WWYD if your cat was seriously ill & needed invasive treatment that was very expensive

[LowDudgeon]

and you didn't actually have the money (or any insurance)???

Cat concerned started 2.5 weeks ago with severe breathing difficulties; mass/fluid build-up on chest, fluid drained, 2 more emergency visits, more draining, nearly died. Cancer now diagnosed, chemo, tablets & regular fluid draining required for next 4 weeks.

Don't know how old he is or what prognosis is. He looks pretty miserable in the pics I've seen. If he were mine I'd have gone for euthanasia (& I do have insurance)

PTS.

Yes PTS

No choice but to pts. It's sad but you can't let them suffer if you genuinely can't afford the treatment.

I would pts.

I'd put it to sleep too.

Unfortunately lots of people are only considering their own feelings when they deal with very sick animals. My sister is a vet and she says that around 75% of animals that really should be put to sleep to prevent any further pain or worsening of their condition are kept going with expensive treatments that don't really work because their owners don't want to part with them at that point. In the end they do die or will be euthanized but in reality it should have been done a long time before then.

Its always better to go a day too soon than a day too late.

I think that's what's happening here, sadly, Odins. It's a woman who runs a local cat rescue service - there have been appeals to fund rehabilitation care for very neglected strays in the past, which I'm ok with, but this is her own pet & she's started a gofundme for £2500 & it just seems wrong.

I don't actually know her so can't really say anything

My aunt's elderly cat was very very poorly and had tests and treatments in the last month of its life. It was an invasive test which it never really recovered form which finally persuaded aunt to pts. She was never going to recover anyway, and it was sad all round to see them all suffer more than necessary before the inevitable happened.

Who's cat are you talking about op?

oh crossed posts op. How sad

If it was my own cat, I would sadly PTS despite the fact I have insurance. Her quality of life would be very low and my cat in particular gets very distressed when she has to go to the vet. I've already decided that if she ever develops a condition that would require frequent vet trips I wouldn't put her through it.

Me too, round - mine all hate going to the vet, it's only a 2-minute walk away (not even a car journey, which they hate even more) & the worst they've ever had is the annual jabs. Spending days there & having nasty painful things done to them would be terrible for them.

Pts

Absolutely PTS

I have a friend with a cat who had kidney problems. They spent about 30k+ on it and then it died. Madness

I'd pts too.

Troy was ill and initial tests showed either cancer or heart disease. He was insured and I said if it was cancer I would have had him pts straight away as I could not have seen him in pain and becoming a shadow of himself as time went on.

He had HCM and although the prognosis was that he would only survive around 6 months as he was in heart failure it could be managed with medication and he would not be in pain. I expect he did have discomfort when his chest had to be drained which he never showed.

Up until the night he died in May aged 5 he was still my Troy and played that evening and he enjoyed a brush before bed and then I lost him.

Mine are insured but I would have PTS without a doubt. I would not want them to suffer. I love them too much to put them through treatments they would hate.

Having just been in this position a week ago, I opted to PTS.

He was only 8, and had become very unwell quite suddenly. The long term prognosis was poor (research said 4-18mths from onset of symptoms) and would have involved daily treatment and multiple vet visits. He'd have hated it.

Am utterly bereft and can't help but feel like I've murdered a family member, but would make the same decision again.

For cancer with invasive treatments and poor prognosis, I would PTS.

The cat's quality of life would be so shit, I couldn't do that to them.

I get so cross with some of the owners on Supervet'. I really don't understand why you'd put your pet through massive experimental surgery and prolonged hospitalisation when they would be quite happy as a tri pod. They always seem to develop more complications and infections. It just seems cruel. Especially some of the cancer ones.

for those of you who've sadly been there

I haven't so far, but like all of you I'd PTS if I was.

PTS. We lost our cat in the summer. She was only young and so lovely. She started going down hill really quickly and tests told us she had cancer. The vet started listing the treatments but then stopped, looked us in the eye and said if this was my cat I would let her go. It was so sad but it really was best for her.

He would get his favourite food a good stroke then go off to the big tuna in the sky

In a similar position a few weeks ago. Much as it broke my heart I chose to pts for her benefit. I can understand the desperation of wanting to try anything to make them well again... but it's just not fair on the poor animal