Cats and Cash

Nov. 17: What is the hardest lesson you’ve learned from having pets?

I know today’s prompt asked for only one, but I feel like these two lessons are tied together.

1.  They are expensive

I know owning a pet can be very rewarding, but I become frustrated when I see friends who are struggling financially that get dogs or cats. It may not seem like much of a financial commitment at first, but trust me when I say that over time, pet ownership will hit your wallet. It’s a lot more than food, baths, and going for walks. If you are already in a bad way when it comes to money and your animal becomes sick or injured, you may find yourself putting procedures and vet visits on credit because…

2.  You love them in a BIG way

It sounds cliché, but they become part of your family. You care for them and they return your attention and affection. If you take good care of a healthy animal, they can live for a very long time, thus solidifying their position in your household. It’s that love we have for our pets that makes it so devastating when we eventually lose them.

My Covey

I know because I had found little black cat wandering around a concert venue in Brooklyn that the Mister was djing at. I had bottle service with vodka, so a lot of things sounded like a good idea. Next thing I knew I was traveling back to NJ with a kitty in my lap. With my level of inebriation, I'm glad that was the worst of my plans that evening. I named him after the band and Covey joined our little family.

He was a sweet and loving cat, it always pained me to think of how good of a cat he was and how most of his life was spent not being taken care the way he really deserved. Unfortunately, he was also incredibly sick. Which is not something you know when bringing in an animal from the street (while drunk). He had fleas that had drained him to the point of anemia, a tooth that was infected and had to be pulled, and FIV. The FIV made his quality of life very poor toward the end and caring for him became incredibly expensive.

That little kitty was a pleasure to have in our home, but our experience stands as cautionary tale to others. You just don't know what is going to happen with your pets and because we love them so damn much, we open open our hearts (and our wallets) to meet their needs.

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