Romeo The Cat - Funny Cats with a Cause

How much would you spend on your pet?

While many pet owners know only too well that vet bills for their beloved cats and dogs can easily run into the hundreds and thousands, more than a few eyebrows raised at the news that a man in the UK had paid £300 (about $400) for a goldfish to have a groundbreaking operation to relieve its constipation.

The story takes on even more significance when you find out that this goldfish was not a beloved family pet, but instead was an ‘office goldfish’ which lived in a tank at the man’s place of work.

The unnamed man had noticed that the goldfish was struggling to pass solids and seemed to be in pain, so he consulted a vet to find out how the fish could be helped. When the vet quoted £300 (about $400) for the mini-operation, the man reportedly balked at the cost, but after thinking about it, he called the veterinary practice back to give them the go-ahead for the surgery.

Without the operation, the vet’s opinion was that the buildup of toxins would eventually have resulted in the death of the fish.

Toll Barn Veterinary Centre in North Walsham, Norfolk UK carried out the operation, which involved first mixing anesthetic with the fish’s water to prepare it for surgery. A tiny tube was used to pump water laced with more anesthetic into the fish’s mouth and a mini heart rate monitor was used throughout the procedure to ensure that the goldfish had a heartbeat and continued to breathe. A tiny scalpel was used to remove two blockages from the goldfish during the 50 minute operation, after which the vet used 3 stitches and waterproof skin glue to help aid healing when the goldfish was back in its tank swimming around.

Faye Bethel, a vet at Toll Barn Veterinary Centre, told local press that: “There was nothing special about the fish. He just liked it a lot. People love their pets – but that was an expensive little goldfish.”

Happily, the fish made a full recovery from its surgical adventures!

The things we do for love

This pet fish isn’t the only one to undergo surgery in recent times. A pet goldfish named George in Australia underwent an operation to remove a tumor from its head. Using a similar process used for the UK fish, the antipodean patient underwent a delicate operation to cut away the tumor and seal the wound.

The procedure, this time costing approximately AUD $200 (£100 or $140 USD), was also considered successful, with the goldfish now expected to live for several more years.

While it’s probably true that most goldfish owners would draw the line at an expensive operation to save the inhabitant of their fish tank, you might be surprised at the lengths some people will go in order to give their pets a second chance or improve their quality of life.

In another UK-based survey, 86% of owners say they consider their pet as part of the family and are happy to pay high vet bills. A couple from Rotherham, Yorkshire UK racked up vet bills for £24,000 ($33,600 USD) since they brought home a German Shepherd puppy several months ago. The couple sold their car, canceled vacation and even decided to forgo Christmas gifts to pay for the four operations the pup has needed thus far.

When asked if it was all worth it, the pup’s owner, Miss Mitchell said, “A lot of my friends say they would have had him put down, but I could never have done that. It’s cost us a lot, but he’s worth every penny.”

This pup is still less than a year old, so could potentially have another 12+ years of costly veterinary treatment ahead of him thanks to his rare genetic condition. Thankfully for his owners, their vet is allowing them to pay off the current bill in monthly installments.

Our pets cost more than you might think

We’ve seen some extreme examples of the lengths (and costs) that owners are prepared to go to in order to save the lives of their pets, but even fairly routine costs can take owners by surprise sometimes. A UK-based survey of pet owners in 2015 found that on average, dog owners spend approximately £427 (or nearly $600.00 USD) a year on unexpected costs, including everything from vet trips to stays in kennels or catering for dietary conditions, which require specialty food.

You may think that cat owners get off more lightly, but the survey showed that wasn’t necessarily the case, with the average owner spending £322 (or about $450 USD) a year on things they hadn’t budgeted for when they got their kitty, including vet bills, pet stting and money owners have spent on replacing things around the home which the cat has damaged, such as carpets, rugs, wallpaper and electronics which have been nibbled or smashed.

Millions of people in the UK find that owning and sharing their life with pets is hugely rewarding, but anyone going into pet ownership without looking at the potential costs involved could be in for a surprise.

This post is sponsored by petMD and ARM & HAMMER™ Clump & Seal™, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about The petMD Cat Care Center, but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. ARM & HAMMER™ Clump & Seal™ and petMD are not responsible for the content of this article.

Guest post by the Staff.

The last thing you want someone to notice when they walk in your home is the smell of a litter box. Heck, the last thing I want to notice when I walk into my own home is litter box smell! Fortunately with a bit of diligence and a few tricks, you can keep that odor at bay!

While a little air freshener or pretty candles might help short term, they aren’t going to solve your problem. You need to get to the source.

There are a couple of key places to focus on when ensuring the litter box smell stays in check.

The Litter Box

According to petMD the most important aspect is to keep the cat litter box fastidiously clean. Seriously. It’s not that hard to scoop a few times a day. Plus, the more frequently you check the box the less work it becomes each time.

And, by the way, your cat will appreciate it. Nothing will send your cat peeing or pooping elsewhere than an overflowing dirty litter box. Can you blame him?

Scoop the litter boxes at least once a day and I recommend more. And, of course, get the waste out of your house!

Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of the litter box. Many people swear by this method to help minimize odors.

Change the kitty litter frequently. Experts’ recommendations vary but I think it’s optimal to change it completely a couple of times a month to really keep odors under control. Also, each time you change the litter, wash out the box with mild soap and water.

Choose an odor fighting litter like lightweight ARM & HAMMER™ Clump & Seal™. There’s a unique technology that forms a tight seal around odor and destroys it with powerful odor eliminators and ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda. Get a $2 off coupon here.

Also, replace boxes completely once a year, or more frequently. No matter how well you wash them, over time, plastic boxes can trap bacteria and begin to smell.

Check out these DIY litter box area fresheners from petMD.

Outside the Litter Box

You may not realize your cat is choosing somewhere other than the litter box to do his business until you stumble upon a favorite pee spot behind the couch, for example.

There are a few reasons a cat might poop or pee outside his box. First, take him to the vet. There are a number of medical issues that could be the cause.

A dirty litter box might be the cause. Or, your cat might not like the litter, the depth of litter. The box might be too small. Check out petMD’s resource center for additional reasons your cat might be avoiding the litter box.

Do a check of your carpets, walls and furniture to make sure your cat has not been marking them or using them as his personal potty. Then, use an enzymatic cleaner to clean. If he keeps going there after you’ve cleaned, you may have no choice but to pitch the items. Cats can smell their own scent better than we can so even if you don’t smell it, your cat might still think, “here’s where I go pee!” Focus your attention on the cat litter box, stay on top of it and make it a daily habit and you and your cat will be much happier!

Today I’m thinking about how humans are always trying to change other people. And that’s a shame.

We all bring something different to the table and embracing these differences, new ideas, and ways of doing things can benefit everyone involved.

I’m a cat who doesn’t like to be held. The staff is a very cuddly human and she likes to hold cats. This was a problem all those years ago when I first came to live here. She’d try to hold me and I’d try to get away. It seemed we were at an impasse on the cuddling front.

But fortunately, my staff was smart enough to know I wasn’t going to change and suddenly enjoy being carried around like a baby, so she stopped picking me up all the time and gave me the opportunity to show her my way of doing things.

Once she stopped, she says she realized that I am a cuddler….but in my own way. I like to sit next to her, pressed up against the side of her. That’s my way of being close and now she likes it better because we can sit there for hours, all snuggled up together, without anyone’s arms getting tired.

We are all a compilation of our experiences and history and personalities. Each of us is beautiful and wonderful and unique and we offer different viewpoints on how things can be done.

Don’t try to change others. Accept who they are and their lovely unique selves and you just might discover a more cuddly way of life.