A Painful Decision

[Spock 271]

I was hesitant to post this in here because it's been a while since I've been active but asked one of the "Senior Members" and he suggested I go ahead. I'm still not too sure, but here goes:

 

We recently found out from the Vet that our kitten had somehow broken its leg. It's not an easily repaired break either, evidently the ball is broken off the end of the bone and is not even in its socket. We had thought he had simply bruised his paw somehow because he was acting almost normally except he would not put any weight on his left rear leg!

 

Let me state up front that all I'm asking for are any suggestions, good or bad, so we can broaden our, and our kitten's, options. We are on a fixed and limited income, so must make any decision with that in mind. We didn't even really want a kitten but were doing a favor for a friend of my wife, who got the kitten only to find out she was allergic to him. Having said that, we have still gotten attached to him and don't wish him any discomfort.

 

Option 1:

The vet seems to think that an expensive surgery will give him almost full use of his leg again. They would insert a pin to help re-fuse the ball to the upper leg bone and he would have to be kept "quiescent" while healing.

 

Problems:

Possible rejection of the "parts" implanted and likelihood of ongoing arthritis forever.

 

[Added]

Just got a quote from our Vet. She contacted a couple of Orthopedic surgeons and the high quote is $1900 and the low (from the surgeon who is not "board Certified) is $1700. Neither will be an option for us. We are now exploring options with other, out of state, Vets.

 

Unfortunately, for the kitten, even if we got the price down to $500 it would be too much for us.

 

 

Option 2:

Amputate the leg completely and, again, try to keep the kitten as quiet as possible while he heals. This would likely give the kitten (and hopefully cat later) less pain over its life and may or may not be less expensive.

 

Problems:

Has anyone ever tried to put toothpaste back in the tube? I'm sure it would be easier than keeping a kitten quiet.

 

 

Option 3:

Do nothing or as little as possible.

 

Problems:

This is even less attractive than spending money we don't have for surgery because the kitten/cat would be in constant pain the rest of its life.

 

 

Option 4:

Put the kitten down.

 

Problems:

It may be the simplest solution but is also the most emotionally distasteful. We have lost pets before and always felt a profound sense of loss. Just because we weren't looking to adopt this animal doesn't mean we should turn away when he needs us.

 

 

Option 5:

? ? ?

[Knuckles 904]

When I was young we had a cat that was hit by a car and had one of it's hind legs removed. I really think that cat never even noticed. After the obvious healing period, it was as active and playful as an ordinary cat. It really adapted to it's situation very well.

I know it's a tough decision but I've seen numerous pets (mostly dogs) without one limb and they all seemed to get around fine and be active and happy.

 

I remember my dad making a small ramp for the litter box to help her out. And moved a chair closer to the window so she could look outside without trying to jump up to the sill. But other than that we didn't have to do anything else to accommodate her. She even stopped using the ramp shortly after.

 

So if option 2 is feasible for you, I have no hesitation in recommending that

[wolfie2kX 528]

As a matter of fact... A friend of mine went through a very similar issue not too long ago.

 

What happened: She had been making friends with a mama cat and her kitten. They were strays who were hanging out in her back yard. One day she noticed that the baby was having trouble getting around - tho in this kitteh's case it was a front leg, not the back one. Turns out some heartless arse shot the kitten with a pellet gun.

 

She looked around for low cost vet services and found one that did this sort of thing as inexpensively as possible. There are rescue groups all over the place that do this sort of thing for a living - and do it for people in the sort of situation (I.e. those who aren't filthy rich). You might want to contact the Maryland SPCA. They should be able to point you in the right general direction. Also, you might try using the internet - Bing or Google for "low cost veterinary services" in your local area.

 

Btw.. She wound up adopting the kitten... The kitten is now almost full grown and is using her leg more and more every day.

 

Oh and just FYI, should you go the amputation route... Kittehs on the mend will move as little as possible when they're in pain. They will prefer a nice, quiet space until they heal up. Then they will be more and more active as time goes on. No real need to worry about trying to keep them down. If they're up for playing and running around, that's probably for the best. Cats need exercise or they wind up being overstuffed footstools. Just keep the kitteh inside.

[Kiyeri 34]

So sad, my heart goes out to you.

