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Last night I backed up my office chair into my 6-month-old kitten, who had his leg caught in the bottom roller. I didn't realize this and he thrashed while I moved my chair. I think I might have also rolled my chair over his leg. Apparently I had broken his leg because he was moaning and yelling after he broke free.
Last night he was under a lot of pain - I realized he didn't accept his favorite treats, and he tried moving about in his cage but couldn't get into any preferred positions. I noticed when he got up to try to get under my bed, he whimpered as he dragged his right leg over.
I sent him in for a vet visit and x-ray earlier today and I just got off the phone with them. Apparently he fractured his femur, just above his knee and it's dislodged from the socket. Unfortunately, he's going to need additional surgery and pins to be inserted to ensure the bone grows back properly. I was quoted on the surgery, anesthesia, and splint/cast to be about $600 on top of an additional $130 I already paid for his visit and x-rays.
I've already agreed to do the operation. He's the sweetest cat I've ever known - he never bites or claws me and is playful and approchable. Unfortunately, sometimes I treat him like shit and I just couldn't get past what happend to him last night. Unlike other cats, he forgives me almost immediately every time I scare, yell, or mistreat him and opens up to me again quickly.
Has anyone been in this situation with their pet? Would you have paid the amount (or more) for an operation done to yours?
BTW, here's a picture of him...his name is Peaches.
![[image loading]](http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w112/asdfTT123/photo.jpg)
UPDATE UPDATE: September 2nd:
Today I brought Peaches home from the vet in the morning. The vet said the surgery went well though he needs to be on bed rest for a few weeks. When I took him home, he had a massive bandage that covered his entire right hind-paw. Initially he struggled to move around with it being so cumbersome, he'd often flip his own body over in attempt to move. Basically, he's completely immobile with his bandages on and he can't even limp around. I currently have the dilemma of figuring out the best way to care for him in his state. He can't really get up to get food and water - I have to manually feed him by hand and bring the water dish to him. Also, he absolutely HATES taking his pain/antibiotic meds. My roommate and I forced his mouth open as I popped a small pill but he spat it back out with disgust. It doesn't help that the antibiotics are in a dropper as well because as soon as I stick the dropper in his mouth he shakes and struggles. I guess I have no choice but to mix the meds with his food.
His litter box presents a whole new problem. He's eaten a fair amount since I brought him back this morning but he strangely hasn't needed to poop yet. When he does I'm expecting to clean up a pretty hefty mess on his mat, bandages, and fur. Any advice for that?
Also, he looks extremely depressed just lying in his crate all day. See below for pics. To make matters worse, I have another little kitten who runs up to him and starts clawing at his bandages through the holes in the crate. In the midsts of a starcraft game I heard him groaning in pain because her claws clipped in his bandages and she wouldn't let go. -_-
I'd appreciate any advice you may have. I hope that nobody should have to experience caring for an injured animal. It's quite depressing, you never really know their needs, and they're sometimes uncooperative.
![[image loading]](http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w112/asdfTT123/rsz_imgp1026.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w112/asdfTT123/rsz_imgp1024.jpg)
 
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cute cat and 700 bucks is really nothing you're lucky it's not more. We (my wife and I) spent almost 1,500 bucks just because our cat had a bladder infection. Good to see your cat is ok, we are also giving our food special food now to avoid further infections.
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that looks like a full grown cat, not a kitten
anyways as for paying for it, if i had enough money, sure
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United States24775 Posts
I don't really see any way around paying if you can at all afford it. Not much of an alternative. Dumb question perhaps but I've never had a pet: is it possible to get some kind of medical insurance for pets? Like 100/yr to cover for this type of stuff?
Not really sure what you can do to prevent this type of injury in the future except be careful and hope the cat learns not to sit in dangerous places like behind your computer chair?
BTW very cute kitten.
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On September 01 2010 08:00 micronesia wrote:
I don't really see any way around paying if you can at all afford it. Not much of an alternative. Dumb question perhaps but I've never had a pet: is it possible to get some kind of medical insurance for pets? Like 100/yr to cover for this type of stuff?
Not really sure what you can do to prevent this type of injury in the future except be careful and hope the cat learns not to sit in dangerous places like behind your computer chair?
BTW very cute kitten.
Not a dumb question at all, there is pet health insurance you can buy and it is indeed around 100 bucks a month, though it's a gamble like any insurance because you could go years w/o any issues and you will end up behind in cash!
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aww.. 
Hope he gets better
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I definitely would pay if I have the money and make sure that something like that never happens again.
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I just spent like 200$ on surgery for my cat, so he is worth about 400$ now (this surgery and previous) aswell as all the food and headaches he caused. It's your call, putting him down and getting a new cat would be cheaper though.
