I'm sorry, but I just have to post this. I've met a great number of very nice and kind people on the internet, but something happened last evening that completely took my breath away and caused me to cry waterfalls of tears. And I just have to share this with you.

My oldest cat got sick at the end of February. I took her to the veterinarian. They examined her and did complete blood work and took her blood pressure.  Other than having high blood pressure and needing to have 1/4 of a pill a day, and a few cavities, she is healthy. No problems with her liver. No obstructions. Nothing wrong with her eyes.  No diabetes. No problem with her thyroid.  Her kidney's are not working 100% but she is not in kidney failure. She just needs to have a kidney diet to prevent further deterioration and it's likely that she could live out the rest of her life without ever getting actual kidney failure. She is 16 years old and he's very impressed with her level of health.

I am currently off work on long term disability. It's a fixed income and barely meets my monthly expenses. So paying for a vet meant having to make payment arrangements with them and then rejuggle my budget to pay the vet. It hasn't been easy, but I've been managing.

This past week I took notice that my cat is favouring the side of her mouth that has a bad tooth. I didn't initially realize that her "messiness" while eating was because of the tooth. I thought she was just being picky. He did point out that bad tooth to me during the visit, but I didn't realize she was having such pain while trying to eat until I actually sat to watch her.

Anyway, the vet quoted me $700.00 to pull her bad tooth, plus the others that need pulling.  My brother said he would help me out with the bill, but even if he paid $300.00 that left me with $400.00 to keep paying on my own. Something I just couldn't afford to do.

So I made a tough decision to take my healthy cat to the vet at 11:30 am today and have her euthanized because I couldn't afford the vet bill to extract the teeth that are causing her pain and preventing her from eating.

I was feeling like such a failure for having to do that just because of a couple of bad teeth. But I had no other alternative because I just couldn't afford the treatment she needed. . I can't stand to see her in pain and begging for food because she's hungry and not being able to eat the food.

I post on a cat related website, and when Chynna got sick at the end of February I made a thread asking fellow cat owners to send out positive thoughts that it wasn't anything major.  And I've kept up the thread since, giving Chynna's progress.  She was doing exceptionally well until her tooth started to really hurt last week. 

A fellow in New Foundland read  about Chynna and being a fellow cat lover didn't like the idea of my having to have Chynna, a healthy cat, euthanized because of my life circumstances at this time.

So he contacted me and offered to pay the vet bill for me.

At first I thought it was some colossal cruel joke, but I didn't go off on him. Instead I thanked him  for his kindness and toldhim that I coudln't accept the money.  We exchanged several private messages, and I came to see that he was being 100% sincere.about his offer.

I have a great deal of pride and also some shame for the situation that I find myself in with life right now. I'm doing my best to get back to my job and it looks like this year will finally be the year because i'm actually in physio and doing really well with it. The next step will be a back to work program and I hopefully will be back at my job by the end of summer or early fall.

He told me to not let pride stand in the way of getting Chynna the medical help that she needs right now.

I pushed my pride aside and accepted his kindness. I got a call from the vet's office today. He contacted them to make arrangement for payment of the procedure. Chynna is scheduled to have surgery on Wednesday.

So I  get to have some extra years with my baby girl because of the kindness of a complete stranger named Gerry from New Foundland.

He doesn't want me to pay him back. We had a bit of an argument about that. But he does want me to pay it forward once I'm back to work and on my feet financially.

I'm so blown away and numb.  I still can't believe it.

Oh that is a wonderful wonderful story. It gave me chills reading it.

I love the pay it forward idea:)

I'm so glad this worked out for you and your beloved pet

Excellent story!  Big ups to Gerry, for sure. 

sniff Man, that's really really touching.  You and your kitty are truly blessed to have such a kindness bestowed.  I hope the operation is a success and your kitty and you live many more years together.  I know how close these little beings can get to ones heart and how enriching they are for those that have them and it would be a true shame to have had her put down for such a thing as bad teeth. 

No more candy for you kitty kat! LOL

HUGZ to you Acadia and your kitty!

Richard ;-)~

Such unbelievable kindness from a stranger!  Definitely your (and Chynna's) guardian angel:)  Thanks for sharing this.  It made my day:)

Oh Linda...I was thinking about you and your baby this morning...I am so very very happy for you.  Reading that gave me chills...what a wonderful soul that man is.  Thank you so much for sharing this with us...I am actually crying tears of joy for you hun...I know how I would feel in your place.  Hugs

tears  Seriously....it's a harrowing ordeal dealing with a sick/injured pet...they really are like children.  I'm so happy that you found yourself a guardian angel, to help you keep your Chynna around.

