AIBU to get my cat put down.

[AssumeItWasSomethingClever]

Our cat is 5 years old. He had an abscess under his front leg which we got treated and cost us £160. About two weeks later he started to be lethargic and I felt another lump. Took him to the vets, they said it was another abscess and that they'd syringe it. They quoted us £200. They then discovered that there was another abscess behind the second abscess and that the flesh behind it had started to decompose. They then said it would be £600. He's then had further complications which was yet more money. He's now ripped out his stitches twice costing a further £400 each time. We've got pet insurance but we've surpassed the claim limit. We've got an almost 1 year old and I'm a SAHM so we've only got 1 wage coming in.
It's worth saying that I love the cat and do not want to put him down! If a vet even would. He's otherwise in good health but we can't afford to provide him with any further treatment. I'm at a bit of a loss here and was just wondering what I should do. I was thinking of taking him to a shelter but I'm concerned they'd also put him down.

Firstly, if it's prescription only food, have a look what reputable companies charge for it with a prescription from the vets.

Secondly, I'd ask for local recommendations for another vets and get a second opinion. Tell them from the start his insurance is maxed out, and ask what the options are, they might be significantly cheaper and less intrusive.

Thirdly, if he faces a life of continual ill health and invasive treatment, then regardless of affordability it's not a quality of life. In a 12 month period I spent a five figure sum on vet bills alone for a beloved pet, something I could afford, but I was happy to do because they had an excellent quality of life during and after treatment. By the same token I have pts equally beloved pets when the only cost was the insurance excess because the treatment wasn't in their interests.

Fourthly, although we should all always be aware that our pets will hopefully outlive comprehensive insurance policies, there's no shame in not being able to afford expensive ongoing treatment for a younger pet, when you've already budgeted sensibly for insurance and excess, and spent extra on top.

Because not being able to afford them later on in life can happen to anyone.

And Manuka honey needs to be complementary to vets treatment. And the OP can afford that....

I'm sorry that you are going through this and it's sad to hear so many judgemental opinions.

The cat is 5yrs old, you are now a SAHM to a 1yr old so your circumstances have changed. Why can't people understand that? Also, it's understandable that your insurance payout is rubbish considering the cat's medical history.

Your cat is very obviously suffering. Necrotising flesh, repeated abscesses? None of this sounds good. Your vet should be taking blood tests to see what else is going on. As it is, your cat is clearly in pain if it was lethargic the other day because cats do not show when they're unwell. The reason being is that they become vulnerable to predators. The kindest thing may be to euthanise the cat, but your vet should be investigating more before you make any decisions.

Horrible situation for you to be in OP and well done for even rescuing the cat in the first place as from what you said the Cats Protection would have put him to sleep if you’d returned him in his condition anyway.
I have no advice for you, I think I’d have to do the same in your position, but just wanted to balance out some of the negative and judgemental posts here.

If you take away the issue of cost this lovely cat isn't having a very nice life.

You sound like a caring and concerned owner, sometimes having a pet is knowing when to stop inflicting veterinary interventions. I wouldn't blame you if the right decision for your cat is pts

OP, we got a cat from Cats Protection League which became very ill shortly afterwards. We were spending hundreds on veterinary treatment until I phoned CPL, explained the situation and asked them to help us out. They wanted to talk to the vet but, having done so, they paid half the bills (which meant we got some money back). The cat recovered and lived another ten years.

A vet charging £400 to restitch a wound? I don't believe that for a second. It costs around £100 to neuter a cat which includes anesthetic, the actual operation then the stitching up (sometimes they don't stitch). So why would they charge £400 for some anesthetic and stitching? Doesn't add up to me

So e of the comments on here wre a reminder why you should never discuss pts a seriously ill animal in public.

The question that needs answering here is why is this cat getting continued and deep abscesses? Why are the suturing? Most abscesses are relatively superficial and will resolve with draining, cleaning and antibiotics and a bill of £200-£300 at most.

There is clearly something else going on here. I'm a vet nurse and I can totally understand why the OP is considering euthanasia, it is all to easy to judge people until you have to walk a mile in their shoes.

I would be asking for a prognosis and possibly seeking a second opinion but sadly, euthanasia seems a valid option in thus case. Not just because of money but why is this cat getting severe repeated abscesses?

YANBU.

See if a charity can help but if they can't you would not be unreasonable. You have to prioritise your family over an animal, even a well loved animal.

Thanks everyone for your posts. There's too many to respond to individually. I'll have a look at the websites people have suggested and will definitely shop around for a different vets.
@TheoriginalLEM he seems to be getting them on top of each other. The one which caused the flesh behind it to decompose was by far the worst and is the one that's caused all the damage. When he opened his stitches the first time, the wound was so deep I would have been able to get my finger down well past the first knuckle. (Not that I did!) they had to restitch internally, clear out the cat litter that he'd tossed in there for good measure, flush it out, put in another drain to let out the infection and then stitch externally. They gave him a shot of antibiotics and pain killers and provided a new buster collar and body suit. We definitely paid £400 (can't remember the exact figure) in your professional opinion would you say we were being overcharged?

