National Pet Month! An estimated 60 billion will be spent on them this year!

Butterfly said:
I salute you, SeaBreeze -- I agree with everything you said. I also love animals and always adopt/foster from the shelter. My dogs are family, and it is my business if that's where I choose to spend my money!

AND, I don't give up on them when they get old and sick. As a pet owner, it is my responsibility to take care of them properly and humanely, and I do.

Ralphy, what's WRONG with you?
Click to expand...

Butterfly, I think you meant to reply to QuickSilver. :)
 

All kinds of people have pets, rich, poor and in between. Money on pets is well spent. So many people have dogs in my building, its a real treat to see them going out for their walks and playing in the doggie park across the street, so happy including the owners.
 

Butterfly said:
Ralphy, what's WRONG with you?
Click to expand...
There's nothing wrong with Ralphy.
He's just stimulating discussion.
No need to jump on him.

Now consider this idea.

My eldest grand daughter is 28 years old and has a genetic disability.
She lives alone in a pathetic little "granny flat" for which she pays $250 pw rent out of her disability pension. Plus utilities.

She has acquired a kitten which she loves dearly but there is no way that she can afford to pay vet bills.
I'm doing that for her because I don't want to see the cat neglected for want of money.

Perhaps Ralphy is asking this question?
Are people who are able to spend a lot of money on pet food, pet grooming, pet toys and pet furniture prepared to share some of their affluence, pay more in taxes and advocate for a better deal for the truly disadvantaged so that they too could afford to keep a stray moggie? Wouldn't it be good if every child of the ghetto could have a dog?
 
As a child I was always adopting stray animals. Our house was full of them. Pets give as much to their owner's as they receive. Their contributions to our health and well being are inestimable. It's harder these days for every child to enjoy having a pet in the home due to the expense of pet ownership. This is a shame. Back in the 'ole days, pets were allowed to come and go at will, do their business outside and I'm sure cats caught plenty of wild snacks out there.
When a pet passed away, we dug a grave in the backyard and buried them in an appropriate box with our own special little service. It was easier then to enjoy pet ownership and though I absolutely believe pets are worth every penny we spend on them, I feel for those who cannot afford to experience this special joy. But a pet owner must be a guardian first and foremost thinking of their pet's welfare. If someone is too poor to care for a pet or has too limited space, then they need to be mature enough to recognize this for the pet's sake. It's hard.
 
Yes, it is hard. I'm shocked at how much it costs to care for a pet these days, especially the vet fees. However, veterinary care is a necessary expense but looking at some websites such as this ( http://diamonddogs.us/webshop/cat-collars/3-row-tiny-crystal-1.html) I see crystal collars for cats at US $194.50. Personally I find that outrageous, but then I find expensive jewellery for humans pretty outrageous too, (except for a few items received as special gifts).

I know that not everyone thinks this way but isn't this what a forum is for? To air differing opinions and ways of thinking.

Chic, my mum was a sucker for stray animals too. She taught my sister and me to be kind to animals and by extension, to people. We weren't flush with money either.
 
I had a cat who was diabetic for 11 years. The insulin and syringes were not that expensive. I usually only took her to the vet twice a year for blood work. Of coarse they always wanted to do full blood work, not just checking sugar levels. I thought it wasn't necessary but didn't argue.

I started these two litter mates sharing a can of fancy feast a day. Of coarse my tabby has to come up with allergies (appears it's probably fish) so they split a can of $1.29 wilderness a day now because it's fish free. I hate to pull the can and it's a way to get extra fluid in them. They love the can. The dry comes from the vet, low allergen. I always bought good quality dry food.

I would never do chemo or anything to keep pets alive that caused them suffering. My diabetic cat never realized she got the shots and never showed recognition of the syringes. Both my last cats died naturally with me at home.

I'll spend on my pets. They are strictly indoors. I never produced a human, but I'll have my cats.
 
There's no law against spending your money on your pets........If you don't like others doing that...........................TOUGH!!!!
 
Dame Warrigal said:
Chic, my mum was a sucker for stray animals too. She taught my sister and me to be kind to animals and by extension, to people. We weren't flush with money either.
Click to expand...

In those days it cost very little to adopt a pet. Vet fees were super reasonable, they even loaned us pet carriers if we needed them. We fed the pets table food and canned food. We handmade lots of their toys or gave the cats a 10 cent Hartz Mountain catnip mouse. We didn't put collars on the cats so cats cost us nothing to keep. There was no leash law for dogs or pooper scooping. It was a lot simpler and cheaper to keep a pet and give it a good life than it is now.
 
Pet carriers? We carried the cats to the vet in pillow cases and carried a spare in case the cat shredded the first one. We walked or carried the dogs because we had no car. Mum prepared the animals food herself. She bought horse meat or kangaroo from the pet shop and served it raw to the cats and cooked it for the dogs.

My childhood was full of animals, ours and the neighbours. My walk to school involved patting every dog in every front yard as I passed by. Even now when I go for a walk I can't help calling to every cat I see sunning itself, although they mostly ignore me.

I wonder whether there wouldn't be less angry kids causing trouble in neighbourhoods if they could have the same experiences of pets in their lives as I had.
 
Last edited:
AZ Jim said:
There's no law against spending your money on your pets........If you don't like others doing that...........................TOUGH!!!!
Click to expand...

Agreed. It's my money and the money of anyone else who takes care of their pets. I know vet care is expensive but I would give my pets the care needed if they would still have quality of life. A lot of people spend their money on all kinds of stuff they don't really need.
 
Dame Warrigal said:
Pet carriers? We carried the cats to the vet in pillow cases and carried a spare in case the cat shredded the first one. We walked or carried the dogs because we had no car. Mum prepared the animals food herself. She bought horse meat or kangaroo from the pet shop and served it raw to the cats and cooked it for the dogs.

My childhood was full of animals, ours and the neighbours. My walk to school involved patting every dog in every front yard as I passed buy. Even now when I go for a walk I can't help calling to every cat I see sunning itself, although they mostly ignore me.

I wonder whether there wouldn't be less angry kids causing trouble in neighbourhoods if they could have the same experiences of pets in their lives as I had.
Click to expand...


That's probably true. A close bond with animals helps humans.

And I do remember carrying cats to the vet in a pillowcase :nightmare: but it was hard on us AND the cats. Cats really can get used to carriers if you leave one in view all the time with the door open. The cat can go in and out at will and get used to it. Throw in a blanket with kitty's smells and it will comfort them. Feed them treats in there so they will associate the carrier with good things and not fear of the vet. It is definitely possible to change a cat's behaviour. Trips to the vet used to be horrible until I learned kitty relaxation techniques.
 
People are emotionally involved with their pets whereas mankind in general is an abstraction. Hence, the willingness to spend absorbent amounts on their pets at times...
 
They may be members of your family but they are not people, unless your people lick themselves...:D
 
Only two? I need treats regularly or I get depressed...:(
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top