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Cat Forum / General Topics / January 2004Strange story...opinions please
Hello everyone, I am posting this here because I am totally stunned, and distraught and in need of some input from fellow animal(cat) lovers. I brought my 6 year old tabby in to the vet on December 17th because she was not eating and vomitting up bile, and was basically lethargic. after about 5 days at the vets office he told me she was a very sick cat and her blood work as well as US revealed kidney and liver problems. He stated that she was not reponding to antibiotics, or IV fluids, and wanted to continue with more tests. At this point my husband and I decided to have her put to sleep. Our bill was already escalating, and there was no improvement. Let me just stress that this was an EXTREMELY difficult decision to make. Our four kids were also extremely attached to her, most of all our six year old daughter. It has been five weeks now and my daughter is still crying over her death. Anyway we adopted our kitty from the humane society at 10 weeks, where she was microchiped before leaving. Well yesterday I received a call from the humane society saying that they had my cat there! I explained the situation, and she asked me to describe our cat. After describing her I was asked to come in right away. When I arrived I was shocked at what I saw, it was my cat Abby! Supposedly some woman dumped her off along with two other cats. The woman claimed she had been given to her by a friend. Her belly was shaved and her leg. The woman said that the cat was vomitting so she brought her to the vet, where all testes came back negative. I have been an emotional wreck for the past 24 hours. I mean we have all been grieving her passing. We even set up a memorial with a picture I had taken of Abby and lit candles around it daily. Anyway I went in today and brought her home, the hardest part was trying to explain to our kids that she was not actually dead, that the vet lied! What do you all think of this? I am stunned. I tried calling the vet but his answering service refuses to call him, they say this is not an emergency. I cant for the life of me figure this one out. What do you all think? AJ You never said whether or not you were in the room when they put the cat to sleep but judging by your story it sounds like that is a bit fat negative. It is disgusting a vet would put you through this and he had no right to give your cat away. I would contact a lawyer and sue this vet. I'd also make sure the Medical or Veterinary board that oversees licensing or the practice of medicine in your state knows about this vet. Hopefully they can yank his licensing because if he did this to you then he has probably done it to others. I'd also check with the Better Business Bureau to find out what complaints have been filed against this vet in your state. I'd also find a new and more reputable vet and have your cat checked out. Just like a new cat I would have them check for the typicals like FELV, FIV, etc. Since he was given to some woman (probably by your soon to be ex-vet) she may have encounted cats with the disease. As for the mourning, you can at least now start to heal knowing that you have gotten your beloved feline back. You can now celebrate her life and hopefully take the necessary legal action against this vet. Good luck and congrats on getting your cat back.  SignaturePanther TEK: Staying On Top Of All Your Computer Needs! www.members.cox.net/catprotector/panthertek Cat Galaxy: All Cats, All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com > Hello everyone, I am posting this here because I am totally stunned, > and distraught and in need of some input from fellow animal(cat) [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > > AJ >What do you all think of this? I am stunned. I tried calling the vet >but his answering service refuses to call him, they say this is not an >emergency. >I cant for the life of me figure this one out. >What do you all think? A very strange story indeed. I wouldn't jump to conclusions yet. Wait until your vet's regular office hours and call him, or try and confront him in person, and ask him how this could have happened. Perhaps, he is aligned with some sort of rescue service which does not believe in euthanasia, and allows the cats to live out their lives . . . not that that is ok. It was your decision. One problem still exists as far as I can see. Your cat is still very sick and unlikely to get any better, so you may have to go through the whole mourning thing again. If it looks as if this is anything other than a strange mistake, I would consider suing for fraud and the resulting emotional distress. I am eager to see how this plays out. Please let us know. I wouldn't believe what this vet would say. There is no excuse for what he did and I'd be not only getting money back from this vet for his lack of service and of course making sure his license got taken away. I'd