I actually like Cats more than most, I like their upfront attitudes. Cats only tolerate humans because we make their life easy, if we dropped dead they wouldn't really care. It would just be an inconvenience to them. It's only fair that attitude is reciprocated, the second a cat becomes more trouble than he's worth, then adios.
It's different for everyone depending on the situation (as you can see reading this thread). My wife and I were just talking about this question over the weekend while we were taking our dog to get his checkup and yearly vaccines. We kind of agreed that, although we both love our dog and our boys ABSOLUTELY love him, we probably would set a limit of about 3K or 4K for any kind of surgery etc. Of course, that's easy to say now that he's 100% happy and healthy. Who knows if our minds would change if the situation became more than just a hypothetical. Then emotions get involved and all bets are off, I suppose. Our dog is only 3 years old and has a lot of life left in him. Good luck with whatever you decide.
I hate cats and place zero value on their life. If it wasn't illegal, I would kill every stray cat that wanders onto my properly in the same manner that I do with the opossums (yes - even inner-loop, we have a terrible 'possum problem). Note: I wouldn't do this for cats with tags - they would get returned to owner... probably....eventually.
For me, depends on the age of the cat. Younger cat + I'd spend more money. Older cat = he's had a good life. Probably about 4 years ago now my dog ate an acorn that got stuck in its throat. Yes, I spent like $4K to get that out. He probably wouldn't get that treatment today, but who knows. Also yes, this was really my wife's dog.
I voted $500, but upon reflection, if it came down to it, I'd probably drop a few grand on a beloved animal, as long as it was a long-term fix. Now, my uncle, who is an honest-to-God Quaker, paid over $10k to have a cat fixed up after the cat got out of it's house, came into my uncle's back yard, and got mauled by my uncle's dog. That DNA is squished pretty low for me.
previous snarky and callous comment aside, people love their animals, and by and large, people tend to have vastly different real and perceived discretionary income. Your answer to this question today may be completely different six months from now when you may have a totally different outlook on your pet’s quality of life and you current financial situation. People can tell you what they’d spend today, but it shouldn’t have much bearing on your own unique circumstances.
Good post, and as others have said, are we talking about a kitten who could have a long healthy life with a procedure, or a 15-year-old cat with a bad quality of life? We put an 18-yr-old cat down last year when it was pretty miserable, and we didn't spend heroically on her when her various ailments crested b/c it didn't look like a good quality of life no matter the outcome. (If only people had such choices late in life.)
I'm not a fan of cats because I'm allergic, but I do know people who love them and I do appreciate the ones that help take care of the rodent population. I even rescued a cat from a pack of dogs... So.... I'm not some crazy cat hater person. Anyway, I think since the cat is so young if it's a high guarantee that the quality of life will be good and you can afford it, do it. If it's outside your means then it might unfortunately be a tough call. I unexpectedly lost my dog at the ER vet one night and he was still fairly young (only 8, I was thinking I'd at least get 13-15 yrs as he was a smaller lab) so I was willing to pay because it definitely wasn't time, I mean the dog basically went from being in perfect health to dying in hours. But the dog made the decision for me and the vet couldn't do anything. They let me know afterwards even if I brought the dog unknowingly a day ahead that it wouldn't have mattered, that there basically was a tumor that ruptured next to/on the heart. I still feel a bit robbed since I didn't get more time, but at least the times we had were great. Losing an animal is really tough, and even if I got more time it still would have been rough in the end, so I just think about the good times and with time it gets easier. Anyway, I feel bad for anyone that has/had to go through that, especially for the people that are really close to their pets.
I think it depends on the prognosis after surgery . If the animal is old/ in pain or if the surgery is serious enough to hamper the quality of life .... Then those are serious considerations . But if it was a one time thing , and the animal is only 4 years old .... then personally , I would pay the 1-3 k
IMHO ... It all boils down to your financial situation. I would only spend whatever I can afford without going into debt or putting a financial strain on my family. The age of the animal shouldn’t take precedence over your families financial stability! Good luck @fadeaway with whatever you and your spouse decide! ....... ....... .......
Annnddd .... this is what you REALLY have to consider. Do you really want your wife to resent you later if you say “no” to spending money on the pet? Screw the cat, how much collateral damage will this do to your relationship and for how long? It sounds heartless but this situation is more complicated than it appears at first blush.
People really making life decisions for cats? My wife has a cat, I finally said the mofo lives outside now. Still cringe every time we have to buy it food. My beloved dog escaped, was found ran over just outside my neighborhood. I spent like $80 on him getting cremated. To be honest, if it were between a grand and getting him back, I'd keep the grand. I loved that dog, y'all don't even know but pets aren't people.
