My first little cat, the illustrious Magnum Opus, reached out his tiny paw from his cage at the SPCA in Montreal, and grabbed my jacket.
I guess you could say he chose me.
A little beige kitten, he was the cutest creature I had ever seen.
I was looking for a cat to call my own.
The year was 1985, and I was 23 years old.
I had just visited my relatives in England, and gone to see the play "Cats" in London.
It was a sign.
I came home and immediately started looking for a feline companion.
Having only had mice, fish, a lizard and a toad as pets when I was a child, he would be my first big responsibility as an adult pet owner.
He would need a litter box, food, a bed, and lots of attention.
I was ready.
I bought him for a grand total of $25. And that included bringing him back to be neutered when he was six months old.
I can't remember if that was a lot of money at the time.
But today, that won't even buy a bag of high end cat food.
I took Magnum Opus, named so because he was a "great work" of nature, to the vet on a regular basis.
He came on road trips with me. I walked him on a leash, clipped his nails, cleaned his litter box, gave him his favourite foods.
I regularly took him to the vet for his annual checkup and shots.
That is just what a responsible pet owner did.
He died when he was 13 years old.
Not a very long life for a cat, despite all those years of vaccinations and checkups.
Since then, a dog, birds, more fish, several other cats and even horses have entered the picture.
And all of a sudden it seems, a trip to the vet has become extremely expensive.
Prohibitively so.
So expensive that I have spoken with people who have had to choose to give their pets up or to let their pets die, because they can't afford the treatment.
And I ask you, what is the world coming to?
When did pets become a luxury?
They are an essential service!
A right, not a privilege!
All of a sudden, I realized a trip to the vet for bloodwork and x-rays and a "wellness exam" was costing hundreds of dollars.
A visit to the vet a couple of summers ago with our then 12-year old cat Chester required a two-night stay complete with intravenous as he was dehydrated, among other things.
That bill? A whopping $1900!
Most recently, that same Chester, now 14, became constipated.
Of course it was a Saturday morning.
His regular vet was only open until 1, and the receptionist said they didn't have the time or the staff to deal with a constipated cat. I should take him to the emergency clinic.
There are surprisingly few vets open on a Saturday.
I did find one however that was not only taking new patients, but had an available appointment that morning at 10:45.
Several x-rays found Chester was indeed backed up severely.
Some bloodwork was also performed, but I declined a urinalysis, not seeing what it had to do with anything.
A sedative, an enema, and a manual extraction saved Chester's life, I am sure of it.
The cost for that procedure? A princely $1700!
The least costly part of that whole event was the 10-minute manual extraction: $45.
Yes, having a pet is becoming a status symbol. You have a dog? You must be RICH!
Long gone are the days of adopting an animal in need through the SPCA or other agencies at a reasonable price.
You are now shelling out HUNDREDS of dollars.
I understand they want the animals to go to reliable homes, with people who care, of course.
And forget the breeders. You will part ways with THOUSANDS of dollars for any purebred puppy-milled creature with no guarantee that it will make it to its first decade.
Yes indeed, one has to be rich these days to have a pet.
A creature that only contributes positively to one's well being, health and welfare.
In recent years there has been an increase in the number of companies offering of pet insurance.
Pay a monthly amount and your pet MAY be covered for any vet visit or emergency.
I researched pet insurance for our two senior cats, and learned that for a mere $70 per month, plus a veterinary visit and x-rays and bloodwork to make sure there are no pre-existing conditions, and given the fact they are both over the age of 8, there was absolutely no guarantee they would be covered for anything, leaving any reimbursement for me out the window.
It all seems to be a bit of a hornswoggle.
I think extortion may be a better word for it.
It is less costly to have a horse at a barn where the large animal vet will drive all the way out to see you with his truck and portable "hospital on wheels" to help a thousand pound animal, than it is to take your teeny tiny cat into a vet office for an examination.
I think our emotions are being hijacked.
Our feelings are being milked for all they are worth.
And it is unfair.
Yes I realize there are bills to pay and staff as well and lights to keep on and rent to keep a roof over the office and expensive x-ray machines and high end technological advances in the world of veterinary medicine.
But to extort those costs from people who are heartbreakingly worried about their sick animal, and who may or may not have the ability and wherewithall to pay those invoices, is cruel.
It is, by extent, animal cruelty as well.
Some veterinarians are now offering health plans; perhaps that is a polite way of saying they will take installment payments.
I know we all need to put a roof over our own heads, food on the table and gas in the car, and all of those necessities are becoming increasingly expensive, thanks to inflation and post-pandemic supply chain issues.
But to now add insult to injury and force us to choose between having a pet or not is unjust.
I understand not everyone is a pet person; but many of us are.
I cannot imagine a life or a home without a pet or two in it.
And I don't think people should be forced to make the heartrending choice to not have a pet because of extraordinarily expensive veterinary costs.
Please, College of Veterinarians of Ontario, do something.
This is a crisis.