THREE CHEERS FOR GERRY!!!!!! :thumbupboth:

What a touching story, glad you & kitty get some more time together :)

Vet bills have gotten to be outrageous!  I lost 4  in 2 weeks 2 years back :(.  One cat I had to put down due to hyperthyroidism - the cost for that cure was around $2,000 which we could never afford :(.  1 of my cats had all but her front teeth removed cost = $1000(she caught a cold, 2 years later & had to be put down,she was 18).  1 cat had cancer(which we put down), the vet tried to talk us into a kidney transplant & chemo/radiation :blink:  That cost was well into the 5 digits.  Another had 100% blocked arteries in her hind legs - between attempting to save her & having her put down the cost was $800.  The last cat we have now has contracted IBS & will have to be on meds the rest of her life:(

Back to the cancer portion.  A woman in our office building had a dog with cancer she spent $60,000 for treatment(to no avail) & took out a 2nd mtg on her house :blink:

I have yet to find a vet that will take payments around here - they all require payment upon services being completed. 

I find it horribly disturbing that pet bills have gone out of control.  Most elderly people need them for companionship, well all people actually.  But with rising costs I don't see how people are able to afford them :( when they are on a fixed income.  In addition, the vets nowadays really lay down the guilt trip if decide not to treat.  In regards to our cat with cancer the vet told us to give up one of our $1000 vacations, I about fell out & said sorry my husband & I don't take those kind of vacations!  It's a horrible state that we as pet owners & lovers have been put in.

I dont know if it's accepted nationally or not, but my vet has set things up with pet health care insurance. My first reaction was "what a scam!", but it's been a godsend when it comes to dealing with an elderly cat. Florence, who was 24 when she finally passed on, required weekly dialysis, not to mention a whole rash of other little things: we thought long and hard about putting her down, but the vet (a wonderful person I trust implicitely) said she wasnt in any pain. She was just getting on in years -- and the treatments extended her life by a good year... and it was a good year. Rather than having her deal at the end with a needle to put her down, she simply went to sleep one night and that was it. As hard as it was, it was still better than the alternative.

Sometimes, when it comes to our family, whether human or animal, we just have to put pride on the shelf and let God handle it for us. And sometimes He does so in the form of a complete stranger from Newfoundland.

But I'm glad your little furry friend is going to be okay. Give her a head scritch and a tummy rub for me, huh?

Diesel (the black and white) and Lady Grey (the... well, the grey longhair). From the same litter and now about a year and a half old, they were outdoor cats until I moved to Mebane: an apartment complex doesnt have the same level of relative safety a house in the country does, so now they're inside 24/7. It's taken some getting used to, but they're adjusting pretty well.

Lady Grey is gorgeous! Not that other one isn't - ack you know I what mean ;)

That's wonderful! I hope somebody out there is equally nice if they find my lost wayward kitty:( It is wonderful to hear the good things in life, thank you.

This is Toffee.

**Acadia, 
  I am so happy for you. You deserve to have blessings in your life. Your generosity to all of us has been such a gift. What a wonderful patron has been sent to you and your kitty.
cheerio  lululee
**

Great story Acadia,
It's tales like yours that keeps my hope for human kind alive.  Hope all goes well for you and yours.

Rªnce

Great pictures, Sam. Love the 'tude from both of them. :)

Quote - Great pictures, Sam. Love the 'tude from both of them. :)

Thanks!  They are both a pair of spoiled brats, really.  Toffee is definitely Claire's cat and Apollo is my lad.  And yes, they hate each other.  It's all fun here.

Nice to know  there are people like Gerry.
God bless Gerry.
I love cats. My wife has a 5 years old gentle cat . His name is James Dean.

They say good thing happen to good people, I wouldn't know. LOL. Nice story and I'm glad it all worked out. No matter how superior cats think they are and expect us to do all thier bidding, thier still family. All the best to you and your cat.

Acadia - I have two comments to make.
Firstly, I am so pleased this guy is paying your vet bill so that you hopefully have some more precious years with your beloved cat. Throughout my life I've had nine cats so I know how loveable & attached to them we get. I've also had dogs throughout my life of whom I truly see as part of the family. Which brings me to the point I know you'll hate me for.
I just cannot believe you would have gone ahead & had your cat put down for something like that. Would you have done the same with a child? I understand she would have been suffering, but surely euthanasia is a last resort. I am sure somehow, something could have been done to obtain money if this very generous guy hadn't come forward. I would never have been able to live with myself.
Two months ago I lost the closest thing in my crappy life, my 13 year old collie, Max. I would have sold my soul if it meant something could have been done to save him. I just can't accept animals being put down for money reasons, there's always a way.