 

Try some of the sites here for assistance with costs

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html

or this one

http://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/financial-help-vet-bills.aspx

Edited April 17, 2013 by Kiyeri

[chattius 2,533]

This is a case where you have to trust your vet. Bone fixation if the kitten is still quickly growing is not easy. And saying that the kitten will avoid the pain is not always given,it is this first jump befor it learns that will ruin the treatment.

 

We had a little owl with a half wing, a fox probably, who lived and BREEDED in our barn for several years. She was feeding on insects and mice with only a minimal extra food. Did she feel pain, don't know. She learned to climb a ladder and did rotating dive flights. We named her Stuka, german for dive bomber.

 

Deers with amputated front legs, weasel without tail, birds with broken wings, ... We got them all. Each case was different and sometimes it was best to do nothing at all, and sometime to kill because of the injury.

 

The surgeries of our dog summed up to 2700 euro, smashed lower front leg when an idiot hit the dog with a ski because he couldnt stop on ice. If the dog wouldnt have placed itself in front of our kids the ski driver would have hit our then 3year old. Since an animal is a thing the idiot had only to pay the cost of a new dog because court said a new would be cheaper than the surgery. In our case a second and third surgery were needed because the dogs body refused the alien stuff put in to fixthe splinters.

 

Back to the kitten

 

A big reason for the surgery would be if the cat will beoutside later in its life, fights with other cats, running from dogs,...

[Ysne58 236]

That fifth option, getting help from SPCA or other pet rescue is a viable option. If the worst happens, you can give the kitten up to them and they will do their best and find the little one a new home.

[Spock 271]

... If the worst happens, you can give the kitten up to them and they will do their best and find the little one a new home.

That option is looking more and more attractive.

 

Something new has occurred that doesn't speak well for the kittens longevity. My wife is 70+ years old and the kitten is always underfoot. Yesterday she actually tripped over the kitten and fell. Fortunately, the area where she fell was covered with a half inch thick resilient cover. She might not be so lucky next time.

 

I think the kitten is on his "last legs" ...

[masteff 64]

Given the owners' ages and fixed income, I would go the SPCA/rescue group route. You might also contact local media and possibly in conjunction with the SPCA/rescue group could find a kind and generous heart who could undertake this burden. If a TV station will run a segment, I bet a dozen people will offer to pay for the surgery and to adopt the kitten rather than it get put to sleep.

 

I will just offer that to do nothing is the worst of possible options. Animals are unable to let you know when they're in pain, so for the few times it's bad enough for you to realize it, they have many other moments of pain you miss.

[Kiyeri 34]

If you go to those links I posted there are links to several companies/groups that help cover the costs of vet bills. I know for a fact that there are also groups that help keep pets in the homes of seniors by providing vet services. You are in a good position of getting help not only because of being a senior but you have basically rescued an injured cat when it was no longer wanted.

I did some more research, these are the organizations that might help:

http://fveap.org/ - Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program

http://www.catsincrisis.org/

http://www.onyxandbreezy.org/

http://www.redrover.org/program/redrover-relief

http://hpets.org/

http://www.thepetfund.com/

http://www.rosesfund.org/

http://www.browndogfoundation.org/

http://www.shakespeareanimalfund.org/

http://www.fchs.org/

http://www.imom.org/ - currently closed but expected to reopen this month

Edited April 18, 2013 by Kiyeri

[wolfie2kX 528]

 

... If the worst happens, you can give the kitten up to them and they will do their best and find the little one a new home.

That option is looking more and more attractive.

 

Something new has occurred that doesn't speak well for the kittens longevity. My wife is 70+ years old and the kitten is always underfoot. Yesterday she actually tripped over the kitten and fell. Fortunately, the area where she fell was covered with a half inch thick resilient cover. She might not be so lucky next time.

 

I think the kitten is on his "last legs" ...

 

Well.. I can understand being worried. But it's really a matter of training your cat not to be underfoot all the time. My cat has learned not to do stuff like that.

 

My 84 year old mother has one of those walkers with wheels - and when she's on the move - her cat knows better and moves out of the way - usually long before mom gets there.

 

It also requires a bit of effort on your own part - being aware that there might be a cat underfoot.

