Cat needs to go the vet, but I am in bad financial situation?

My cat has a pinched nerve in her lower back and her skin twitches. I took her to the vet and now she does not show signs of pain like she did before, but its still twitching. She needs to go back to have this looked at again.

Heres the thing: any form of payment I could give them would most likely bounce. I have an appointment for Thursday because I figured I would be able to pay out of pocket with the tips I made from waitressing this week. I just started and for some reason they only scheduled me for the weekend. I am in major debt to the bank from bills and my parents have already stretched their bank accounts trying to help me recently.

I have no idea what to do! I want to just put this vet appointment off for another week til I get more money but my roommate is putting pressure on me to take her. I have no idea how much this is going to cost. I thought about asking my roommate, even though it is hugely embarrassing for me, but if its a lot, I don't want to be in debt to her. It will take while to pay her back and since she graduated and is leaving soon, so that complicates things.

Does anyone have any idea what I can do?

The Eco Guy2009-05-25T00:20:13Z

Favorite Answer

Yeah dude, you gotta call the vet. Most of those people are in that line of work because they care about the animals. Call or stop in and explain your situation, they should be able to help you out. If they can't help you out, keep calling vets.

If nothing else, suck it up and borrow the money. Just make sure you pay it back. I'll bet your cat doesn't care about where the cash comes from.

Another option is to put a post up on your local craigslist. There's always someone willing to help on those boards.

Good Luck!

Ravanne_12009-05-27T06:56:38Z

This is always a tough call to make, but your if your cat is showing visible signs of being in pain, that means she is in extreme distress. Cats don't normally show signs of discomfort, so any symptoms of pain should be taken very seriously.

I would call the vet to see what she would recommend and see if there are any arrangements that can be worked out. This may be something that can be handled over the phone since the vet has already seen your cat. If not, you do have some options. Speak to your vet and see if you can arrange for a payment plan to cover your visits - some vets may be reluctant because they have been badly stiffed in the past by clients that did not pay bills, but if you are a familiar client and have always paid in the past, she might be able to work out something for you. You can also apply for CareCredit, which allows you to basically take out a line of credit to cover medical expenses for your cat, sort of like a credit card. If none of these options are available for you, please ask other relatives and friends, or ask your employer for an advance on your wages. I'd say as a very last result, you can take out a short-term loan from one of the day-lending places, but be sure to pay it back quickly so you don't get sock with high interest fees.

The Penguins Bowtie2009-05-25T00:49:03Z

Okay, as harsh as this sounds: when you got your cat it went under your care and therefore you took on all of the responsibility of its mental, physical, and emotional well-being. In any case, you've got some options. The first would be to ask your roommate (or other friend) for some money - even tough it may be embarrassing and possibly put a strain on your relationship. A second and third option would be to take your cat to a veterinary hospital, and see if you can get a discount on your vet bill; this is because students and interns would be working on your cat (they will be supervised by real veterinarians, so don't worry), and the other option would be to take your cat to an animal shelter/humane society and see if you could get a discount there as well. A fourth option would be to take your cat to its regular, or any other, veterinarian and see if they could put you on a payment plan for your vet bill. A fifth, final, and quite outlandish option would be to write to The Ellen DeGeneres Show to see if Ellen could help you out; she has a love for animals and I believe she would be more than happy to help you out. If you were to write to Ellen, you should probably detail and highlight the urgency for the medical treatment of your cat, and the financial position you are currently in. Please note: I am unsure of the discounts and it would be best if you called ahead to check out if (or if not) they are available; this is because you would most likely have to sign over your pet to your local humane society in the case you could not pay the bill. At the moment, these are the only options that come to mind. I wish both you and your cat the best of luck. I hope all goes well.

Anonymous2016-10-04T13:31:25Z

a lot of issues going at here. when you consider that your cat had an teeth that became into undesirable sufficient it needed extraction, it is especially severe. With customary cleanings, many times you could keep away from having a teeth or gums get to that severe. additionally, a vet could advise something yet you do not could desire to settle for their judgment as very final. you have mentioned which you're able to need to get a 2d opinion and introduced him to a distinctive vet to make certain whether that vet had to assert. A cat's age isn't what a vet ought to decide a cat's potential to deal with anesthetic--a vet ought to take blood to make confident not the rest destructive is going on (another an infection or greater desirable white cells which point out some thing else may well be happening which will impact the cat's potential to deal with being sedated). And a vet does have the staggering to permit you or not enable you to be consisting of your puppy whilst it is positioned down--that's the vet's prerogative. There are not any odds to be made because of the fact in basic terms a vet could desire to make certain how usual wholesome your cat is and whether the guy vet felt safeguard approximately sedating your cat. some vets do in comparison to or won't sedate an older animal because of the fact there's a greater possibility the animal won't stay throughout the time of the sedation. some vets will take a wager because of the fact not something is confident, exceedingly if the animal is thoroughly wholesome. you could desire to sign a disclaimer (that for the duration of the experience that your puppy dies for the duration of sedation you will not carry the vet in charge) no count how previous or youthful your animals is. You had the staggering and ought to have used it to tell her "i bypass to get a 2d opinion in the previous identifying whether to euthanize him or not" in case you felt she became into being too hasty yet once you probably did not try this and basically went jointly along with her suggestion, then you gave her permissions to euthanized him. not each and every vet has the comparable skills or feels as confident approximately specific issues as others--that's the completed reason to get a 2d self sustaining opinion. One vet will possibly not elect to sedate an previous cat no count what; yet another vet could think of it is nicely worth a attempt because of the fact the cat is going to the two could desire to be sedated for dental care or the cat won't get any dental care and could probable go through and die from an infection. do not blame the vet. You had the staggering to tell her to not euthanize him.

Laurie2009-05-25T00:17:53Z

Ask the vets receptionist what the charges will be for a recheck. Tell her your situation and then ask if you can make a few payments. A recheck should not cost much. If your roommate is willing to help, then ask. Most vets have info about credit companies for pet payments. Also try calling cat rescue groups in your area and ask if they can help with the bill.

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