I'm really sorry for this comment Acadia, but I just got incredibly angry about it.
I know I'll regret this later.
Sorry.

Have a roof over your head or pay vet bill - I'll take the roof
Have food on the table or pay vet bill - I'll take the food
Have electricity or pay vet bill - I'll take the electricty

The list is endless.

A child is NOT the equal to a pet - a pet can be replaced, there are hundreds of thousands of pets waiting for adoption & love.

I don't mean that to sound cold but lets be real here for a moment.  Yes, pets are part of our families, most of the time they are like children for those who don't have any.  Yes we do grieve when we have a loss.  But again they can be replaced at some point.

Even Cesar Milan does not believe in going broke for pet care/certain disease treatment.

There are a lot of things to consider...... the pets well being/state of mind/being in pain.  NOT treating something like bad teeth can lead to various other more serious diseases.

Right now my once loving cat hates me & avoids me like the plague.  I have to give her meds 2x a day.  This requires me poking at her under the bed(where she hides) with a broom to get her out which nomrally takes appx 1 hour each time.  That's not to include the numerous trips to the vets in which case she HATES being put into a crate & hates the outside.  It's all very traumatic to her.  Is this how an animal should spend it's last years???  For now in my case, I'm going for the treatment, but for how long I have no idea.

No one is any place to judge what we choose to do, no one has nay clue to each individuals financial situation.  We should not judge what other choose to do.

I am a lifelong and passionate animal lover.  I love my pets with all my heart...I live in chronic pain and they are my solace many days when nothing else makes me forget for e while....

That said...I have human children that I have to provide for, and I have had to make the choice to put down a pet I dearly loved when the medical treatment was outside what my family could do.  Did, I grieve?  yes.  Did I feel I failed that animal I loved so dearly...yes.  Did I have a choice at the time?  No, I didn't.  I know Linda personally and I KNOW how she was agonizing over this...it was literally making her sick.  It certainly wasn't something that she was doing lightly.  She wanted her pet to live a QUALITY life...and she didn't have the financial means to make that happen.

I sincerely hope you never find yourself in that situation...but many people have and do.  Thankfully a generous and loving soul kept that from happening for Linda and her baby.

@Acadia-- I ,too, have been touched by the generosity of strangers helping others and told to pay it forward.  That's what motivates me to try to be as helpful as possible.  It changed my life.  I'm glad someone helped.

Thank you Gerry.  You did good.

@Stormchaser--Acadia was at the bottom of a hole with no way out. When you are there, despair can overwhelm you.  Watching a loved one writhe in pain with NO way to help them is THE worst torture in the whole universe.  Not being able to take of yourself is bad---not being able to take care of your loved one is worse.

There are things in place to help people in pain, but NOT animals.  Even trying to pull the offending teeth yourself is not useful.  Cats can die from shock when overstressed, and if they are in pain, the teeth are absessed and when pulled, the infection will spill down the throat and kill the cat within a week or so.

If you have no recourse--what do you do? It's a crappy circumstance without any easy answer.  I've been on both sides of the problem, and it isn't easy. Sometimes you have to let it go, and sometimes things happen to keep a sad end from happening.

You shouldn't judge Acadia.  You and I and many just CAN'T know what's she's been through with her cat.  I know your point, and have felt it myself.  However, we aren't in another's shoes.

If anyone is faced with that situation consider contacting animal rescue groups. They can sometimes arrange very cheap vet care , or will take the animal for adoption and get it the treatment required.  Vet schools are another option, as is shopping around for vets , some are better than others when it comes to low income owners.

I cant compare any animal with a child , they just arent the same .  The sad thing is that there are parents who have to consider very carefully before taking a child to a Doctor because of medical costs. 

It seems this time it worked out Ok .

:thumbupboth:

I didn't take the decision lightly at all. I did web searches, called the Humane Society and other local groups. I called other vets. I even considered giving her up in the hopes they would take care of her teeth and put her up for adoption with another family :(   But she is 16 years old, and it's hard to find a new home for a cat that is 5 years old, let alone one that is 16 years. They languish in a cage and in the end are euthanized to make room for kittens and other abandoned cats.  I even considered drastic measures of having all of her teeth pulled if that would be cheaper.

