UNJUDGMENTAL people only...question about my cat?

Question

I have a question about my cat. I don't need anyone telling me how mean I am to him. I don't need anyone telling me I don't care about him. If that's all you have to say then don't answer it. I feel shitty already. My cat is not well. He is sick. He has been loosing weight fast. He eats but not alot. He has blood in his urine and I noticed this morning that he is not able to poop. He is old and I know he's not well but I just don't have the money to take him to the vet to get all the tests done on him and to have medicine. Yes he is one of my family and one of my kids so don't even ask if it was your kid would you take him in to the doctor 'cause yes I would but it won't cost me close to a thousand bucks. I need to know some websites that I can go to that may tell me what may be wrong with him and how to make him more comfortable. DO NOT JUDGE! I love my cat dearly. I've had him for 12 years and I'm really torn right now. I can't let him live in pain but I can't afford to

have him taken to a vet. Someone who won't hate me please help me. I love him so much and I'm really sad....I know what's coming..I just wish I could make it more comfy for him....

Answer 1

Hi there...senior cats develop age-related disorders that contribute to the dramatic weight loss, lack of appetite, lethargic behaviour, hematuria (blood in urine) etc such as chronic renal failure (CRF), hyperthyroidism, diabetes all which are life-threatening if not treated quickly. Consider having your cat evaluated and treated respectively.

CRF: http://felinecrf.org/what_is_crf.htm
Hyerpthyroidism: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/thyroid__signs__symptoms_and_d.html
Diabetes: http://felinediabetes.com/diabetes-info.htm


Here are some groups that help with Vet Bills:

American Animal Hospital Association
http://www.aahahelpingpets.org/root/
"Through the AAHA Helping Pets Fund, veterinary care is possible for sick or injured pets even if they have been abandoned or if their owner is experiencing financial hardship."

Angels 4 Animals
http://www.Angels4Animals.org
"Our services range from financial aid to complete treatment
to those pets and pet owners in need."

Care Credit
http://www.carecredit.com
A credit card company for health care, including veterinary care. "With a comprehensive range of plan options, for
treatment or procedure fees from $1 to over $25,000, we offer a plan and a low monthly payment to fit comfortably into almost every budget."

Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance (FVEAP)
http://www.fveap.org/sys-tmpl/door/
"Seniors, People with disabilities, People who have lost their job, Good Samaritans who rescue a cat or kitten - any of these folks may need financial assistance to save a beloved companion."

The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to cat and
kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes.

God's Creatures Ministry
http://www.all-creatures.org/gcm/help-cf.html
"This fund helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help."

Help-A-Pet
http://www.help-a-pet.org/home.html
"Our efforts focus on serving the elderly, the disabled, and the
working poor."

IMOM
http://www.imom.org
"We are dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged."

The Pet Fund
http://thepetfund.com/
"The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit association that
provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need urgent veterinary care."

United Animal Nations
http://www.uan.org/lifeline/index.html
"The mission of LifeLine is to help homeless or recently rescued
animals suffering from life-threatening conditions that require
specific and immediate emergency veterinary care. We strive to serveGood Samaritans and rescue groups who take in sick or injured animals. In certain cases, LifeLine can also assist senior citizensand low-income families pay for immediate emergency veterinary care."

UK Assistance with Veterinary Bills
http://www.petloversonline.co.uk/financial.htm
"Most of us can cope with the financial commitment involved in the day to day care of our pets. However, how many of us come out in a cold sweat when our pet is ill or injured and we know we have to take it to the vet? Most of us are fortunate enough to be able to afford it but, some of us who love our animals dearly cannot. Unfortunately we do not have a PDSA or a RSPCA Centre within our area, but there are a few charities who may be able to help."

Answer 2

Well Honey--this is a sad situation. This cat REALLY needs to go to the vet. There is nothing you can do for him, and PLEASE do NOT give him ANY type of human/child/dog, etc., type of medicines because most of them will kill a cat. Have you tried calling around to see if you can find a vet who will work with you on a payment plan or a sliding scale (goes by income) who will see your cat? If not, do this--you may just get lucky. Remember too, he IS 12 years old, so he's getting up there to the age where any number of things (from something simple to the drastic) could be going on inside his body. I have an 11-yr. old Turkish Angora, and he's my "love-baby", but I've noticed in the passed several months that he's slowing down just a little bit, nothing major--just getting a little fatter, a little less active, but he's fine. But, if your cat is really sick, he DOES need a vet. Do you have a veterinary school/college in your area? They can be very helpful. Also, please check with the Humane Society and the SPCA. If possible, these people will help you with funding to get your cat medical attention. Best of luck to you--I hate to see a sick animal, too.

