WHAT INSPIRES ME
When difficult situations arise, I am often saddened, surprised, and shocked by some people, and "friends" recommendations.
I have been told many times things like:
"It is too much money for the operation of an animal; why don't you just put it to sleep?"
My answer:
- "What is your worry? You are not going to pay for it, nor take care of it."
-"It's too old now, requires too much attention, money, and work. It's better to put it down."
My answer:
- "I hope you never have a caregiver like yourself if you have the fortune to become an elder needing support, company, and love in the last period of your life."
I won't share more of the many things I have heard from people, but it seems to be the standard norm for people to dispose of animals like the stuff they buy at stores when they don't need it anymore. Some even just throw them in the garbage like the many kittens I have rescued alive inside plastic bags tied with a knot.
For me, when a life is hanging by a thread, money has no value. I will spend whatever is necessary.
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Some emergencies are acute and difficult, but euthanasia is the last option that comes to mind. Don't get me wrong, I know there are some cases where the only humane option is to put them to sleep. Fortunately, I have not yet been cornered into facing such a decision.
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I am a pro-life fighter, always ready to do whatever is necessary. I don't care if it means sacrificing my time, sleep, and resources, or tightening my personal and home budget to address the emergency. I am profoundly at peace knowing that I will fight till the end and that today many are alive and happy thanks to that.
I'm frequently told that I'm crazy, well yes, I love to be crazy like this!
TWO EXAMPLES
The number of veterinarian stories I've accumulated over three decades could fill a book.
I'll share just two recent ones to give you an idea.
Agata
A female cat who was attacked by a huge dog. I was able to intervene before the dog killed her, but she sustained numerous wounds, the worst being a bite to her head that resulted in her jaw-breaking into three pieces. Many people suggested that the investment in her operation and recovery was too much and that it would be better to put her to sleep.
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Instead, I took her to an animal orthopedist for a complex eight-hour surgery. Two titanium belts, five screws, and a nail were needed to rebuild her jaw. The space involved was minuscule, akin to fine jewelry work. Agata was blessed to receive support funds from friends to cover her operation, which was completely beyond my budget at the time.
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Today, she is a happy cat. I promise you, she knows what happened and is incredibly thankful. The love this creature gives back is priceless.
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Here are some pictures of the procedure:
Before the operation
After the operation
During the operation
Ready to continue living
Bako
A male kitten was found at a construction site. We don't know what happened to him, but something smashed one of his front paws, deforming it. This led to a visit to the animal orthopedist.
The initial idea was to see if it was possible to break the bones that had fused incorrectly, causing the deformity, to correct the position, and install an external titanium structure to hold the bones in place until they fused properly, Then, the metal structure would be removed.
After further examination, it was determined that titanium plates inside the paw would be required. Unfortunately, such minuscule titanium pieces, for kitten miniature finger bones do not exist, so we were unable to proceed.
Luckily, this deformity didn't threaten his life. However, by the time he became an adult, attempting to fix it would likely cause more harm than good, as the paw would already be atrophied. So, he was given the best care possible, but we could not fix the deformity.
Despite the compromised movement in that paw, Bako doesn't seem to be bothered. It doesn't cause him pain, and having lived with it practically his entire life, he considers it normal.
We tried to fix it
He is a happy cat any way