venting

I think that annoys everyone on here, there are some people who won't take their indoor cats to the vet unless sick and while I prefer to have mine get regular check ups and shots, that is ok by me. But I get really annoyed when people tell me or even post here that their animal has all these problems and they haven't even CALLED a vet to ask their opinion let alone bring the animal in.

My vet (or at least the vet techs) are happy to take calls and don't always say bring them in immediately - its not just a ploy for more customers. Last time I had Scully in, some poor frantic girl called over hairballs, the vet was very cam and explained it was normal but the signs to look out for in case of choking or it NOT being hairballs.

But it made me wonder, if you don't know something as simple as hairballs, why get a cat? Do people not do any research into the pets they are getting? She described it as 'he looks like he is pooping upwards out his mouth - so like vomiting poop but there is hair in it'

It makes me very angry when I see things like that as well...but it isn't suprising...there are alot of people out there that are the same way with children. They keep on having them just because they want them without the means to care for them.

I have one cat because that is all I can afford. I don't get mad anymore when people can't afford it easily, only when they don't even try to. There have been people who have come here and said they cannot afford a vet but when people told them that they really really needed to go they took them even though it meant not paying their rent. What really is angering is people who can afford it and just won't. Then there is no reason besides laziness, etc.

I get irritated with that too.

In fact its one of the things that B and I bicker about. His cats are 11/12 years old. They haven't been to the vet since they were 5. Why? He grew up on a farm and he's use to farm cats. "Cats are cats and they can take care of themselves" he says (but does say otherwise when Whitey jumps towards one of the other cats).

I have been nagging him lately though since his cats are up in the years. You can tell on colder days that Patches is getting arthritis. Beauty is the same, she also gets matts in her hair and has horrible horrible dandruff (which without air condition does set of allergies I didn't know I had! Also I did try to change her diet by adding Omega-3s but that didn't help at all.).

To close I do agree. If you can't afford the vet bills (or even just to have your pet fixed) then don't get one! By a robo-dog or cat if you want to afford the batteries.

My first cat I had no idea what to expect-he was a stray we took in(and to vet taht night) I started reading at library(this was in 96-before we had internet) And called aunt/friend on advice(first hairball I had idea but tiem cat hissed I called my friend :X Then too a kitten in...by then I was definatley getting hang of it. My priority is that all mine are fixed and if they are sick or acting off for more then a day i will call vet and take them in if needed(some cats that have been to the vet adn its the same issue will be given antibiotics over the phone-thats a nice perkMy biggest thing is not spaying...and not the accidental litter(ok stillbugs me) but the repeated breedings ughhhhhh. RJ

That irritates me too.

I have one cat (toying with the idea of two), and have researched cat health, behavior, etc for about two years now (she was a rescue, and my first pet ever). I am far from rich, but she still gets whatever she needs, be it shots, flea meds, corn-free food (due to her allergy), playtime, etc.

It is odd to me when people can't afford one cat but keep taking in more, then expect a vet to work for free when something goes wrong because they love animals.

I wouldn't go to the doctor's with a broken leg and demand that it be done for free since they love helping people.

I also dislike it when people who CAN afford care just won't get it for the animal because "it's just a dog/cat" or "I got it for free. Why start paying now?", but constantly complain about their pet's "inconveniencing" medical issues they refuse to have taken care of.

Or when people who can't even afford a low-cost spay say "My female cat wouldn't stop spraying on my stuff and howling, so I kicked her out. Now she's getting fatter.......could she be pregnant? Yay! Kittens! I just luuuv kittens! They're so kyoot!" Things can go wrong with pregnancy which can and WILL cost you more money than a low-cost spay, or your cat's life.

or when people just seem to be posting for attention (although I suspect that some of them are making things up to get a rise out of people), but don't heed any advice given, wont even call the vet, but will just sit on the internet until the pet dies. And what happend the next week? They pick up three more unaffordable pets.

my mom is one of them, but getting better at it now that she sees my spoiled cats laying around.

I told her why it costs to adopt and I asked her. "If you pay for something, wont you take better care of it?"

Im slowly working on her but unfortunatly I cant work so much on other people. It IS aggrivating but infortunately thats the case. Most people dont care and cant afford it.

But if it bothers you ALOT then just think this, The cat is better of IN a home, being fed and treated as a pet than he would be outsside eating garbage and being run over by cars.

Thats the only way I can cheer myslef up sometimes.

Its annoying to me too.

We are not the most well off people in the world. I can say that for sure.

That being said.

We have a fund set aside just for vet visits. I do give my own vaccinations bar rabies, and they all go in for annual check-ups and their rabies. And if our fund gets over extended I would sell whatever i had to, and beg whoever i had to and get them taken care of. Period.

You wouldnt not take your kid to the doctor. At least I HOPE you wouldnt.

And to me my cats are my kids.

Another subject that annoys me!! I have neighbours who never take their cats to the vets unless they are ill, but bizarrely enough, they live till their late teens!! Don't get fed high quality dry, dont' get played with etc, yet keep on living. Wouldn't say mine are spoilt, but compared to the neighbours they are, and as I take on oldies, I keep managing to get ones with health probs, but I keep paying to take them cos to me, that is what you do when you take on a pet. I've prob already had at least 20 vet visits this year (most free, as it is the weight clinic). But some of my neighbours animals get better treatment than others - she was told the rabbits are overweight, they go on a diet. Her male cat is so overweight he looks pregnant, and his belly rubs on the doorstep, yet he doesn't.

booktigger-you are so right! I know this one woman-the type were the get whatever is on sale to eat, and same for litter. Only get vacc. at adoption(they easily get approved as really arent bad ppl at all...and own thier house hich is the leading question here) they will get vet care if seriously ill/injured but her cats usually have nothing wrong look in great shape and live to be 15 or older(her youngest to go was a cat who darted out door right into path of car...but normally she lets her cats out for horu or two a day) really makes me wonder at times just "how bad" are the supermarket brands.... only thing I kind of lean towards is cats in a relatively safe area that are let out do tend to last longer(mine are strictly inside except two who go out on lead/supervision). RJ

I think most people can afford their animals and choose not to afford them. For the last 2 years I have not worked(because of medical reasons) and have been living off my husbands income alone. He only makes 26k a year this is the lowest amount we have made in the last ten years. We have 5 cats and 1 dog and afforded them fine. My persian was diagnosed with heart failure last year and we spent hundreds of dollars on him and we afforded it somehow! Did we go to movies or out to eat or buy new clothes no we chose to spend the money on our animals instead. I think it is more of choice then can I afford or not.

I get very annoyed with people like this!! Something I dont think any of us will ever understand. I know my mom loves her animals and takes great care of them, but when I take one of my cats or dogs to the vet, she always has some reply like "that vet gets all of your $$$" or something along those lines. Or when people say "why do you spend all that $$ on them?" That just irks me to NO end!! My response is usually something like "well their my pet and my responsibilty-thats why" !!

The animals are already born. If they don't have owners they would be euthanized......

A bad owner is USUALLY better than no owner at all. Neglect is usually due to the lack of education, not intentional malice.

That whole situation makes me angry, too. In my opinion, if you can't afford them, you should not have pets OR children. It's not fair to them, they're relying on you to take care of them. If you can't afford medical care for them, or food, there's big issues.

I know plenty of people who have animals and don't take them to the vet. And they don't know much about them. I guess I'm different, when I have an interest in something I learn everything I can about it. But one person didn't even know what a cat's third eyelid was after having a cat for two years! Basic things like that just amaze me.