A reader writes:
How much is “too much” to spend on a cat? One of mine was diagnosed with diabetes. Just today I learned that human insulin isn’t working so I’m going to try cow insulin, which is $78 per bottle. I don’t feel like I should just let K’Ehleyr wither away and die. I think an organ transplant or chemotherapy would be crossing the line for a pet. But daily medecine? At what point is the cost too high? I’d really like some advice.
First, K’Ehleyr is a way cool name for a cat.
Second, here is the passage of the Catechism that is most relevant to the issue at hand:
2415 The seventh commandment enjoins respect for the integrity of creation. Animals, like plants and inanimate beings, are by nature destined for the common good of past, present, and future humanity. Use of the mineral, vegetable, and animal resources of the universe cannot be divorced from respect for moral imperatives. Man’s dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.
2416 Animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals.
2417 God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific experimentation on animals, if it remains within reasonable limits, is a morally acceptable practice since it contributes to caring for or saving human lives.
2418 It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery. One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons.
The above passage gestures toward the principle articulated elsewhere among Catholic theologians that animals are not the subject of “rights,” as humans are. As a result, they do not have a right to life or a right to medical care or other, similar rights. We should treat them with kindness, but the reasons for doing so have to do with respecting God’s handiwork and nurturing our own sense of compassion rather than respecting the rights of an animal.
There isn’t a hard-and-fast amount that is “too much” to spend on a cat or any other kind of pet. The amount that is appropriate depends on your means and the amount of benefit the cat brings to you and/or your family. If your means are very small then only a small amount of money would count as too much. If your means are large then a much larger amount of money would be needed before it was too much. Similarly, if the pet brings very little enjoyment to you and your family (e.g., a pet cricket the kids barely remember to feed) then less money would count as too much, while if it brings a great deal of enjoyment to you and your family (e.g., a playful puppy or kitten) then more money would be needed to count as too much.
When facing a situation where medical treatment will not cure an animal, several additional questions need to be asked:
1) Is the amount of care I/we have to give the animal on an ongoing basis (e.g., giving it a regular diabetes shot, if that is what they do with cats) going to take time away from other things of importance? Will it diminish the enjoyment we get from the pet? Will it pain and confuse the pet on a regular basis? How will it affect our relationship with the pet?
2) How much will this treatment really relieve the suffering of the pet? Will it only prolong the animal’s suffering or will it allow it to live in relative comfort?
3) Given the facts of the situation, which would be more compassionate to the animal and to the family: Allowing a period of protracted illness or putting the animal to sleep and getting it over quickly?
Ultimately, the determination of what should be done in a given situation is up to those who know the situation best, but I hope these considerations are of help in thinking it through.
How do you pronounce ‘K’Ehleyr’?
I have not had to face your dilemma yet, but with 2 dogs and a cat, I will be facing it sooner or later. When I do face it, I will strongly consider whether prolonging life would mean prolonging pain for the animal. It’s a tough decision, definitely pray for guidance.
N
“K’Ehleyr” is pronounced /kay-lar/. It’s the name of Lt. Worf’s first wife on Star Trek.
My recommendation is to prayerfully decide how much you are willing to spend on your pet’s health problem, and then make a firm resolve not to go beyond that amount.
Several years ago my family bought a puppy. We learned within the first year that it had a serious congenital problem that caused it to have seizures, but which could be treated by surgery. The surgery was going to cost about $1,000. We decided to spend the money, reasoning that since the puppy was only a year old, we were spending under $100 a year over the course of its expected lifespan (something we would have been willing to do to keep it healthy.)
The problem was that the surgery did not solve the problem completely, and we began taking it into emergency all-night vet centers once, twice and then more times. Emergency all-night vet centers are expensive places to get treatment.
Looking back on this experience, I wish that I had had the fortitude to say, after the first indication that the surgery had failed, “all right, we hoped for the best, and it failed. Now it is time to say goodbye to our puppy.” We ended up doing this far too late, investing too much additional money in a lost cause.