petproblems
Posted by: miko/ hawkeye
30th Apr 2010 02:22am
My name is Miko and Iam an animal lover with a menagerie ,like cats and dogs ,a waterturlle and a horse agistet, I have battlet with the vetsabout their huge fees for desexing , on a pension even with a voucher its still very expensive ,because on prices you might as well put a zero behind a single digit price and the same on double figures, and if it comes who comes first the kids win and the pet looses , I get so upset knowing that every thursday the vet surg, where I live puts healthy animals to sleep , just because its so expensive to even pick up your pet from the pound if it got out or was let out by somebody nasty, my next door neighbour trapped 2 of my cats and put them into the pund it took me $127.50 to get them back home , so now they cant go out anymore and I live in fear of what he will do next, some of the laws need to be closly looked at, all it takes is a neighbout wanting revenge and you end up loosing your animal because they are legally entitled to trap them , not a good thing , both my cats had collars ...... I actually still end up suffering from his nasty deed because the money was to be paid on an other bill, anyway I agree on saving our wildlife so why are so many people cut down trees , do they ever think , about the effect is has on the birdpopulation for a start never mind about all the othr critters affected , and us too, ozone is what we need and they just go merrily killing it with not a care in the world , well I care I signed 2 petitions , one for the cove (killing whales /dolphins. and the chinese skinning dogs and cats alive for their fur and cutting up fish alive and putting the poor fish back into the tank still alive , I still shudder and I have stopped buy ing chinese goods .made in china , hopefully if a lot of people who feel about animals like me stop buying their stuff ,they will have to stop doing what they are doing , in regards to animals having souls , yes of course they do , the only diffrence there is , is the have fur and their bodyshape is diffrent and bacause of that the behaviour pattern is diffrent , thats all , they understand what you say and when they passed over , can come back in spirit , I have actually felt some of my pets on my bed that way ,but than Iam a psyich person anyway and a healer , so for me this is old hat , Iam just glad Iam not in the skin of one of those perpretrators because Karma works in many ways and they could find themselfs in an other incarnation as one of the animals being treated like they did previously ,I know it sounds far fetched but it is a fact , anyway my aim is to have acres and a large part as a wildlife refuge /plants too , we all can hellp even if we only have a backyard , there is so much we can do , good fortune to all Miko
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Comments 21
jjdrer
My niece has a red Kelpie X desexed female which is a real escape artist. If we have rough weather or very heavy cloudy weather she bolts. Thankfully she always comes back. She has been picked up by the Council at night once and cost $70.00 to retrieve her from the Animal Welfare League the next day as she escaped while my niece was at work at a hospital and was unable to check her phone until she went outside during her meal break. They extended the height of the fences but she still gets out on occasions. When I was there a few weeks ago, when we got home from taking the littlle girl to school the dog met us in the driveway. She knew she had done wrong and ran straight to the front door. Grrrrrrrr.
donkey
I agree with everything you have said, animals must be protected as they are unable to protect themselves in our human enviroment. There are members of our society who leave animals on the side of the road, especially at Xmas time when they go on holiday. They are left to fend for themselves or be picked up by the council inspectors and evential put down because there are to many to rehome.
Jacko
I also dissagree with what the japanese are doing to animals. But with vets, thats different, what would you rather an animal suffer from pain or quickly die without any pain forced upon them at all.
codge
That is the worlds longest sentence!
You worry about bird-life when trees are cut down but you let your cats out to roam? Wake up to yourself. If I had trapped them you would not have got them back.
CSD
I am an age pensioner with two cats, and another three that came over the fence after a neighbour died. I appreciate their input and love them all dearly.
One is 18 years and has lost so much weight and fur. His tail is the fattest part of him. However, he is loudly vocal and has a keen sense of smell for his food. He is bright and happy but....!
The visiting vet came to give the yearly injections to all cats. I had warned him that my geriatric cat may need to be put to sleep since he can't see or hear that well and, sometimes,falls over when he walks. And, that's just the simple things - there are worse aged / behavioural problems.