Answer 3

It sounds like your cat has a UTI or crystals in his badder which is making it hard for him to urinate and causing the blood to be in his urine. I think the only way to treat this is to take him to the vet as the crystals will not dissolve themselves. I believe there are different kinds of cat food that can help reduce the amount of crystal buildup, but the blockage has to be cleared before you can start this new food. I had a cat with this problem and even though I had no money I had to take him in (I make payments each month to the vet). Unfortunately this problem will just continue to worsen and eventually your cats bladder will fill completely and he won't be able to urinate at all. If this happens his bladder will burst... sorry but I feel you need to know this.
Until you can do something for the cat make sure he continues to drink lots of water. I hope you can get some help. Good luck

Answer 4

He really does need to go to the vet. Call the vet ahead of time and let them know about your situation. They may be willing to let you pay over time, on top of that there were some really good organizations mentioned earlier in the posting. Many vets do not want an animal to suffer, even if the owner can't afford the full cost of treatment.

Given that your cat is elderly, this may be his time (I know that's what you're thinking). Even if his condition is treatable, it may not be worth it to extend his life. You have to honestly evaluate whether he has any quality of life worth extending, or if you are just keeping him around for yourself. Is he having more bad days than good? Is he in pain?

Animals don't understand pain like people, they can't find solace in friends or in a good book, they just know that they're in pain.

If you can't afford treatment (and talk to the vet about this), it is better to put him to sleep than for him to die slowly. Just because a medical procedure should be done, doesn't mean that it should be. If, for example, your kitty needs surgery then it may not be feasible based on your financial situation and the fact that older cats do not heal well after surgery. But this is something that you have to work out with the vet and yourself.

I'm sorry about you situation, you have my sympathies.
I hope this helps.

Answer 5

I know how it is - I just went and spent about $1200 at the vet for an infection that they couldn't even determine what it was and On a mostly indoor cat. I have two suggestions, one is do what I did and made payment arrangements at the vet. After all if you find a vet that really cares about pets, they are NOT going to turn you away b/c you don't have the money. The second is if you can't for some reason find a vet that will work for you ASAP is invest in a bottle of this stuff - it has worked wonders for me and my pets

Colloidal Silver -
The Rediscovery of a Super Antibiotic?
Colloidal silver appears to be a powerful, natural antibiotic and preventative against infections. Acting as a catalyst, it reportedly disables the enzyme that one-celled bacteria, viruses and fungi need for their oxygen metabolism. They suffocate without corresponding harm occurring to human enzymes or parts of the human body chemistry. The result is the destruction of disease-causing organisms in the body and in the food.

http://www.all-natural.com/silver-1.html
The page I have attached is just for reference - I am not familiar w/ their colloidal silver. Call around to your local health stores and ask if they have it (make sure its in a dark colored bottle so preserve the freshness) also go to www.curezone.com and go to the animal section - a ton of info there. YOu can type in your cats symptoms and search. If you don't have money for colloidal silver, I can mail you some of mine. email me through the answers page. I wish you and your kitty the best

Answer 6

If he's 12 years old, then he's lived a long life for a cat. Maybe it's time that you considered having him humanely euthanized. It sounds like he had a great life with you, and odds are, he's got something really wrong with him. Not being able to poop and blood in urine are signs of a serious medical problem. Even if you took him to the vet, the veterinarian might not be able to help him because of his advanced age. You are right; you can't let him live in pain. He's been your friend for his entire life; now it's time to be his friend and let him go. Sometimes, it is very expensive to fix a pet's medical problems. If my dog got sick with something like cancer, I doubt I'd go through with the treatment, even though I can afford it. It's a quality of life issue. It may take weeks in the animal hospital, surgery, or rounds of medication to fix your cat, and what kind of quality of life will she have? Will she be happy? Even if you had all the money in the world to fix her, sometimes it's best just to let her go.

It's fairly inexpensive to have a cat euthanized. Most vets will perform the procedure for under $100. If you can't afford that, you can take him to the shelter and request that he be euthanized. The average fee for that is $25 or so. I'm not going to lie to you; going to the shelter will be very traumatic for him and he will be stuck dying alone, but it's better than living in pain and misery. If you can scrape up the money to have a vet euthanize him, it will be worth it to give him a peaceful death.

You also might call your local Humane Society. They might know of other low cost resources in your community that may be able to help.

I'm really sorry you are going through this, and I wish you and your cat the best...

