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The real question should be when you adopt a pet is can you afford $5,000 worth of pet expenses.
So you believe that it's better to leave an animal at the shelter to either be eventually executed (traditional shelter) or go "cage-crazy" (no-kill shelter) than to adopt it and give it a loving home for a few years just because it MIGHT need an expensive medical treatment at some point that the owner can't afford?
We have 2 dogs an 2 cats. One of the dogs came from our neighbor who is a breeder, the other animals were strays that just showed up on our doorstep. We feed them, worm them, give them shots, and will provide them with basic medical care if and when the need arises. We "fixed" the 2 cats, the dog is a recent arrival and I frankly I haven't checked to see if he is "all there."
If any of these animals needed medical care that I couldn't pay for out of pocket I would have them euthenized. Does that make me a bad person? Would it have been better for me to ignore the crying kitten on the doorstep on a sub-zero December day and let it continue to wander looking for food and shelter only to wind up being hit by a car or eaten by a coyote? Should I have chased off the stray dog who showed up here the day after a storm? Maybe I should have called the sherrif and gotten authorization to drop them off at the local vet where they would have been put to sleep after 3 days if nobody claimed them. Instead I chose to give them a loving home, at least as long as I am able. What a terrible person I am!
If some folks have no limit to the amount of money they want to spend on health care for their animals, that's their business. If they go heavily into debt or deny their families basic necessities in order to do it I think that's foolish, but that's just my opinion. But for someone to suggest that a person shouldn't be allowed to adopt a pet just because there is a 1/10 of 1% chance that the owner might have to choose to give the pet up because he or she can't afford an expensive medical treatment is very judgemental.
By the way, all this started because the OP has a cat that is destroying her apartment when she is gone and she might have to let it go to someone else if she can't get it stopped. I really don't know why anyone would have a problem with that.
This is a horrible question to ask to people who haven't had to face that...
Well, based on the answers, I have to say that it appears many who are answering know what the heck they are talking about, and may I add, they are speaking in rational, intelligent, and sensible ways.
They are not running off all rabbid that someone wouldn't rob a bank to save their pet. (unlike the other forum)
They are not all emotional and bent out of shape that their only response is to attack the OP. (unlike the other forum)
They they are not calling the OP a monster because they just asked this difficult question (unlike the other forum)
And, they certainly don;t seem to be trying to one up each other with stories of how much they spent on their pets (unlike the other forum) So far, the most rational and emotion free, and seemingly truthful answers, are here.
This was the best place to ask the question because the answers are coming from truthful people, not those so wrapped up in their furry fantasy that they say what they think all the other lackeys will agree and rep them on!
This is a horrible question to ask to people who haven't had to face that...you can't possibly know how much you will spend on your animals until you face a horrible situation. If you have to set a monetary limit for an animal, then it is probably best that you don't have them in the first place.
this is where i stopped reading. i dont like to read stuff that is irrational.
I suppose it would depend on the pet, some I like more than other. What people have to remember is, sometimes, a pet is like a part of the family. Some of us are very attached to our pets, and others have no right to call us "crazies" or "loonies" or anything else just because THEY are heartless.
And as far as that goes, it's none of their business to begin with.
I just spent several hundred dollars on my dad's cat. He's hyperthyroid and his kidneys are failing. He's not in pain though and, from what they tell me, the end will come peacefully for him naturally. So, he's on a special diet and gets more blood work in six weeks and if I drop a grand on him before he dies, at least I know I did what I could for dad's cat. The big dustmop is the last thing I have to tie me to my dad. His passing will be sad.
Curious what you think on this as I was on another forum and a poster responded that he/she would take out a 2nd mortgage to save their pet's life.
Is it Practical? Is it Responsible?
$0.00 plain and simple. Pets are not humans and people who treat them like humans have some loose screws. They make life more complicated for themselves than it needs to be.
$0.00 plain and simple. Pets are not humans and people who treat them like humans have some loose screws. They make life more complicated for themselves than it needs to be.
The day I put a $0.00 price on taking care of my animals, I will have given up my humanity and my compassion. You can put me to sleep then.
Sometimes, it makes sense to care for an animal, other times not. I won't keep one alive that is in dying and in pain but I'll keep one that is dying comfortable (my current situation) or pay to fix one up that has had an accident, like my cat did four years ago. It would be different if I didn't have the money.
The day I put a $0.00 price on taking care of my animals, I will have given up my humanity and my compassion. You can put me to sleep then.
Sometimes, it makes sense to care for an animal, other times not. I won't keep one alive that is in dying and in pain but I'll keep one that is dying comfortable (my current situation) or pay to fix one up that has had an accident, like my cat did four years ago. It would be different if I didn't have the money.
I hate to speak for someone else, but I think that Chango is answering the question posed in the forum topic, which is how much DEBT you would take on, not how much you would spend. And based on your last sentence I believe you feel the same way.
The day I put a $0.00 price on taking care of my animals, I will have given up my humanity and my compassion. You can put me to sleep then.
Sometimes, it makes sense to care for an animal, other times not. I won't keep one alive that is in dying and in pain but I'll keep one that is dying comfortable (my current situation) or pay to fix one up that has had an accident, like my cat did four years ago. It would be different if I didn't have the money.
I wouldn't try to stop anyone that wants to, of course. But I would never, ever tie an anchor around my leg by elevating an animal to a human's level in my mind. Just sayin'.
I just had to go through making some tough decisions with my elderly rescued Jack Russell. In June he was diagnosed with Lymphoma and the vet gave him 6 months to a year. I was not in a financial position to do any chemo nor would I at his time of life. He put him on prednisone and it helped some but last Friday he crossed the bridge after only 3 months, but it was time. He was somewhere around 15-16 years old at the time of his death.
As a rural farmer type person I guess I look at my critters a bit differently. I'm single and yes they are my 4 legged family, however, I'm very aware of my budget constraints and some say Ohhhh you shouldn't own a pet if you can't afford it Afford what exactly, my dog got premium dog food, and all the usuall shots and medications needed through his life. He was loved and well cared for, I would not and could not go in to the kind of financial debt some choose to do.
I guess I draw the line at going into financial devistation to keep a critter alive. If one has the funds to choose to do so, so be it, but I don't but I also don't think that should keep me from owning a pet because I won't go into financial ruin for said pet.
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I just spent several hundred dollars on my dad's cat. He's hyperthyroid and his kidneys are failing. He's not in pain though and, from what they tell me, the end will come peacefully for him naturally. So, he's on a special diet and gets more blood work in six weeks and if I drop a grand on him before he dies, at least I know I did what I could for dad's cat. The big dustmop is the last thing I have to tie me to my dad. His passing will be sad.