Apparently his heart and lungs are fine. So he is still with me and fading dramatically.
It hurts me to see him so weak and feeble, but his heart and lungs are good. I just have to sit out his leaving. Let him eat often but small food portions, making sure the others don't steal his food.
I check him out 3-4 times a day to see if he his still breathing. My former beautiful companion for so many years.
You have to respect what animals can contribute to your life, no matter how hard it is at their end. So hard for us.
Now to give the cats their evening meal. Do I need this?
wonder2009
This is a great topic!
Animals are the besy companions and they genuinely love their owner(s).
I have a beautiful dog and I love her so much..she is the sweetest and always happy to see me (as I am her).
It's so sad that there are still people who treat animals in such a bad way. I hope attitudes change.
I am happily a vegetarian and support animal rights groups (such as PETA) thank goodness there are organisations like that supporting animals.
jenzi21
I have just read everyones discussions on this topic and it seems to be an issue that is creeping up a lot lately. I am a vet nurse and I see this issue from both angles. I feel for owners of pets because veterinary bills are extremely expensive but the costs of running a veterinary surgery/hospital is huge. Veterinary establishments are not subsidised by the government and the work they do can be incredibly long and hard.
I own pets myself and know that if I could not afford to look after their medical expenses I would not have got them. (FYI- I am not currently a practicing vet nurse so I do not get a staff discount etc.) So many times people would come in with cats that had cat fight wounds or poisoned from a plant that had been eaten outside etc that could have been avoided if cats were kept indoors. They would then proceed to whinge about the price of getting them treated and whether we could do it at reduced prices etc. This would always amaze me as we would be treating their cats for things that were totally preventable.
I have 3 cats and all are indoor only. After seeing all of the things that can happen to cats who live outdoors I could never bring myself to let them outside. I have also seen the amount of damage that cats can cause to the environment. The amount of native wildlife that we had to put down due to the fact that a cat had got to them (possums, lizards, birds, anything that moves). It is sad to have to euthanase such beautiful animals for reasons that can be prevented.
I agree that it is not a right to own an animal, it is a privilege. But at the same time animals are the ultimate companion to the elderly, lonely, frail and just people in general. What is the good of it though if you can not help them when they are unwell or injured?
nannypat258
I am on a pension as well, have two dogs and a cat. I am lucky though as my vet allows me to pay off any bill, no matter how little I pay, as long as I make a payment every fortnight. my vet is caring, will do anything to save your pet. My 7daughter had to have a pet put to sleep after many tests to save him. That ws 6 years ago and my daughter still hasn't received a bill. There are some vets out there who do go out of their way to help animals. With regard to to animals having a soul, of course they do, they have understanding, they give you pure love.
pjohnw
It might sound harsh , but i can understand your neighbours actions , My neighbours cats use my garden and my childrens sandpit as their own personal toilet, so i know how annoying it is living near someone who refuses to keep their pets under control and lets them roam where ever they like . Sorry if i sound a bit harsh , nothing personal meant, but thats reality.
pumpkin
I agree. There is nothing worse than digging in your garden and coming across a cat turd.....especially when I don't often wear gloves! I am an animal lover and donate to animal welfare charities on a regular basis. I am a vegetarian who does not wear animal products such as leather or fur and I enjoy the company of my 5 year old Staffy and my 16 year old cat. I couldn't bare the thought of my animals being injured or sick so my dog is kept well secured in the backyard with locks on the gate and my cat is kept indoors. She comes out with me when I'm in the garden but then comes inside again with me. Before you acquire a pet, you must take all costs into consideration. Yearly vet checks, vaccinations, worming, flea treatment, food, accessories such as toys, bedding, a coat for winter, grooming tools such as shampoo, brushes, clippers etc. Then you have to consider the fact that your pet might fall ill, get injured or need dentistry, not to mention they need constant love and attention! Owning a pet is like having a child. They cost alot!!!! Do the right thing and be a responsible pet owner and you'll get nothing but unconditional love from them in return.
