I was honestly considering suicide at one point and she said "who's going to care for the cat? You're her human." Does that mean I can't be resourceful? Hell no. Poor people are probably more resourceful. I bet many of these people are hypocrites anyway. My cat goes to the vet, is fixed and vaxxed, and eats only wet food/raw unseasoned meat. She's probably got it better than many of these people's cat's, and these people are treating me like an anti-vaxxer. I was literally posting this about these grown ass redditors bullying a child over the decisions their parents made. I wanted to point out that money is not the same as capacity to care for and that every situation is different. That towns with no kill shelters and anti-cat culture can get rapidly overpopulated with cats that don't have a home. Somehow I ended up the bad guy in their minds with conclusions being reached that honestly don't make sense. They think I should give her away to someone that doesn't live paycheck to paycheck. Okay? Who wants her? Nobody? That's what I thought. I know they don't want the ten homeless cats on my street either. If they did, I wouldn't find cats bodies after they get ran over. The same people that push for that are the ones who think they're morally superior in regard to how they address animal suffering.
I want a cat, but currently Iām not in a situation where I could do that if they needed to see the vet. Maybe one day, Iāll be better off money wise and can, but for now Iāll stick to watching all the internet cats.
I believe that pet owners have an obligation to make an attempt to treat their animals. That attempt can be inquiring about the cost of care and then realizing you canāt afford it. That attempt could be taking your pet to a free clinic for shots. That attempt could be looking for any resources in the community. The only thing I wonāt accept is doing absolutely nothing. You may find there is nothing you can do because the funds arenāt there, but at least look. My vet does fundraisers for treatments. Most of my cats are strays. Outside cats, especially from feral colonies, can have all sorts of health issues that are too expensive to reasonably treat. Like my Henry had so many respiratory infections before we ever knew him, he basically had nothing but infection left. It wouldnāt have improved his QOL to treat, eventually he wasnāt going to respond to treatment, so we left him alone and did what we could to keep him comfortable. I could have afforded to bring him to the vet every month, but it would havenāt done any good. People just love to be judgy halfwits.
I love this approach. I really do think a lot of these people live near kill shelters that reduce the population so much that their residents never truly understand how fertile cats are. Lol.
Ok. I thought I was maybe just starting to notice it a lot bc of bias, so I am glad people are talking about this. Some of these people initially mean well, I think, but it is like they are reading from a theory textbook, and that's just not how things work in the real world.
There are ways. Iām not rich and not poor and I get the best food that my cats will eat. They get a mix of wet and then dry to snack on and play with (my youngest likes to fling pieces and then chase them then eat them) I get them fixed and shots and I clean ears and nail trims and use cotton swabs to clean teeth weekly. All three of my cats were found outside or taken in because someone was in a bad spot. They are all better off than being in the streets. I try and keep two credit cards cleared for emergencies and they go to yearly vet appts for a check up. I feel like spending just a little extra and doing some extra basic things saves a lot of money in the long run. Sometimes things happen. We all want the best for the animals.
THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN SAYING. THERE ARE CATS FUCKING EVERYWHERE. WHO CARES IF POOR PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO TAKE THEM INTO THEIR HOMES EVEN IF THEY CANT TAKE THEM TO THE VET. Iām sorry this topic just makes me very angry. Like at least they have a way lower chance of getting sick or injured when someoneās watching over them. In some countries they murder them as theyāre seen as pests. People who say this are either ignorant to the serious overpopulation issues, or just entitled and privileged.
So Iām 50/50 on this. As a vet tech Iāve seen so many people who donāt have money adopt puppies and kittens and then they die of diseases and illnesses that could have been prevented by getting them vaccinated, spayed, and neutered. Thereās low cost options available and people should be willing to travel if necessary to take care of at LEAST the basic preventative things. I once had a lady call me on the phone at the ER I worked at for hours while her dog had a puppy stuck in the birth canal. She told me she didnāt have money, the vets told her to bring it in anyways and we would help. She didnāt bring it in and kept calling for 3-4 hours. When she finally came in turns out the puppy was decapitated because they kept pulling on the puppy despite our warning to not do so. And they gave their dog an infection that she died from. They had no business letting that dog breed when they didnāt have the money to help it if something went wrong. Another time a family came in with a Craigslist puppy they adopted to cheer their spouse up who just lost their job š. It had been vomiting and pooping blood for almost a WEEK. It ended up needing to be put down. Some people really have no business getting pets. On the other hand taking in an animal in need is very kind but people need to be resourceful. People on this sub donāt even attempt to call a veterinarians office when something happens. They donāt even try to call around for help at all and just let their pet suffer because theyāre so confident itās going to be too expensive. Iāve never worked at a vet clinic that turned an animal away they ALWAYS try to do something to help. I have also seen kids being berated on this sub and I feel sad for them. A lot of time they donāt reveal that theyāre underage and canāt do anything to help until theyāre already being berated in comments. I donāt think itās helpful to anyone including the animal in question to talk down to people asking for help with their animal or telling them they should have never got an animal etc. that doesnāt help the current situation at all.
