If your cat was dying, would you go on vacation? :-(

[Marigold2]

Is this a vacation that is paid for and cannot be refunded? If you have dished out $5000.00 for a holiday that you have perhaps waited years to take one has to enter this into the thought process.
If this sweet kitty is in pain or unhappy perhaps it is time for her to go to the Rainbow Bridge.
There are just so many different variables here. If my kitty was sick I would stay home, if kitty was dying I would have her put to sleep.
I would not forfit a $5000.00 vacation for a dying kitty.
I hope that does not sound horrible.
I love animals so................ but I am very practical as well.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

My very old dog took a turn for the worse a few days before I was going on vacation for 2 weeks. Since she was already on medications for all of her ailments and nothing else could have been done, I helped her across the bridge the day before I left. I kept her as comfortable as possible for another day until everyone who knew her could say their goodbyes. She crossed the bridge after being given fond farewells from her loved ones and I left for Florida knowing her tired old body was peacefully residing in my parents' back yard.

If she hadn't gotten worse, my parents were going to keep her at their house. But since she got to the point where she didn't have the strength to get up any more, I was not going to make my poor mother carry a 40-pound elkhound outside several times a day.

So I guess you could say I was going to leave an old dog in declining health behind, but once I saw she was definitely getting weaker with little hope of improvement, I decided not to prolong her life.

Was that selfish of me? She wasn't necessarily dying but I guess you might could say I had her PTS just so I could go on vacation and not have to burden my parents with my ailing pet.

[mrspunkysmom]

I was faced with a similar situation several years back. My mom's Scottie Fala was so sick, she had to carry her out to potty or just change her sheets several times a day. Mom had to go on vacation that was already paid for and had asked me to pet-sit Fala and the cats.

I knew that when I got in and after she had left, I would take the poor dog to be PTS. I fully expected her to not talk to me for years, but the dog was miserable. But I did not tell her this. Anyway, she had already had Fala PTS when I arrived the day before her departure. She had difficulty with the concept of mercy and euthanasia; it's a Catholic thing. Anyway, her excuse was that she couldn't leave that for me and that Fala was her responsibility.

I think that vacations can be refunded or rescheduled for the death of a close family member, esp if you have insurance. Sadly a family pet probably does not count as a family member.

[Kirsten]

I understand that there are many things to consider when the trip is already paid, and cannot be refunded, or if it's something you've been planning for years.

But this is just a visit with some relatives of her sons' dad (her ex). Nothing was booked, nothing paid for; and it's not that she hasn't seen these people for a long time, she already met them at Easter, which is not too long ago. There would have been absolutely no problem to cancel - or postpone - the trip.

[Cataholic]

I was faced with a similar situation several years back. My mom's Scottie Fala was so sick, she had to carry her out to potty or just change her sheets several times a day. Mom had to go on vacation that was already paid for and had asked me to pet-sit Fala and the cats.

I knew that when I got in and after she had left, I would take the poor dog to be PTS. I fully expected her to not talk to me for years, but the dog was miserable. But I did not tell her this.

I am glad to see that you did not have any input here. I could never express in words the absolute fury I would feel if someone ever did something like this to me.