Pets and responsability

[feren]

I was pointed by a friend to this entry in the LJ of my roommate cabbitattack. For the sake of time, I'll quote it below:

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WTF?
I get home from vacation and find that the cat hasn't been fed for /two days/. Can we say "animal cruelty" and "neglect"? Say them with me children... I swear. That cat's nothing more than a toy to him--an expensive and noisy toy. He doesn't deserve a pet.

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I wanted to follow up with a response in her journal, but it's set to allow replies from friends only -- since I'm not listed as a friend, I can't respond. Fair enough. So I'll paste the response I'd written here instead:

Is Ra noisy? Yes. Annoying at times? Most certainly, but most pets are little more than children in feather or fur suits, and children are by nature a bit frustrating. A toy? Not by any means. I would say that if Ra was only a toy to me I would not have dropped $1,800 in vet bills on him when he was sick last winter, and then gone through two months of hell with the steroids, antibiotics and Metachlopramide -- I would've simply had the vet put him down.

Comments

Re: Another neglectful owner here

[feren.livejournal.com]

I should also clarify one other point, because a lot of people don't know this: Ra's diet requires that his food be metered out in specific doses each day. If he's left too much food in his bowl he gorges himself and then he throws up because he over-ate. Thus I couldn't just fill his bowl extra heaping full to tide him over for the day that nobody was home.

Re: Another neglectful owner here

[genet.livejournal.com]

He also has to be medicated 30 minutes before eating, correct?

Re: Another neglectful owner here

[feren.livejournal.com]

It's not necessary with the steroids that he's taking, but with the Metachlopromide it was. I just do it because it was habit while he was on the other meds: medicate, wait and then feed. I like to think that continuing this habit helps things because it serves to ensure that at least some of the medication gets into his system even if he does throw up that meal.