Answer 7

No judgments here.
Your cat is elderly. Some cats live to be twenty; some only to ten years or less. Anything over ten years, in general, is considered a "gift". Some cats just age more quickly than others, that's all.
Your cat is in kidney failure I believe. Any cat who lives long enough will have this at some point in its life. I've had cats who went on like this for a couple of years (drinking large quantities of water are another symptom) but it sounds as though your kitty is suffering and uncomfortable.
Not many of us are financially able to spend a thousand dollars or more on our pets, Sweetie. I am so sad for you and your kitty, but I think it may be time to have him euthanized. For any pet who is living in pain, and especially an elderly one, I think it's the best solution for THEM.

Answer 8

okay is there any way that you can borrow the money or have someone else take him and pay them back in like increments. i know how you feel with the emotional part of that. i too have had animals that i have been very close to that i needed desperate help with. but with the symptoms that he sound i know that you can give a cat or an animal. antioxidant vitamins such as C and E, which are also helpful in times of stress, are indicated (Vitamin C as sodium ascorbate or Ester C, and Vitamin E). Other antioxidants such as BioSuperfood may also be helpful, because of their anti-inflammatory action. Herbs such as slippery elm, horsetail, and couch grass have helped some cats. Many cats have done well with Co-Enzyme Q10, which prevents inflammation at the cellular level.Cranberry extract is beneficial for many animals, especially dogs, who tend to have actual infections of the bladder. Cranberry is thought to prevent the attachment of the E. coli bacteria to the bladder wall. Because bacteria are not present in most cases FLUTD, it may be less beneficial for cats. However, cranberry has still been helpful in many cases, even those without any evidence of bacteria. Cranberry capsules are available at the health food store (typically in 250 mg strength which is a good once-a-day dose for cats), and are very safe to give long-term. Flower essences are often very helpful for FLUTD. Because the problem is so highly stress-related, addressing any underlying emotional imbalances and susceptibilities can be critical for long-term resolution. A specific formulation based on your cat's particular personality is best. Holistic veterinarians believe that FLUTD is a sign of underlying chronic disease. Homeopathy, acupuncture, Chinese herbs, western herbs, and other holistic therapies may be valuable in rectifying the hidden "causes" of FLUTD and bringing your cat's health into balance and well-being. There are lots of diets and treatments out there. An individually tailored treatment program is needed for each patient. But, if I had only one rule I could make for all of them, it would be "no dry food." Cats with chronic renal failure are more likely to become dehydrated (due to the reduced ability of the kidneys to conserve water by concentrating urine). Maintaining a good fluid intake is very important, and as cats generally gain much of their water from their food, whenever possible, cats with chronic renal failure should be fed tinned (or sachet) foods rather than dry foods. Some cats with renal failure develop low blood potassium levels, and this itself can worsen the renal failure. Where this is identified potassium supplementation (tablets, gel or powder added to the diet) is of benefit.
I got most of my info from the websites below. Check them out for more help. Hope the kitty gets better. Good Luck!

Answer 9

Seatle gave you some great sites that you can investigate. Please look into them- I once used CareCredit.

When I got out of college- I decided I wanted a cat. Had always had healthy cats so I didnt realize the cost it could befall me to have an unhealthy baby. My credit was not good either at the time.

Of course- my baby has genetic kidney disease- initially i was freaking out like you- but I took the advice of a friend of mine and called several vet offices. I asked them if they did delayed payments, payment plans, etc.

One of them told me about CareCredit- and she got the meds and care she needed.

She is still around today 10 years later!

Answer 10

It sounds as if it's kidney stones or possibly an internal blockage. How are you being cruel? I don't see it at all. If you can't afford a vet for him,you just can't afford it. However,they usually don't -force- you into treatment. If you can afford a few bucks for an office visit,I'd definately take him if I were you.

Monitor his food and water in take. If he's drinking obscene amounts of water,it's almost definately kidney stone issues or diabetes... unfortunately,neither of these have good outlooks without fairly constant vet bills.

Don't give up,though. He might pull through. I hope he does. Just don't kill him, please. For his sake.

Answer 11

hi firstly i am aware of your situation and like many other people don't have the funds to go to the vet. would you be legible for any financial help from your government or local charity vet clinic.
we have a system of help for people on a low incomes or financial benefits in England, which help with costs.
any way from your description he does sound poorly and does need to be seen by a vet. his symptoms are so common to many different health issues. there's no point in guessing or trying to self diagnose from the Internet.....its only prolonging his and yours anguish.
ring around for charitable help or ring your clinic to see if monthly installment of money may be an option.

qualified veterinary nurse UK