When it rains it pours :(

[Texas Wolf]

the sun

 

[oldrooster]

So sorry - it sounds like it has been rough

For the bumblefoot, I don't know what you intend to buy to treat it, but I recently treated a bumblefoot case and didn't need to get anything extra. Do you have Epsom salts (if not, they are very inexpensive at your local grocery store - I bought the store brand and they were less than $2 for a large bag). I took the Epsom salts and dissolved in some pretty hot water, and let the hen stand in the water for 30 minutes. She didn't like getting into it but apparently it felt good because she relaxed after 30 seconds and for the rest of the time stood there without needing to be held. Then I wrapped her in a towel, took my tweezers and went to work on the bumble. Once I had it cleaned out as well as I could, I squeezed some triple antibiotic ointment in (already had it), placed a folded square of toilet paper directly over the site, and wrapped it in the bandage wrap that clings to itself (once again, if you don't already have some, it can be purchased at the grocery store quite inexpensively). If you have kids, you probably already have most of the supplies you will need, on hand.

For school supplies, clothing for the kids etc., do you shop at thrift stores? I have found that many school supplies like binders, folders and even unopened packs of paper are available there, and we save anything that wasn't used one year, for the next. They may not be headed off to school with a brand new box of pencils, but if they have 20 pencils that have been used a little, it ends up being the same as getting a dozen brand new ones. This year I was able to get away with no back to school shopping as when the kids announced it was time to go, I showed them the two boxes of school supplies I've saved from previous years and told them "start shopping". They were able to find everything they needed, except the box of Kleenex each needed to take to share with the classroom. We don't purchase paper products at our house (use reuseable cloth for everything) so I did have to buy the Kleenex but that was it.

I know the money is spent for the cat but.....there is no shame in choosing euthanasia versus heroic measures. Don't get me wrong - I love my animals and care for them fiercely. But in reality, there are hundreds of cats and dogs that are healthy and would make wonderful pets, that are put to sleep every year in animal shelters across the country because homes can't be found for them. So I don't feel I can spend thousands keeping ONE pet alive. When my kids' cat came up sick a couple of months ago, we took him to the vet who announced he was in severe liver failure. He offered to run some tests that would have run several hundred dollars but best case scenario he would have been on meds the rest of his life and worst case the recommendation would have been to put him to sleep, so we chose to save the money on the tests and put him straight to sleep. Yes, it was a difficult and emotional decision but euthanasia is very humane - his passing was peaceful.

Hopefully your cat is now on the mend and you won't have any more big expenses so you can get caught up!

I feel the same way about pets my rational also is they cannot tell me if they are suffering somehow I can't see or know about and make their lives miserable without knowing it so to me putting them down is more humane in my own mid then fixing a problem. but that is only my opinion.