Tuesday, July 28, 2009

One Lucky Baby and Difficult Decisions

One Lucky Baby was found in our backyard, frozen and starved in December 2005. We really didn't think she was going to pull through, she was so thin. I guess we found her in the nick of time because she did pull through. She's a tiny little thing even though she's about six years old. She's our only house cat, by her choice. She just prefers to stay inside or on the deck. She's just one of those cats that is always around, but not a big deal.


She never liked Tuck because he bugged her constantly. I thought she'd be the only one thrilled that he's left. It didn't turn out that way. I guess all the stress of the past few weeks has caught up with her because she's very sick. We came home from our trip Sunday night and she was super, scary thin. Since I got her to eat numerous times during the day, I thought we'd be okay and she'd be fine, but she wouldn't eat this morning and would barely drink, so off to the vet we went. Bad news: They think Lucky has stress induced liver failure (there is some complicated name for it, but that is the gist of it). So, she's hooked up to i.v. fluids and having a battery of tests run and tomorrow, after the results come in, we'll know our next step. It sounds stupid, but these tests and this 24 hour period are going to cost $1200 and I agonized over what to do. We don't have $1200 lying around. We went forward anyway. Why do them? Because how can I tell my children we didn't give her a fighting chance? If she has cancer or cat hepatitis or a host of any other things, we'll have to put her down, but if she doesn't, we'll try to save her.


What else could I do? What would you do?

P.S. I'm not having a good day.

7 comments:

Tootsie said...

girl...you did the same thing I would do They are part of our families...and they unconditionally love us no matter how we look, smell or sound. She does deserve the best you can do ....and I hope she is better soon! I know how hard it is . I loved and lost two very important babies in my time.! Hang in there, if you need a friend...know I am here!

Tootsie said...

I just got your comment....I know how hard it is. I had two cats. One named Niffer...who we had to let go due to renal failure when he was 10....and the other was Tootsie. She came to me as a kitten...and was my baby. she had to be put down due to cancer in her pancreas. It was the hardest most painful thing in the world...and I still miss them to this day. Niffer was a "found" kitten. I saved him in a park from some kids that were shooting at him with a pellet gun. I thought he was black, but after a bath and lots of picking of the tar out from between his toes, I learned he was a 1/2 starved white siamese persian cross. I loved them both like my own kids!
gduchak@shaw.ca....is my email if you need some moral support!....or just an online hug!

Erin said...

Thanks for the virtual hug...I needed it.

momstheword said...

We spent about $1500 on our dog Maddie, which my hubby said he'd never do again, but he said the same thing with Molly when we had her.

I do think that there is a point when you stop spending money that you don't have.

But we just had to try, you know. In the end it turned out she had cancer and it was in her brain and her spine and she went blind and lots of pain. So we had to put her down as the doctor said nothing he could do.

She died on a Saturday and the next Saturday my dad died. Let me tell you, I mourned them both.

So I will pray for your sweet kitty tonight, my friend. It is hard when our pets get ill.

Please let us know what happens.

Oh, and you gotta tell me the story about you and the car that you didn't drive through the garage, lol!

Unknown said...

I would have done the same thing. I think you have to be able to tell yourself that you tried with in the confines of what you are able to do. It is a lot of money but, at least if the prognosis is bad you will know that, and if it ends up good and One Lucky Baby is indeed One Lucky Baby, then your money will have been well spent. If she is well she has many healthy wonderful years left and that is worth the money. If she is not, assuaging your guilt and knowing that you did what you could will make the less fortunate decision easier. $1200 is a small price to play for sleeping more easily or being able to look yourself in the mirror and know you have done what you could.

Clark said...

This has definitely been a hard decision to wrap myself around. I do not think that it is any secret that I have felt it was a terrible waste of money to large amounts of money on a sick animal. As my boisterous neighbor said, "I have a 5 cent solution for that problem." When push came to shove, I had to realize that our numerous animals are not pieces of seasonal furniture or a utility. They are members of our family and as such, we are not "wasting" money that could be properly spent on the family. We are spending that money on our family. Everyone was in on the decision and everyone understands that there will be things we give up or don't do because of it. By the way, the neighbor with the "5 Cent" solution has called numerous times to check up on Lucky Baby.

Andrea said...

I would have done the same thing.