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Original poster

Prepared to be flamed - advice please

38 replies

watermelonpie · 07/07/2018 15:18

My cat was hit by a car a few weeks ago and I hastily adopted a new cat from a reputable rescue. This rescue seemed to want to get rid of this cat fairly quickly and didn't insist on doing a home check.

Anyway 2 weeks later the cat started with a limp. I took him to the vets and she said it looked like he'd previously been in an accident as his pelvis wasn't in the usual place and was on a slant. His hip had popped out of place. X-ray and a few other checks (and £400) later and now I'm seriously regretting my decision to adopt this cat. Luckily I was insured but it's still money I haven't got to spend when paying up front for vets bills.

I've contacted the rescue and asked to return him and they keep fobbing me off and are ignoring my calls and voicemails. I can't afford to keep this cat Sad what do I do?

OP posts:
PinkSparklyPussyCat · 07/07/2018 15:25

Poor cat.

Has he had treatment to fix the damage? Does he need more treatment?

Original poster
watermelonpie · 07/07/2018 15:37

He's booked in to see an orthopaedic surgeon with a view to possibly replacing his hip. The vet has fixed it back into place in the meantime. He's only 6 months old.

OP posts:
ragged · 07/07/2018 15:54

I don't know about the shelter, but I'd be very interested to read about the prognosis of a hip replacement surgery going well in the cat, especially a young cat who might need another replacement in X-many yrs. I can easily imagine the kindest thing to do is to put him down if he can't have quality life with the limp.

HeGotManFlu · 07/07/2018 15:56

Poor soul, can the vet write a letter to the rescue, do the rescue have a head office, that's awful if they knew and didn't tell you, the upside ismkitty has a loving home now and is being looked after. Can the cat welfare groups or charities help at all.

Original poster
watermelonpie · 07/07/2018 15:57

Oh fuck, really? Sad. After the vet put it back into place he was walking ok for a day but now he's limping again and can't jump onto things properly. Poor boy, I feel so sad for him.

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 07/07/2018 15:58

Wow. No home check at all?
Do you think they knew it was injured?
Have a look at what you signed.
TBH it is pretty rubbish for them to rehome this cat if they knew it had issues and not to tell you. But any cat could have future issues. Could you afford them? If not maybe a cat isn't the right per for you. Unless you can afford something like pet plan where the vets may claim straight from the insurers.

Original poster
watermelonpie · 07/07/2018 16:01

Not even a mention of a home check. I was surprised but so keen to have a cat in the house again, I (stupidly) didn't question it. It does make me wonder whether they know about it before. After this, I won't be getting another one unfortunately.

To be honest I have been naive. My cat who was run over never had any health issues even though she was always insured. So this is all new to me

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 07/07/2018 16:11

Re cost. Old girl cost us £60 a month in pills in the years running up to PTS. Thyroid and pain meds for arthritis.
TBH it just sounds like you've changed your mind about the cat.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 07/07/2018 16:44

I would definitely try a hip replacement in a 6 month old cat if the vet thought it was viable.

As Wolfie says it does sound as though you haven't taken costs into account and have changed your mind. My cat has cost a fortune over the last couple of years. He's insured but we've got a high excess but we had to pay it and we knew there would be costs involved when we adopted him.

Want2beme · 07/07/2018 17:10

Cats can be very expensive during times of their lives. Hopefully, the vet will make her better and she'll be well for a long time to come.

SendYouUpInFlames · 07/07/2018 17:22

I couldn't dream if sending the poor baby back there.

What happens when he gets back there? It's sickening to think :(

ragged · 07/07/2018 17:57

Do most cat shelters have insurance for all the cats they look after, would most of them be able to rustle up £4k to pay for a hip replacement? How much do vets work for free for shelters?

Given the shelters seem to be overflowing & the quality of life in them means living in a cage, I'd rather they lived with a loving if skint owner than stay in shelter. But maybe that's the role of foster homes, instead.

From what I'm reading, hip replacement is a recent procedure to do on cats, and nobody knows how long they last for. I thought there was a 20 yr lifespan for a joint replacement in people, dunno if that needs to be scaled down for animals.

Pannalash · 07/07/2018 18:00

Ragged you would consider PTS seriously? I think that’s appalling advice, poor cat.

sweetkitty · 07/07/2018 18:08

Do shelters not offer 4 weeks insurance?

If it were me I’d plonk the cost on a credit card and pay it back when the insurance came through Blush

Is amputation an option cats do well on 3 legs?

LEMtheoriginal · 07/07/2018 18:19

Is there an option to watch and wait? The cat might develop a false joint with time and be able to manage. There could be potential long term issues but tgere could with the surgery anyway.

Im not entirely sure that vets are actually allowed to insist on up front payment with insurance now. Our policy was to only accept up front claims from pet plan however since a corporate take over we now allow everyone to make direct claims. You might want to investigate that.

I totally understand your predicament. You did not want to buy into further heartache and sadly money IS an issue.

ragged · 07/07/2018 18:20

Some posters sniping that OP should never have got a cat if she can't afford the vet bills... seems like the sneerers want everyone to plan for a limitless amount of money to be spent on their pets. Else No Pet Allowed. As if life in a cage at a shelter with limited funds is such a superior prospect.

What I really want to know is, DO SHELTERS HAVE INSURANCE FOR ALL THEIR CATS?
Does anyone know? A big charity like CPL might have national reserves, but what do all the small bitty shelters do about vet bills?

LEMtheoriginal · 07/07/2018 18:22

Ragged - in my experience no they dont have insurance and even the bigger charities have limited funds. The rescue were wrong to rehome if they were aware of an existing medical issue without disclosing. Id be looking for the cats medical history.

ragged · 07/07/2018 18:27

Would someone like PDSA help OP with vet bills?

Wolfiefan · 07/07/2018 18:27

Not a limitless amount. No. But to say I have insurance but can't afford to pay then why wouldn't you choose an insurer your vets were happy to claim from direct.
The alternative isn't a life in rescue. It's a cat PTS as the owner can't fund treatment. That's not acceptable to me.

ragged · 07/07/2018 18:31

(sorry to derail your thread OP, I'll step out in a mo coz situation is not about me)

I suppose I'm willing to let animals be killed merely so I can eat them, even though other food is available, so I don't aspire to a huge moral high ground when it comes to pet care bills.

LEMtheoriginal · 07/07/2018 18:34

Ragged most likely not - you have to be in receipt of housing benefit to qualify for help with pdsa and they are unlikely to fund such a costly procedure.

OP i have pm'd you

Toddlerteaplease · 07/07/2018 19:26

One of my vets does still insist on up front payment. Despite insurance. It's up the the vet what they do. My cats cost a fortune. But I love them and don't begrudge any of it.

Original poster
watermelonpie · 07/07/2018 21:11

I considered health issues and future possible vet bills but I obviously didn't expect it all to happen within the first couple of weeks. It's hit me like a ton of bricks and yes, I have changed my mind about the cat because the vet has told me this is going to be a long-term, expensive issue. I'm a responsible pet owner and if I didn't care then I wouldn't have taken him to the vets in the first place. I've gone along with everything the vet had asked and will carry on doing so until the rescue eventually agree to take him back. If they refuse due to the health issues then I don't know what my options are. I called cats protection earlier and they said they wouldn't take a pet with medical issues as they don't have the funding, and nobody would want to rehome a pet who needs lots of medical treatment at such a young age. So I'm stuck to be honest.

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 07/07/2018 21:15

I would really struggle to give up on a pet. Even only having had it a short time. Could you find raise somehow?

Wolfiefan · 07/07/2018 21:15

Find?
Fund!!!