DD
It is a luxury to own a pet, not a right. If you cant afford to look after them properly maybe you shouldnt have a menagerie.
Personally I feel cats should be kept indoors for a number of reasons. It is a far safer environment avoiding the dangers of the road, heartworm disease, and feline AIDS. It also prevents them from annoying neighbours with their night time fights and defecating in their garden beds and from killing wildlife.
I have the joy of living with 2 cats which have a very full and enjoyable indoor only life and would be devastated if either of them were injured or killed on the road.
Most Vets do an excellent job of looking after our animal friends, often within the constraints of a budget . Many people dont realise the degree to which the human health system is subsidised by the goverment. Vets perform the same procedures at a fraction of the cost and still have people complain about the cost.
How do you think the people working at that Vet surgery feel about the healthy animals that they are putting to sleep every Thursday -spare a thought for them!
woodie
That is like saying that you shouldn't have children if you can't afford to keep them. As for cats destroying all the wildlife, there were cats culled in a place up north (I can''t remember the name). What they found was that the rabbit population increased and the rest of the wildlife decreased more so than when there were cats there. We also kill birds while driving. Should we be forced to stay inside too?
uruz
Miko, I have to say your dream is a wonderful idea. If anyone tries to mock your dream, remember this quote, "So you've been called a dreamer, that's okay, if you don't have dreams, how can you make them come true." Hang on to your wonderful dream and make it a reality. All the very best for it's success.
I've had pets all my life, even when I served in the army. I've had to say goodbye to many when they became old and had that last sleep and it tore me apart each time. I've love and still love my pets as though they were my children and I'll go on loving them till the day I take that last sleep.
turkeyknees
this would be wonderful if there were more wildlife refuges around but also with that means finding suitable people to run them.what really gets under my nose is when well meaning people see a cute pet like puppy or kitten and buys it for themselves for example then as it gets older dumps them at a local animal shelter as they longer want the responsibility of feeding and looking after these poor animals.a friend of mine works at an animal shelter and you should hear some of the crappy excuses some people give for dumping these poor animals.i myself am a pet owner of a 13 year old cat who has been with me since he was 6weeks old and a beautiful young dog who turned 1 year old in march 2010 and who has been with me from a young age.my eldest dog was put to sleep last year after owning him for 16 and a half years due to him being ill.my animals are all well loved,fed and looked after.
uruz
As someone once said, "Of all the people I know I love my dog best" In our case the word dog can be replaced by pets. Where would we be without them.
woodie
My Husband and I are not Pensioners but we too adore all our pets, even our livestock..I know many other people like us who also adore their animals but the people who have pets and go out all day, everyday, even though they may have the money to afford health care for them, don't have the time to give them the love and attention they deserve. So often I see animals by themselves, all day, nearly every day and it saddens me. Unfortunately the Vet bills are very dear but providing the animal isn't suffering great pain, there are many home cures that can be used. A vet even told me that there are a lot of Human Medication that can be used on dogs and some on cats if they are given in the appropriate dosage according to size. We had a 17 1/2 year old dog, 16 year old and now have a nearly 14 year old cat,11 year old cat and an 8 year old cat as well as an 8 year old dog and a 6 year old, so I think the Vet may have been right about that.
kaz
I agree with nelly,at the end of the day i prefer animals to people,as people are c
ruel and uncaring and selfish.
nelly2
im a pensioner and i love my pets ,they are my best friends ,love you in the good times and the bad times,and always by my side,they treat me with love and i treat them with love ,couldnt do without them.
turkeyknees
my thoughts precisely uruz. as far as im concerned my pets are my children:)
uruz
Hmm it would seem that we pensioners are the ones who really love our pets as I am one too. Oh I know there are non pensioners who love their pets too but it just seems to me that pensioners really love and appreciate what they have in their pets.
turkeyknees
and i survive on a pension myself but i cope as i dont drink regularly or smoke.which is why i can afford to spend the money needed on my beautiful pets