I worked my budget and reworked it. And I just couldn't juggle anything anymore. I was already paying the vet bill out of my grocery and medication money. I even stopped taking one of my own  medications so that I could afford to get her vet care.  Chynna doesn't quality for health insurance because of her age and existing health problems (bad teeth and high blood pressure, and renal insufficiency), and besides that there is a waiting period for it to kick in, otherwise people would be signing up today and spending $3000 on care tomorrow.  I even looked around my apartment for things that I could possibly sell to raise money. I don't think I'd get a lot for a 12 year old couch, or a 28 year old water bed.  If I owned a car I would have sold it in a heart beat  to help her!

To those who condemn me for thinking euthanasia, please don't.  My cats are my children and I put their happiness and health above my own. I've agonized and cried over this issue to the point that I am physically sick over it myself.

I'm still crying. And I'm still agonizing. Only they are tears of happiness and he agony is more worry that everything goes ok for her on Wednesday.  I had a long talk with the vet a short while ago. I did my homework on surgery and cats with renal problems.

I'm so grateful to Gerry!  I'm in such a daze and my emotions are  all over the place, that I can't stop crying. I'm a blubbering mess right now.  But in a good way because I am giving Chynna a chance at a longer life without pain.

Quote - If anyone is faced with that situation consider contacting animal rescue groups. They can sometimes arrange very cheap vet care , or will take the animal for adoption and get it the treatment required.  Vet schools are another option, as is shopping around for vets , some are better than others when it comes to low income owners.

I cant compare any animal with a child , they just arent the same .  The sad thing is that there are parents who have to consider very carefully before taking a child to a Doctor because of medical costs. 

It seems this time it worked out Ok .

Quote - Here is another one. She was enjoying getting vacuumed.

WOW!  Super special VACUUM CAT!

Vacuum cat R sucking up ur gerbils! :lol:  She's special.

oooh, what a wonderful story, and I'm so glad you get to be with your kitty!
God Bless the stranger that saved your kitty! I'm so glad there are people like that around.

Gerry does indeed sound like a guardian angel.   Hope things work out well for you and Chynna.
I remember having to make that hard decision for my dog George.  But our vet flat out told us that whatever we tried to help him wouldn't relieve his pain and may or may not extend his life.  
I feel for anybody who has to make that decision. 
And don't feel bad about not paying him back Acadia.   Who knows?  Maybe somebody helped him with something in the past and told him to pay it forward.  Now he can.  

>> To those who condemn me for thinking euthanasia, please don't.  My cats are my children and I put their happiness and health above my own. I've agonized and cried over this issue to the point that I am physically sick over it myself.

I dont think many people can really appreciate that kind of bond. When I was moving to Canada, I had all my belongings in the back seat of an old VW beetle; in the passenger seat, all the way across the country driving to Vancouver, was a large cage that held Florence and her brother Buddy. I moved up there during the winter, which was pretty stupid to start, but remember: this was a VW, which isnt exactly known for its heating system.

So I had the cage (which really was huge, so much so that changing gears was, at times, challenging) wrapped in every blanket I had, and the inside was lined with towels and just about anything else I could find to give them some insulation.

At one point, I stopped at a gas station and found I had enough money to fill the tank and buy a hot dog -- and that was it. I was gonna have to wing it until I got to the next big town and found some place to cash a cheque. So I filled the tank, bought the hot dog, ate the bun, and gave the actual hot dog to Flo and Buddy so they wouldnt go hungry en route.

I sorta laugh about it now, but I cant help but remember those few days when I was doing everything I could to keep them warm and fed, while I sat in the driver's seat, shivering and very hungry. And I wouldnt do anything any different now for Diesel and Lady Grey. They may not be human children, but when I took them in, I took on the responsibility for their welfare. And I have to honour that pact, no matter what. It's not like I feel I can just dispose of them when times get rough.

And sometimes, honestly, I'm bewildered by the way people view their pets. During the recent big rains in the Midwest, NPR briefly interviewed a woman who returned to her home after the water receded, and she was all distraught because her four pets were found dead. I just wanted to shake her really hard and ask her What did you think would happen? I just cant fathom folks who would do that kind of thing to any animal that looks to them for love and care and support.

Okay, rant over (brief, I know). The good thing is that your story did indeed have a happy ending. And yeah, it's very possible someone did this for Gerry, and he's just paying it forward to you.

Three cheers for Gerry!

 Acadia, I'm happy for you and Chynna.