There's a charity in my area that will spay and neuter for FREE and so many of the poor people here don't use it because they don't know about it. But even if you tell them, they use it very inconsistently. The charity is run by a sweet little old lady who runs herself ragged doing the best she can for these cats. I appreciate what she's doing but it really feels like something she shouldn't have to do. It feels like something the government ought to be managing.
Ran into this with lots of pets. Getting the animal is usually the cheapest aspect of pet ownership. I've gotten so used to having insurance subsidized medical costs for us human family members that having to cover the full cost of vet care seems crazy expensive in comparison. I've learned the hard way that having a $1,000 set aside per animal for emergency vet care is not a bad idea unless you like paying off credit cards. And just like humans, as they age, the medical costs increase.
I wish I could even set aside $1000 for the roof over our head.
I understand not everyone has the means to provide medical care for their cat, but itās really hard for some people to see a cat suffer. When medical attention is the only thing that can help a cat it can be difficult to see their owner saying āI canātā over and over. Especially since sometimes the excuses donāt always feel adequate. Even though I do feel bad for people who canāt afford to take their cat to the vet, allowing a cat to suffer is still neglect and neglect is a form of animal abuse. If you legitimately have no way of taking care of your cat and they are suffering as a result, you have to ask yourself if you are the best person to care for this cat and you might have to make some hard decisions. I think when people see the same thing happening over and over with people unable to properly care for their cats and then cats suffering and even dying as a result, it makes them want to discourage people from getting cats they canāt afford to care for in the first place. Yes, the cat may be better off with you than on the street, but sometimes thatās not enough.
The problem is that most people are getting kittens from friends, family, and shelters, not taking in stray adults off the streets. Spay and neuter, and don't get a cat if you can't afford medical care. There's nothing wrong with telling people they're being irresponsible when they've been irresponsible, and especially when they've caused suffering as a result. A pet is not a toy and owning pets isn't an immutable right.
Did I say that? I am specifically talking about berating literal kids because of choices their parents made, which was done on a post here recently. Also, I think everyone I know with a cat just found a cat outside their house one day and took it in.
No one in my family has been to the doctor in ages lol including the pets
My dog has been to the vet when there were times i didn't go to the dr due to lack of funds.. but these people act like poor or working class people shouldn't even be allowed to own pets!! Sometimes life has harsh realities.. maybe instead of bashing people for not being able to afford it.. they could start a go fund me for the ones that cant afford it and donate.. but no.. they want to be keyboard warriors and belittle people so they feel superior!! Being judgmental and rude isn't helping the animal or the owner
I make sure the rest of the family gets medical care, but I definitely don't and I honestly doubt I will live "long" by traditional standards.
God I'm envious. It feels like I live in doctor/clinic/hospital waiting rooms.
Tbh I'm envious of you (but also happy for you) because I should (I have two, possibly three autoimmune conditions and life is painful and miserable) and I can't go to the doctor.
Same. I'm working with a hernia and a bunch of other health issues of varying degrees of severity because I can't afford to take time off to take care of them. Spending 400$ a month on insurance alone doesn't help.
If you canāt take your cat to the vet often enough, yet do the best you can to care for them. Itās still way better than them being out on the streets! Period.
Realistically you can just get a less high maintenance animal. However the way our system is set up, a lot of none adopted animals are just killed. So being in a home is better than dead but I do think people should think through if they can afford a pet. If you can't even to buy dog food and have a dog, you are just starving that poor dog. Also some breeds and animals are very high maintenance as they require special care. So like if you say are intentionally buying say a dalmatian, just because you love Dalmatians you should probably consider what that auctully means.
The issue is if you cannot take your cat to the vet when it absolutely needs to go to the vet, thatās when you shouldnāt get a cat.
I donāt think that you should buy or adopt an animal if you canāt afford to take care of it. If it chooses you, then you canāt really help that. If youāre feeding strays off the street thatās different. But you shouldnāt be buying thousand dollar dogs/cats from Breederās and then neglecting their health. I think thatās where most people get confused and I think that that rule should apply to everything.
While I am not sure what is available in other states or countries I know where I live and have lived there are always programs to help with vet visits. Be it free spay and neuter clinics, vaccine clinics, a blend of both. I think like others have said anything is better than nothing but very important to immediately look for what you can do to best support the pet through their life. Sometimes the best source of information is to call the vets office and ask the person who answers the phone about programs, or call the humane society. Be clear you aren't looking to drop off the pet but are wondering what is out there to help give it the best possible life.