 

At any rate, I'd look at the resources Kiyeri posted...

[Spock 271]

About 1410 this afternoon I called the local SPCA organization where our kitten, Paul, had originally been adopted from. After talking with the young lady in charge of accepting pets and explaining the situation to her, she said I should bring Paul in. She said they had several Vets who did volunteer work for them, so there would be no problem getting Paul the surgical help he needed.

 

By 1440 Paul was back at the SPCA and I had been assured that they would take care of his required surgery and, after his recovery, find him a new home.

 

It was an emotional time and once I called everything happened rather quickly but I wanted to get him help as soon as possible once I finally realized there was nothing we could do for him. I gave them all his left over food and the remainder of the pain medication we had purchased from the Vet. When my wife got home, we had a bit of a cry over it because we had actually gotten attached to Paul in the short time we had been his care givers.

 

I just hope everything goes smoothly for him now that he is there. Thanks to all who thought enough of me and Paul to respond.

[wolfie2kX 528]

Well.. That's certainly an option and it sounds like it was the RIGHT one. Good call!

 

Maybe you might consider adopting an older kitteh next time. Kittens are usually quite the handful - but an adult cat is less likely to get him/herself into trouble. Many of them are more likely to want to just curl up in a lap. Of course, if you do adopt an older cat make sure they've been spayed/neutered. Most places like the pound or SPCA will do that - and it's part of the adoption fee.

[chattius 2,533]

Good for the kitten you found a solution

 

Probably institutes and laws are a bit different here, and I am a bit late with another option: Vet students often need pets to train with. Sometimes a student can be trained on this type of surgery under control from an experienced vet. Depends on how far the university is away, only costs are normally the material needed, but not the time.

 

I was looking for a home for our kittens last autumn. We had a pair of troll-cats but mother troll-cat fell in love with a european wildcat which was striving our forests it seems. So we got 5 somethings that we call Blender- mix of a housecat and a wildcat.

 

I gave 4 of them to nearby farmers, they can be fearless rat-killers. But staying in a house is no option for a blender.

[Ysne58 236]

You did the right thing.

[Spock 271]

You did the right thing.

I'm sure we did but why does it feel so wrong!?

 

As far as getting an older cat, I think we will wait until our current dog finally leaves us. She is 13 and has gone deaf, so I don't think she deserves the terror of another cat right now. Let her enjoy the rest of her life with us. Plenty of time to think about another pet when she is gone.

[wolfie2kX 528]

ROFL.. Yeah, probably best to let the poor dog live out the rest of her days in peace..

 

As for why it feels so wrong - I would posit that when you adopted said kitteh, you did it with the idea you would be there for the cat forever. Most people don't adopt a pet on a short term basis. I'd also assume that the little tyke actually grew on you during the time he was with you.

 

So I'd say you feel bad because you couldn't keep that promise to take care of him for the rest of his life. But such is life - something happened that made it very difficult, if not impossible to keep that promise. You also probably miss the little guy.

[Ysne58 236]

ROFL.. Yeah, probably best to let the poor dog live out the rest of her days in peace..

 

As for why it feels so wrong - I would posit that when you adopted said kitteh, you did it with the idea you would be there for the cat forever. Most people don't adopt a pet on a short term basis. I'd also assume that the little tyke actually grew on you during the time he was with you.

 

So I'd say you feel bad because you couldn't keep that promise to take care of him for the rest of his life. But such is life - something happened that made it very difficult, if not impossible to keep that promise. You also probably miss the little guy.

 

I'm guessing that Wolfie is right about why it feels wrong. I would add that pets are family. Giving the kitten up so he can get the help he needs probably feels like you are abandoning him, when you have actually done the exact opposite.

[Spock 271]

... I'd say you feel bad because you couldn't keep that promise to take care of him for the rest of his life. But such is life - something happened that made it very difficult, if not impossible to keep that promise. You also probably miss the little guy.

Thanks, you are probably right but we still feel bad. I'm sure we will eventually overcome that feeling but right now I feel the need for further meditation to overcome my "feelings".

[Ysne58 236]

It's good to deal with your feelings and give them validation. I think mediation will be most helpful with that.