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to help out a Guatemalan family that had lost everything due to a tropical storm. The money I sent was not a huge amount in European terms (worth about a month's rent of a normal house, or the price of a run-of-the-mill midrange PC), but in Guatemala it was enough to really get that family back on their feet again.

Last year I had some trouble myself, and out of the blue someone helped me out.

I really like the "pay it forward" idea. It really works. Being a good person will be rewarded, in unexpected ways at unexpected times.

Quote - Here is a picture of my baby girl

She is beautiful.  Although, I have never in my life seen an ugly cat, big, small or anywhere in between.  They are all beautiful. 

Pay it forward was the theme in a movie with Kevin Spacey (Pay It Forward). I recommend watching it if you haven't already.

I'm up and getting ready to take Chynna to the vet. Because she is older she needs 24 hours of IV hydration in order to help preserve her kidneys.  Her kidneys aren't working 100% optimal, but she isn't in failure. Unfortunately one of the risks for older cats having surgery is that their kidneys can worsen. The vet is taking every precaution he can to help minimalize that risk.  Her actual surgery is tomorrow.  I'll let you all know how things go.

Hopefully she will be back home with me on Wednesday unless they keep her another night, which I don't think would be a bad idea.  I'll have to give her injections for the morphine and antibiotics (she doesn't take pills well) for a few days and help her eat with a syringe, but then hopefully she will be able to eat on her own by the end of the weekend!

I will keep you both in my prayers!

Hope she does well Acadia, fingers crossed for the little 'un.

It's kinder to euthanize a pet than to let them suffer.  Glad to hear it was possible to have the procedure completed.

Another solution would be to obtain a job.  There are plenty of jobs that involve typing or talking on the phone.

Good luck to you and your little fuzzy one, Acadia. I hope your disability gets better so you can get back to work, and mainly so you'll feel better. ^__^V,,

Best wishes, Acadia. Just remember: she's of hardy Canadian stock, so she'll do fine.

And Freddy has some serious 'tude goin' on! :-) Love that photo.

Quote - Another solution would be to obtain a job.  There are plenty of jobs that involve typing or talking on the phone.

Yes there are. But you don't know the nature of my disability or the beauracratic  restrictions that I'm under through my long term disability from my job.  They are helping me to get back to my job as a nurse.  Even if I were able to take a job in a different field it would see all of that come to a crashing end because of their policies. Trust me, I talked to them about it a year or so ago when I wanted to do some volunteer stuff at a shelter for abused women. Even the act of volunteering puts my disability and the help they are giving me to get back to my job, in jeopardy.  So please, unless you have walked a mile in my shoes please don't make judgements.

Acadia,

I'm glad things are looking up for you and Chynna.  It would break my heart to have something like this going on with one of my furry friends.

Something else that you might want to look into for Chynna is alternatives to how you buy her meds.  I saw a show on Marketplace a while ago about how most veterinary medications are human medications sold by the vet.  In Canada sales like this are unregulated so vets can charge what they want for the meds.  In many cases if you ask the vet for a prescription they will write one and you can have it filled from the drug store much cheaper than the vet is selling it to you for.

Just thought I would mention it so you could think about giving it a try.

Paul

Gerry and Acadia,
What a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing that with us.

Gerry you are a true gentleman.

I'm happy you're here at Renderosity, Acadia.  You tirelessly help those looking for links and tutorials, and you're a true treasure here.  Thanks again for sharing your story.

Best Wishes,
Rªnce

Quote - you can have it filled from the drug store much cheaper than the vet is selling it to you for

Thanks :)  That is how he has been prescribing her blood pressure pills for me. I get them filled at Safeway Pharmacy.  The anti-nausea medication that she was on a month ago for her upset stomach that caused me to run to the vet in the first place, and the recent antibiotic that she needed, he filled there. I think I paid $10 each for those. So it wasn't bad.

The vet's office called me twice to tell me what a co-operative kitty she is being. She has an IV and isn't bothering with it at all. Plus they said that she was eating a fair bit on her own.  She's quite the little charmer.

I'm glad to hear that things are going well at the vet's.  Its good to hear that she is eating.  My two cats and I will be thinking of you and Chynna.

Please keep us posted.

I lost my constant companion to Feline Leukemia a few years ago now. Having him euthanised was one of the toughest things I've ever had to do but there truly was no alternative. I'm so glad you haven't had to do it Acadia.
Nice to know there are still a few heroes around. Kudos to Gerry for having a big heart and a generous spirit.