Today, I paid $325 to have the vet tell me that my 19-year-old cat ISN'T dying, she just had anxiety shits because we were gone on vacation for so long. FML
Collection
Fall
Dead leaves, the first cold of the season and an umbrella flipped inside out: fall, the season of grace.
Today, I found out after $200 worth of checks and tests, three rugs being ruined from her peeing and pooping on them, that my cat isn't sick. She just has really bad separation anxiety. FML
Today, I dropped $1600 at the emergency vet because I thought my 14 year-old cat was constipated or obstructed. He was neither. He just had lots of gas in his intestines. I paid $1600 to find out my cat needed to fart. FML
Today, I had to put my cat to sleep after she was in an accident. While I was crying hysterically, the vet asked me for $230. FML
Today, I was nervous about taking my cat to the vet for a UTI, because money’s a little tight. Turns out the antibiotics weren’t that expensive, but he wants at least $1,000 for dental surgery she apparently “needs.” FML
Today, after seeing my cat struggle to use the litterbox and produce nothing for two days, I caved and took him to the emergency vet, fearing a UTI. It wasn't. $200 and 2 Lyft rides later, he's stoned out of his mind and peeing just fine. FML
Today, my cat was hit by a car. I took it to the vet expecting the worst but they told me that she’d be fine. I was so happy I didn't even mind paying the $50 bill. The next morning my cat was dead. Having her put down humanely would have cost $45, I paid $5 extra to have her die in my kitchen. FML
Today, I took my cat to the vet for an x-ray. They found three dollar coins in his stomach. The surgery to remove them is $600. FML
Today, I'm sitting at the vet's office while they run expensive tests on my cat. This is to make sure he doesn't have a bowel obstruction from eating the condom that my partner and I used last night. FML
Today, I paid $70 to learn from the vet that my cat doesn't have a UTI, he's just developed a fetish for peeing on plastic bags. FML
Today, I had to explain to my boss that the reason I was sobbing hysterically as she told me that I was getting a pay raise was because I was going to the vet to have my sick and dying cat put down. Good news at a bad time. FML
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Top comments
electrorange 13
After 19 years, I would assume you know how your cat works.
OhWhoCares 42
Vets are ridiculously expensive, but at least your kitty is healthy :)
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Comments (74)
mrszzz 4
Would it have been more worth your money (and so less of an FML) to pay 325 and find something wrong with the cat?
Lepisma 38
Based on the places I've worked and what the vets I've worked with would likely recommend based on symptoms (diarrhea - possibly with blood, possibly inappetence and/or vomiting and/or lethargy)... Exam (doctor's time and legally required in order to prescribe medications): $40-50 Parasite check (because of diarrhea): $15 Inspection of gut flora/secondary parasite check: $15-20 Chemistry panel (make sure the cat isn't in renal or hepatic failure - vomiting/inappetence): $60-100 CBC (infection, etc): $60-100 Pancreatitis check (vomiting, inappetence, diarrhea, lots of symptoms): $50 Medications: $50-100 (possibly more or less depending on how severe the symptoms are) Yeah, it sounds like a lot, but you get a lot for your money. I've spent more than that for my human-doctor to put 2 drops in my eye, hem and haw at it for a minute, tell me I had a corneal scratch (which I already knew and told them), and slap a piece of gauze and tape over the eye. It probably cost the doctor's office $5 in supplies +10 minutes of time. Having been in the field for some years, I can guess that most of those items above probably cost the vet half or more of what they charged. The markup isn't as "crazy" as you think, and it sure as heck isn't as crazy as it is on the human side of things - yet people don't seem to think much on it when it costs them 100 times as much for literally the same item.
JBrownie123 24
I want to know how long you were on holiday for.
thespiantess 18
I once went on vacation for a week and, when I came home, my cat didn't meow. She just opened her mouth like she was meowing, but no sound came out. I was really worried, so I took her to the vet as well... When we got there she started meowing like nothin ever happened. The vet told me they do this as a sort of 'emotional blackmail', because she was alone for so long. Damn kitties.
doodlecloud 27
Haha, this is just how my oldest cat meows most of the time now. It's really bizarre to watch. But I'm sure if we put her in the cage for the vet she'd howl the house down...no-one likes the vet
showmeyourears 19
My sister's cat does this also. He's vocal to the point where I can have an entire conversation of meows with him. I always figured that when no sound comes out, that's his way of whispering.
sailorarctic 22
I had a cat that did that, but she did it since birth. We came to find out that she was deaf and her silent meows were because since she couldn't hear herself or the other cats so she never learned how to make the sound come out when she opened her mouth she was just mimicing the mouth movements she had seen the other cats do.
Brandi_Faith 34
50, that is so cute!
worldclassrager 41
Veterinary prices are just a bit high I think...I mean if what they are going to tell you is basically that nothing is wrong at least return part of the payment...enjoy the time with your cat she's getting up there
gennyv 29
At least it isn't dying.
liu_meng 4
old cat always hates travels
MSbear456 5
Forget that fact that you wasted $325, your cat is almost 20 years old. That's older than me!!!!! You should happy that your extremely old cat is perfectly healthy.
skyeyez9 25
The $325 was probably for complete blood work, physical, maybe an x ray. My dog had a full bloodwork done before surgery and I think it was $80? Plus the surgery was $880.
pere 11
It may seem overtly expensive but that's because few people understand the kind of overhead at a veterinary clinic. Each price of the various tests has to take into account the cost of the product, the cost of the vet's time, the cost of the technician's time, etc. In actuality, there is very little net profit for each service rendered. (I didn't even understand all of what went into the prices it until I was in veterinary school! It's kind of mind-blowing how much goes into calculating the charges, really). But as many keen people have mentioned, that total bill cost probably included multiple tests and diagnostic work-up. If a client thinks their pet is "dying," the vet will need to run tests based on the major complaint offered by the owner and based on their physical exam. The cat very well could have had something wrong, but, thanks to the work-up, you now can rest assured that it was just anxiety and can hopefully enjoy your cat's company for years to come :)