[gogoblender 3,071]

I was hesitant to post this in here because it's been a while since I've been active but asked one of the "Senior Members" and he suggested I go ahead. I'm still not too sure, but here goes:

 

We recently found out from the Vet that our kitten had somehow broken its leg. It's not an easily repaired break either, evidently the ball is broken off the end of the bone and is not even in its socket. We had thought he had simply bruised his paw somehow because he was acting almost normally except he would not put any weight on his left rear leg!

 

Let me state up front that all I'm asking for are any suggestions, good or bad, so we can broaden our, and our kitten's, options. We are on a fixed and limited income, so must make any decision with that in mind. We didn't even really want a kitten but were doing a favor for a friend of my wife, who got the kitten only to find out she was allergic to him. Having said that, we have still gotten attached to him and don't wish him any discomfort.

 

Option 1:

The vet seems to think that an expensive surgery will give him almost full use of his leg again. They would insert a pin to help re-fuse the ball to the upper leg bone and he would have to be kept "quiescent" while healing.

 

Problems:

Possible rejection of the "parts" implanted and likelihood of ongoing arthritis forever.

 

[Added]

Just got a quote from our Vet. She contacted a couple of Orthopedic surgeons and the high quote is $1900 and the low (from the surgeon who is not "board Certified) is $1700. Neither will be an option for us. We are now exploring options with other, out of state, Vets.

 

Unfortunately, for the kitten, even if we got the price down to $500 it would be too much for us.

 

 

Option 2:

Amputate the leg completely and, again, try to keep the kitten as quiet as possible while he heals. This would likely give the kitten (and hopefully cat later) less pain over its life and may or may not be less expensive.

 

Problems:

Has anyone ever tried to put toothpaste back in the tube? I'm sure it would be easier than keeping a kitten quiet.

 

 

Option 3:

Do nothing or as little as possible.

 

Problems:

This is even less attractive than spending money we don't have for surgery because the kitten/cat would be in constant pain the rest of its life.

 

 

Option 4:

Put the kitten down.

 

Problems:

It may be the simplest solution but is also the most emotionally distasteful. We have lost pets before and always felt a profound sense of loss. Just because we weren't looking to adopt this animal doesn't mean we should turn away when he needs us.

 

 

Option 5:

? ? ?

 

 

Hi Spock

We're going through some tuff times with our cat of about 19 years old now, heaving while purring, which breaks our heart, as Star was, to us, famous for her purring for all her life, and now if we make her too "happy" it triggers her purring and then heaving as she labors to breathe. Like you, the decision making is agonizing, and we'd begun a course of antibiotics with her, soon to progress to corticosteroids to clear up her lungs (hopefully) and then to ventolin mask daily to keep her passages open.

I read through this topic, I see wonderful and conforting advice from the community too. As heart felt as always, sincere. I'm happy your decision has allowed you some peace, in all honesty I think it's fair, and will keep your heart safe once you can come to peace with it.

 

 

gogo

[Spock 271]

Thank you and I'm sorry to hear about the problems with your cat. We had two before our current dog they've both been gone for years but sometimes it seems just like yesterday that they did something memorable like attack the dog for stealing their cat food!

 

Priscilla was the youngest and least friendly and we still cried when we had to have her put to sleep. They were all members of our family as I'm sure is true of yours. When the time comes, it will be painful but you will eventually get to a time when the pain isn't constant and you will be able to move on.

 

Hmpf, maybe I should listen to myself ...

Edited April 23, 2013 by Spock

[gogoblender 3,071]

Thanks Spock. You know, I never really "got" pets. Thought of them as possessions, never really "grokked" them. Our family's from a tropical island, to us, life forms inhabit our house when we wake up in the morning

 

It's only when you share your home with this little creature that she enchants and transforms us. I've got a better understanding of the work, some perspective, and more respect for everything I share it with.

 

And just found out...our cat's 21!!

 

 

gogo

[Spock 271]

... just found out...our cat's 21!

What's his name, Methusela!?

[Ysne58 236]

Is that human years or cat years?

[Omnicide 26]

Man, reading this whole thread has brought a tear to my eye. Don't tell anyone, but big bad Omnicide LOVES cats, especially the lovable kind. It sucks losing a pet, even if you've only had them for a short time.

Edited April 27, 2013 by Omnicide