Begging your pardon... just double checked... not quite £400. £382.37.

OP, you’re getting some pretty harsh responses and I am sympathetic to your plight.

You took on a rescue cat with health problems, you’ve been very responsible with a special diet and insurance and your cat is still dangerously ill and presumably in pain.

I’ve adopted pets that had a poor start in life too. Sometimes the damage in early life means your pet will never be healthy, there’s an underlying problem that will continue to affect him/her.

It’s very sad but once you have exhausted the options, PtS is all you can do. You’ve still got a few things to look into, and I hope it works out. But don’t beat yourself up if the continued treatments are unsustainable.

(to PP, when a pet has previous or underlying issues insurers often impose harsh limits to reduce their exposure. It’s pretty common)

I think Vets4pets will do payment plans and they are really reasonable if you have one near by.

I do not think you are being unreasonable to consider PTS. He is not a healthy cat, you have cared well for him but if continuing to care for him is at the detrament of your family then its something that you may have to do.
Its a tiny injection and he wont know anything about it, I love cats and I have cats at home. I worked for years in a major dogs and cats home, ive seen many animals PTS.
Of course you should have another cat after this one, you sound like an excellent owner.

YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG

You took on a cat that no one would take and would be put down (according to Cats Protection)

You pay £100 a month for special prescription food

You have the only insurance you could get (due to its previous issues) and pay £40 a month for it

The insurance has stopped paying

Choices:

1. Go back to where you rescued it from - if they won't help you pay for treatment then very last option would be to surrender the cat to them - they may then fundraise for it - or it could be put down

1. Do a go fund me - I would give you a fiver even though you have NOT asked for it

1. Try charities, ask the vets for a payment plan over a long time - I know lots of vets who do this - you will stop paying your insurance so can use that £40 to pay the vets

Thanks everyone. Woke up this morning and all was well. An hour later, he'd ripped his stitches and I think he caught it on something as it'd ripped all the way across his armpit and half his chest. So deep you could see the muscles moving. ( I have a photo but unsure whether to post it as it's pretty graphic)
I've taken him to the vets and I'm ashamed to say broke down. They've got him in to re-patch him up and have offered to charge me £250 to cover the medication and anaesthesia and to do the rest for free. They've said they can look into why he's getting them but to cross this hurdle first as money is an issue. Spoken to pretty much every local charity. Nobody will help as we're not on benefits. I even called the local cats rehiring centre. They won't take him as they don't take injured or sick animals.

Poor you (meant in the least patronising tone), it sounds hellish for you and even more so for your cat. I know what I would do in these circumstances

I really feel for you OP.

You may find that you won't be able to find a vet who will pts, even if that's what you decide to do. Our cat was suffering terribly and we believed it was the kindest thing to do, but we got refused. So be prepared for that.

For those giving the OP a hard time, have a fucking word with yourselves. She has been a responsible pet owner by having insurance in the first place and not everyone has hundreds of pounds lying around. She came to ask for advice, which some have helpfully given with regards to getting financial help, and obviously does care about the cat. Unfortunately she's had a load of wankers having a go at her for no reason.

I don't think you'd be unreasonable to PTS.
You've tried to deal with the problem but if the cat keeps reopening the wound and causing more damage it will never heal.
and if he hates being stuck indoors he does not have much quality of life either.

I’ve never had cats, but I do have a dog who, thankfully, is in good health.

To be honest, I didn’t even think putting an animal to sleep under these circumstances was possible. I think it’s quite shocking that vets would do this.

I completely understand where you're coming from. If your cat is going to continue to get these abscesses - almost nobody can afford to sustain that kind of financial outlay long term. It sounds like there's something else going on.
I would discuss this with your vet and decide from there.
If this was a horse, there would be no question about the best course of action if the treatment was not affordable. A responsible owner would PTS with much sadness as it was the kindest thing to do for their much loved pet. I don't see why it should be any different for a cat.

@CrotchetyQuaver - the biggest organ in your body is your skin. If the cat keeps ripping his open down to the muscle he is putting himself at serious risk of infection and death as pathogens can now get in to his body. He already has dead skin that isn't healing and several abscesses. Something is seriously wrong with this cat.

Oh OP, this is so sad for you. and your family.

I am so sorry. You're clearly at the end of your tether.

In your situation I would PTS. You've done your best and the cat is getting worse, and suffering. It's all very well people telling you what a bad person you are when they are not the ones who have to find huge sums of money from absolutely nowhere. I really sympathize.