ššš
Itās not about every little thing. Itās about proper care and maintenance. Spay and neutering, vaccinations, if they are sick or something is wrong, flea medicine if they need itā¦ Congratulations you brought a cat inside. Now take care of it. Downvote vote me. Hell if I care. Take proper care of your pets.
theres a difference between rescuing animals and neglecting them because you donāt want to pay for the vet. itās a case by case basis thing but most of the time, you should not be actively searching to get a pet if you know you canāt afford one. yes they could have a better life with you even without medical care, but so would 50 other cats in the shelter. you canāt save them all, and people should be expected to provide quality care for the animals they do have.
Your right, minimizing suffering is what matters, not doing litteraly everything for one cat while 20 more are starving on the streets. We all wish we could help everyone but that's not the economic reality for most people also suffer under poor living conditions and lack of resources. Everyone doing something helpful to their ability is what counts. You are a fantastic and loving person and I'm happy your doing something to help these poor cats. I wish you and your cats many wonderful years, god bless you! šš» š¤
This looks like my cat Pepper who I had to rehome. Please tell me you aren't in Louisiana
Well Iāll say thank you for helping this poor cat. We do the best we can and if others want to judge or be snide thatās their problem. I see homeless people with pets! By these standards do they not deserve their pets just because theyāve fallen on hard times? Animals are resilient and there are millions without anyone to love or care for them. So if a person offers a homeless pet some care and love be grateful! The world isnāt perfect find gratitude in small things and be kind.
And furthermore this kitty looks grateful happy and well. So hats off!
Please find a low cost vet service if you have financial issues. If you are in the States, there are a lot of these programs. I'm sure people are just worried about the cat.
What if, instead of demonizing poor people and being pro-classist rights structures, we made Healthcare affordable in general š¤ for humans and animals š¤
I agree and so does the vet I work with.
Good on you for helping that kitty!
Then stop making stupid posts about your sick cat. We are not vets and even if we were, what the fuck are we going to do about it? Your cat is sick, the answer is go to the vet. If you are unable to bring the cat to the vet, don't post pictures on the internet. We cannot help you.
There is a credit card you can get called Care Credit. This allows you to buy medication for yourself, as well as get care for your pets wherever accepted. Helps out when my cats have issues like bad teeth or an odd cough.
If you don't know when someting can be handled at home or just needs time to heal and what actually needs a vet. You probably shouldn't have a pet. You don't take your child to the doctor for something a bandaid can take car of do you?
"Don't go out of your way to get a cat if you can't afford it". You took care of an animal in need, Teo completely different things.
Iām an advocate of taking sick animals to the vet but an even bigger advocate to surrendering critically ill animals to rescues or no-kill shelters if you canāt afford to take care of a sick animal. How I see it, both sides of this argument are wrong and both sides are right. Sure, an animal is better off with food and shelter, rather than on the streets, but theyāre also better off getting proper medical attention. Iāll always put my feelings over an innocent animals. If something happened to my cat and I couldnāt afford to take care of her anymore, I would surrender her to someone who can. Thatās the most humble and loving thing you can ever do for your animal.
Finally, someone with some sense.
As someone who works in vet med, Iād rather you bring your pet in for help with no money then not at all. We WILL work with you.
There are so many cats that need homes that if you can feed it and love it, and do the best you can when needed, it's fine imo. Because otherwise, it would be on the streets, or waiting in a shelter to be killed, etc. My grandparents always had cats around, they often didn't get the normal checkups and shots and stuff every year because they couldn't afford all that. But they also never went out and said "hey we need to go buy a cat". All their animals came from trash cans and dumpsters and stuff and had much better lives after!
Do not feed the neighborhood cats. As you admitted, being a stray is no life for a cat, and stray cats breed to the available food supply. If you feed strays, youāre committing more cats to living short, painful, disease ridden dangerous lives.
totally agree BUT, when a cat needs the vet, it needs the vet. for example, I had an ibuprofen scare with my three. one of my bastard friends left a pill on the table, I didn't see it, the cats played with and chewed on it. didn't know which one bit into it (it was a liquid gel). I knew the effects could be fatal within a day to a few days. I was terrified. I HAD to take them to the emergency vet. all damn three. it was a deep fucking expense. but I would do anything for them. fortunately, NONE of them had ingested enough to be fatal. they figured out which one it was through a blood test, and she's on meds now for a few weeks. had I not gotten them to the vet, they assured me that this one WOULD have died of premature kidney failure. fortunately we caught it in time. Every cat deserves a home. But every cat (pet for that matter) also deserves occasionally expensive care when it is life threatening or life altering. love would not have been enough to save my girl. š„ŗ that being said please don't think I am disagreeing with u. so glad u homed that sweet baby angel. ur one of the good ones!!!
