Editor, Times-Union: I wonder where compassion has gone?
A local vet refused to euthanize our 14-year-old cat yesterday. Now, please know that our family is a cat family (up to three at one time) for more than 20 years.
This particular cat was an indoor cat, was loved and lived a normal cat life, litter box trained, eating dry cat food. About six months ago it was obvious that she was losing weight so we decided to begin giving her canned food. She began to look a little better. However, she began acting strangely about two months ago, sleeping in various odd places throughout the house, not quite making it to the litter box, and having what looked to be seizures from time to time. Then, last Friday, we realized that she was urinating on our rugs nowhere near the cat box. Clearly, this cat was not right; feline dementia? (It is real.)
We put her outside over the weekend with the intent to take her to the vet that had cared for this animal in the past to have it euthanized. My daughter took the cat to this vet yesterday. The vet demanded an examination of our cat even after all the above was explained to him. His comment was that he found nothing physically wrong with her and he refused to euthanize her. And the best part was we were charged $41 for an office visit!
Luckily, I called another local vet who has cared for two other of our rescued cats and they were most understanding and willing to euthanize our pet that was clearly suffering. She is now at peace; we are most sad to lose our pet but know that it was the right thing, the compassionate thing to do for this animal who was no longer normal.
To the vet who refused, who said, “I have to be able to sleep at night,” just how can you sleep at night knowing you sent an animal away who was suffering, who you had no interest in helping? Maybe you need a new profession.
