NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/rec/pets/cats/13784

Text File | 1992-11-17 | 3.4 KB | 74 lines

Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Path: sparky!uunet!charon.amdahl.com!pacbell.com!sgiblab!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!darwin.sura.net!uvaarpa!murdoch!kelvin.seas.Virginia.EDU!rkn3u
From: [e-mail] (R. Keith Norwood)
Subject: Re: Neutering question
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Organization: University of Virginia
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 01:19:36 GMT
Lines: 61


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Rebel) writes:
>
>I think (you'll correct me if I am wrong I am sure) but there is a BIG
>difference between the amount of money to "fix" a cat and the amount of money
>necessary to repair a broken hip. Also your income should be part of your

When I wrote fix, I meant any form of surgury to repair your cat, not
just necessarily neutering.

>                                  Also your income should be part of your
>decision on whether to get a pet and if so what kind of pet. Cats and dogs
>often require a substantial monetary committment. You also imply that I
>have tons of money to throw around, in fact I support two people and my
>cat on a gross income of $17,000 a year...needless to say I am not extremely
>well off. I am saying that if you want to take on the committment of
>a pet you better be able to handle the expenses that might possibly come
>your way otherwise you are not being fair to your pet. Did you ever

Yes you should consider the costs of caring for your pet when you are
deciding what to get.  But you can't possibly forsee every event.  It seems
that you would you deny a family the joy of caring for a cat because they
can't afford for the cat to run up $500-$1000 in vet expenses.  Even though,
they can budget the food, litter, shots, etc.  and the likehood of the
accident actually occuring is low. If, in your words, you must "be able
to handle the expenses that MIGHT POSSIBLY COME", then very few people
would have pets.

Also, you question what is fair to your pet.  Well, if I hadn't adopted
my two cats they would be dead now.  So was I fair?

>consider taking Ziggy to another vet to see if someone might reduce their
>costs for the surgery....? Personally I would charge it to VISA and
>work on paying it off rather than bring home a cat with a broken hip and

I did take Ziggy to another vet and they said take him home and see how he
gets along.  I told him flat out that what I could afford.  I also inquired
to this newsgroup about possible options. That is your decision to put it
on VISA.  However, don't assume that everyone will make the same decision.

>work on paying it off rather than bring home a cat with a broken hip and
>allow him to suffer not only the pain of the injury but to later suffer
>the disability of an incorrectly healed bone.  Even having the cat put
>down (as you so callously suggested) is better, if no other alternatives
>an be found.

What is callous about "put down".  I happen to like it better than kill
or exterminate.  You would rather I put Ziggy down instead of waiting to
see if he would get better.  Mighty humane of you.  Look, Ziggy
is doing quite well with his broken hip.  Given that I wasn't going to
go into debt(as you would like), I think that it turned out good.



Peace,
Keith


Peace,
Keith