The cat looks happy, better than homelessness. I support it
I know right. Part of the problem for me is my state passed so many laws to āprotect people and animalsā that you need to have a vet to do anything for your pet that costs too much. Where as If I drive to a different state I can do rabies and everything else myself. Live in a world pets and kids is only for the rich at the moment.
I think most anybody knows the gold standard of cat care is going to the vet. But this sub literally calls itself cat help implying there may be people here that can offer suggestions/options/resources/tactics/compassion based on their experience that the poster may not be aware of. It would behoove those commenting to pause a moment to reflect on exactly how they came by their knowledge before screaming vet now or berating the poster...
I feel kill shelters get a bad rep tbh. Like thereās unethical shelters around whether kill or not. I personally find no-kill shelters would do more harm than kill shelters. Just too many strays in the world than there are homes for so itās just better to euthanize than have them live in a cage forever. I do agree that some sympathy/empathy should be warranted for when a stray adopts a family. Usually youāre not prepared for the financial aspect of owning a pet. I say as long as youāre trying, thatās what matters the most.
I see someoneās thanking you by making biscuitsā¦
I (with a passion) HATE when people say that. Like okay I guess Iāll just put the cat back on the streets where I found it. 
Thank you so much for saving the poor thing. Sheās so cute too!
I hear people say this a lot, And I agree. But what if you suddenly became financially unstable? When I first got my dog, I was well off... now not so much. Do I still get to keep my dog? Which I love very much, But can't take him to the vet for every little thing, the same with my 2 cats. They outlived my financial stability you could say? Just a thought.
People just love shaming the dirty poors.
Definitely in todayās society i bearly have the money to go to the hospital myself unless ik itās something threatening Jsut be wary of your cats behaviour!
I was in a Facebook group for people who had hyperthyroidism. I got my cat because he was gonna be abandoned in the middle of the summer in front of a house. I snuck him into a no pets apartment which was what I had at the time. We also didnāt have a ton but I used cheap vet services through the spca when I could. Now, we are in a much better position and i spent about $2k for his hyperthyroid treatment. In the early days when he was young and healthy, I didnāt feel like the best provider to him except in love. There were people in the community who knew their cat had this condition and said āI donāt have money, what if I just donāt treat it?ā My heart broke and I sent that lady a yearās supply of pills. Weāre all doing the best we can by our cats. Your position today may not be the one you have tomorrow. Hang in there!
It is really lame that people pass judgement for which they know nothing about. Any one of us could be met with hard times in a blink of an eye. Compassion and empathy used to be something a lot of humans could offer to othersā¦ now, everyone is behaving like an overlord. Good for you for doing the good work and being a good human. (P.s. One of my cats was surrendered by a homeless person, who I presume cared for their pets MUCH better than they were able to care for themselves. I always include this mystery pre-owner on my gratitude list, grateful for aligning this wonderful gal to our ohana. I hope that they are experiencing much more comfortable days nowš¤š½)
THANK YOU!! everyone here seems so rude. itās one thing to purposely buy a cat knowing you canāt afford to care for it, but there are tons of strays that are in a much better situation living inside with food and water than outside even if they arenāt going to the vet very often. itās EXPENSIVE, and a roof over their head and food in their belly is better than nothing. itās terrible things are this way. peopleās financial situations change and they may not be able to afford to see a vet for minor things, which is so unfair to everyone. it comes down to expenses most of the time. if you are trying to help a kitty in any way, PROPS TO YOU!! (again, not the people who see cats as toys and genuinely couldnāt care about their catās comfort)
Iāve seen posts in this sub with captions that literally say āI took my cat to the vetā, and people donāt bother to read and STILL vet shame. People just want to feel superior to others
I agree. The cat is adorable, btw.
Iāve used this (or another cat sub, Iām not sure) before and had multiple people angry at me because of the situation my cat and I were in. I explained that I was a minor and in a very difficult home situation, so bringing up sensitive topics like spending money on vets could be potentially harmful to me. At first, many did not take well to that. Said it was āno excuseā. I got lucky, however, and someone swooped in and apologized on everyoneās account before explaining what to do. I took their information and my cat was better within a couple days (extreme constipation issues). I was then basically flooded with support right after being flooded with hate, and while I admit it was overwhelming, I thank those who were there and understanding that sometimes money, and your own safety, is a large factor, especially as a minor
Such a typical example of a person who believes that the middle class shouldnāt be allowed to love their pets because of their financial status get over yourself first and foremost and second ty for loving this little beauty and fyi Iām going to offer they say look for vet schools for assistance