I sent him in for a vet visit and x-ray earlier today and I just got off the phone with them. Apparently he fractured his femur, just above his knee and it's dislodged from the socket. Unfortunately, he's going to need additional surgery and pins to be inserted to ensure the bone grows back properly. I was quoted on the surgery, anesthesia, and splint/cast to be about $600 on top of an additional $130 I already paid for his visit and x-rays.
It being an accident that you caused (obviously you didn't mean to) I would pay for the surgery, He is going to be a costly cat and sometimes they don't wake up when they go under so It's a gamble but since it isn't naturally caused I would probably pay for the surgery :/
Good luck, hope it helps. Btw, it your cat angry at you? when my cat was ill he was extremely angry for like 2 weeks after the surgery, he wasn't in pain, just pissed, luckily he is better now.
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that doesn't look like a full grown cat, look how long his tale is!
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On September 01 2010 08:05 sRapers_ValkS wrote:
that doesn't look like a full grown cat, look how long his tale is!
do kittens have long tales in relation to their bodies or something?
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my parents paid a similar amound for a broken leg on one of our cats 6 years ago - he tried to jump over a fence and levered his whole body against a leg that got stuck in the fence somehow, splintering said leg - we paid something around 1000 euros for the entire surgery process. sadly, he didnt get along well with his brother and ran off a few months later, but i dont think anyone in our family regrets having spent said money and walking/caring for the cat for the six weeks required for rehabilitation.
and dont mistreat your pet, he looks so cute :>
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My 10 year old cat was diagnosed with diabetes last month. The upfront cost of all the tests and vet visits figuring out what was wrong with him and determining what insulin dosage was appropriate was probably around $600. Going forward he needs special expensive high protein food and two injections a day. I worked it out that the food, needles and insulin are going to cost an extra $2.50 day on top of what I already spend on him. Makes for a pretty expensive pet, but there is no way I wouldn't pay it.
pic+ Show Spoiler +
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United States24775 Posts
Do cats allow you to give them injections? Is it difficult to do if you are someone who doesn't like needles?
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On September 01 2010 08:17 micronesia wrote:
Do cats allow you to give them injections? Is it difficult to do if you are someone who doesn't like needles?
No it is really easy. The injection is subcutaneous, you don't have to find a vein or anything. Just pull up the scruff, stick in the base. I guess if needles really freaked you out it could be tough but you wouldn't even see it go in unless the cat had really short hair.
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Blogs like this break my heart.
I have 2 cats myself and the only problem we've ever had was had an infection with his gums and had to have a tooth removed. Cost a couple hundred dollars but was a no-brainer.
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I don't agree with keeping pets unless its for protection(dogs) or pest prevention(cats). This is because I think its kind of cruel to keep them locked up for their entire lives.
My sister has 3 cats and however cute and what not they are they are just a waste of money to accessorise her house imo.
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So glad you paid for the surgery. There is certainly a responsibility to taking care of an animal that a lot of people don't realise.
And anyone who is saying that it's cheaper to have it put down and get a new one, or that they're a waste of money, are seriously missing the point of getting a pet in the first place.
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hmm my friends dad spent like $10,000 on his dog (i shit you not) that dog went through so many surgeries.. it was just 1 thing after another..
so uhh.. be careful about that lol
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On September 01 2010 08:04 NuKedUFirst wrote:
I just spent like 200$ on surgery for my cat, so he is worth about 400$ now (this surgery and previous) aswell as all the food and headaches he caused. It's your call, putting him down and getting a new cat would be cheaper though.
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I may be misinterpreting this, but that is really brutal man. Don't treat your pets like their financial investments, thats sick.
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On September 01 2010 08:46 Kezzer wrote:Show nested quote +On September 01 2010 08:04 NuKedUFirst wrote:
I just spent like 200$ on surgery for my cat, so he is worth about 400$ now (this surgery and previous) aswell as all the food and headaches he caused. It's your call, putting him down and getting a new cat would be cheaper though.
. I may be misinterpreting this, but that is really brutal man. Don't treat your pets like their financial investments, thats sick.
I totally agree, thats a horrible thing to say. If you invest in a living being, and something happens to it which you yourself caused, then you better be footing the bill. How could you even think to just shrug it off and put it down. $600 is not alot of money at all, so even suggesting to end life over that is pretty damn absurd. (imo)
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EPT![[image loading]](http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitpic/photos/full/106364023.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0ZRYP5X5F6FSMBCCSE82&Expires=1283297223&Signature=TvxlrhmuEDzS3e1Ln7kw0ixrf1c%3D)
