2006-11-21 07:53:15 · 9 answers · asked by MrsSisyphus 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
I take into consideration these things when caring for my seniors.
As long as they are not suffering and continue to eat & drink I do whatever it takes financially and in my personal efforts to keep them comfortable and alive.
I've found older cats hava a tendency to end up with renal failure. If this is the problem it is not a death sentence. It is treatable with Sub Q IV fluids that you can inject as the doctor prescribes. It's not a big deal to most cats to have this done. Actually, I always try to make this a sit down love feast and they end up purring and loving it.
It seems your cat must have a health issue and that is what raised this question.
If you don't mind what are you dealing with?
Hope this helps
2006-11-21 08:03:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
this is a very difficult question. Some would think you are being callous and should spend whatever it takes. Alot depends on the quality of the cat's life if you spend the money, how attached you and your family are to the cat and your family finances. I had a cat that needed weekly ivs. I could not afford $21 a week so I asked if there were alternatives. They gave me an IV bag to take home and it only cost $20 for about 10 weeks of treatment. The cat still died of kidney disease, the treatment was tough on me but I felt too guilty not trying something. For my dogs--I would spend a fortune if they were not in pain and had a good quality of life left but I wouldn't let my kids go hungry to save the dog!
2006-11-21 07:58:20 · answer #2 · answered by it's me 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Depends on what you mean. If the cat has any sort of disease or something wrong with it and its suffering, then you should help to put it out of its misery.
If it's a perfectly healthy 12 year old cat, I don't think you can really prolong, but just make sure kitty has a good diet, excercise, etc and see how old your cat can live to. =)
2006-11-21 09:17:45 · answer #3 · answered by bosnjgal 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
One of our middle-aged cats was hit by a car, and we spent about a thousand dollars getting his hips replaced, and pins put into them. 12 isn't that old, we've got a 15 year old cat. We've got 9 cats in all, all house cats, and I think when you've got a family such as that, you'd do just about anything to keep them with you. As long as the quality of life can be improved to a point where there's little to no pain, and the cat can continue to be happy, the only limits are your bank account, and whether or not your vet will let you make payments (thank god for nice vets!)
2006-11-21 08:11:12 · answer #4 · answered by Mel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on the pain level and the prognosis. I've spent well over $5000 on an older cat to keep it around. Unfortunately, his diagnosis was incorrect from the beginning and he died several months later in severe pain. In retrospect, I would have done what I could to keep him pain free, but knowing that his time was short, I would not put him through what he went through again.
I currently spend well over $1500 a year to keep my older cat going. I have no problem with it because it's more maintenance and his prognosis is excellent. He could keep going another 10 years with proper mediction, proper diet, and proper vet care.
In short, I'd do whatever I could if it was a good prognosis. If it was a matter of changing his life span by a month or two, I'd get pain medication and try to keep him happy and comfortable.
2006-11-21 08:00:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have a 16 year old cat and over the years I've had to spend alot of money. But to me, it was well worth it. As long as my cat can live a pain free life, I'll spend whatever it takes. I just hope and pray that he dies a natural death in his sleep and that I never have to make the decision to put him down. He's been a constant friend and companion to me all these years and I'll miss him terribly when he's gone.
2006-11-21 08:01:27 · answer #6 · answered by sparkie 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
what ever it takes. my cats live to 18 years old. it all depends whats wrong. if your cat needs a $1000 operation and will be healthy again, I'd go for it. but if it's cancer, you might want to put it down.
were putting our 18 year old cat down tomorrow. she had liquid around her heart and liver and is breathing really heavily and we think she is in pain. we can stress her out hand have it removed, but she might end where she is now in 2 weeks.
2006-11-21 12:44:57 · answer #7 · answered by sm 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't "prolong" your cat's life!
2006-11-21 07:57:32 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
What's wrong with him? It would be dependant on that.
2006-11-21 07:57:25 · answer #9 · answered by BVC_asst 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