bring in a lawyer as well to help with a lawsuit. I hardly think this vet would be aligned with a rescue group since he went behind the cat's humans to do this. Luckily the cat was microchipped or her humans would not have discovered this. God knows how many cats this vet has farmed off to labs or other people. Stopping him now from doing this to others would be a good thing to do. The public needs to also know about vets like this one so they can avoid them. SignaturePanther TEK: Staying On Top Of All Your Computer Needs! www.members.cox.net/catprotector/panthertek Cat Galaxy: All Cats, All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com > A very strange story indeed. I wouldn't jump to conclusions yet. Wait until > your vet's regular office hours and call him, or try and confront him in [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > consider suing for fraud and the resulting emotional distress. I am eager to > see how this plays out. Please let us know. To answer your question, no I was not there when she was put to sleep. I was with my golden retriever when we put him to sleep, and it was just awful, and I just could not be there. I said my goodbyes ahead of time and my husband signed the consent. This is so strange, I cant even begin to describe what I am feeling now, and I cant imagine my little girl having to deal with the death of her cat again, but looking at our little Abby laying there in a cage at the humane society was just heart breaking, I had to bring her home. Oh boy I am totally confused. AJ Well, as stated earlier. I would bring legal action against the vet, press to have his medical or veterinary license revoked, have him refund your money, and of course never go back to him again. SignaturePanther TEK: Staying On Top Of All Your Computer Needs! www.members.cox.net/catprotector/panthertek Cat Galaxy: All Cats, All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com > To answer your question, no I was not there when she was put to sleep. > I was with my golden retriever when we put him to sleep, and it was [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > AJ > Well, as stated earlier. I would bring legal action against the vet, press > to have his medical or veterinary license revoked, have him refund your > money, and of course never go back to him again. and slap him around several times. LT Well I paid the vet a visit this morning. Let me tell you he was suprised to see me! Here is his explanation. I authorized the euthinization (SP?) on Friday. He claims that by Saturday Abby started getting better and he felt that she had a fighting chance. He said that he tried to call me on Saturday but got my machine, but then the weekend got away from him and by Monday he figured it was too late to call me and tell me since I would have been grieving already. So he claims he then handed the cat over to his technician with strict orders to watch the cat and if she started getting worse again to bring the cat back to him. Well he then brought the tech in. She says she was moving so she gave my cat along with her two others to a friend. Apparently the friends boyfriend was angry and bullied her into bringing the cats in to the humane society. I have a feeling that the tech and the techs friend are one in the same because I called the humane society and described the tech, and they said she fits the description of the girl that dropped the cats off! The vet was practically on his hands and knees begging my forgiveness. He said he will do anything I want to rectify the situation, he was on the verge of tears. He said he was only trying to save her life because he felt she had a fighting chance. He first offered to euthenize her for me again, I told him there was no way I could make this decision yet again then he agreed to wipe out all of our current bills, and send her to a specialist in the next big city and pay all of her bills. I am even more confused now and not sure what to do. I mean it was not his call to make! I just pray that by some miracle my kitty recovers and this will all be a bad dream. AJ I somehow wouldn't buy this explaination. A truly caring vet would have left a message if they got your machine. He also would not hand the cat over to a vet tech to watch over especially at home. The cat also would not have ended up at the Humane Society which in turn contacted you. Get in touch with a lawyer and begin the proceedings of a lawsuit against this vet. Also contact the board which oversees medical or veterinary practices in your state so they can have this vets license revoked. I do hope you had a witness when you went to the vet? This way when their is a court case there is a witness who support everything the vet told you. As stated before also get this cat to a new more reputable vet. SignaturePanther TEK: Staying On Top Of All Your Computer Needs! www.members.cox.net/catprotector/panthertek Cat Galaxy: All Cats, All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com > Well I paid the vet a visit this morning. Let me tell you he was > suprised to see me! Here is his explanation. [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > be a bad dream. > AJ >He said that he tried to call me on Saturday but got >my machine, but then the weekend got away from him and by Monday he I'm following this on the other boards and have responded to them as well. Another thing just got me. This guy is lying through his teeth. He got your machine?????? Where is your message,"hello, this is the vet, your kitty may be getting better, so this is what I did, please contact me on Monday?" WoW what a sad story with a ( maybe ) happy ending....;) I kinda believe the vet...heres why: I cant figure any reason why he would lie. I think ( if he is telling the truth)...that he plum forgot to call you...after he handed the cat over to the irresponsible tech, my vet gives his tech responsibilty like shes a vet i think that is wrong!!! but...maybe he thought abby would be safe and warm in her home...plus he may have been really busy and forgot to check up on abby and forgot to call you... and that is NOT very professional for a vet. and no excuse!!! but i do kinda believe him!...hes just not admitting that he forgot about it! The Tech needs fired on the spot if not sued! I know a vet who wont hesitate to put a healthy animal down...maybe this vet really does think of the animal...;) I am just hoping and praying that abby is Ok.....WoW, if she is ok, this sure is a great story..... let us know.....;) How can you possibly believe a vet who probably misdiagnosed the cat's condition and health, then puts the feline's humans through hell where suddenly the cat ends up at the Humane Society. Luckily, the shelter contacted the cats humans because of a microchip scan so and they could discover what really happened. The original OP stated that they confronted the vet who seem to not be too happy and nervous to see them. Apparently the vet felt his part in the crime was exposed. I don't find your theory of belief plausable. No vet I know would allow any animal brought in there by the obvious human parents to be taken home by one of the workers. The OP stated that because of the diagnosis and symptoms euthanasia was chosen to allow the cat to go painlessly. I agree that nobody should sign for an animal to be put to sleep without being there with them. Of course, according to the OP, this vet most likely misdiagnosed the entire thing, misled the cat's humans and thus the cat ended up in the hands of a stranger and then the shelter. It seems to me a vet with a good rep would have informed the cat was savable and could be cured. Instead this vet simply took the cat and gave her to someone else. You state the tech should be fired? The vet is responsible for this blunder and I hope he is sued and his license to practice revoked. It was a good thing the shelter called the cat's humans or they never would have known she was alive and well. Who knows how many other animals this vet has put in the same situation? This vet's actions are inexcusable. SignaturePanther TEK: Staying On Top Of All Your Computer Needs! www.members.cox.net/catprotector/panthertek Cat Galaxy: All Cats, All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com WoW what a sad story with a ( maybe ) happy ending....;) I kinda believe the vet...heres why: I cant figure any reason why he would lie. I think ( if he is telling the truth)...that he plum forgot to call you...after he handed the cat over to the irresponsible tech, ''my vet gives his tech responsibilty like shes a vet'' i think that is wrong!!! but...maybe he thought abby would be safe and warm in her home...plus he may have been really busy and forgot to check up on abby and forgot to call you... and that is NOT very professional for a vet. and no excuse!!! but i do kinda believe him!...hes just not admitting that he forgot about it! The Tech needs fired on the spot if not sued! I know a vet who wont hesitate to put a healthy animal down...maybe this vet really does think of the animal...;) I am just hoping and praying that abby is Ok.....WoW, if she is ok, this sure is a great story..... let us know.....;) Reminds me of the doctor in England who was killing off his patients. Too bad he hung himself; He should have rotted. Anyway I do hope you all weather this ok. It's obviously going to take a while so hang in. Bill > Hello everyone, I am posting this here because I am totally stunned, > and distraught and in need of some input from fellow animal(cat) [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > > AJ Darnit, I read some of these messages after I returned from the vet. I did'nt have anyone there with me. One of the hardest things about this is I feel totally betrayed by a man I really liked, and trusted. He had always been good to my pets and had taken great care of them. How could he even have thought about facing me again? And beleive it or not I feel sorry for him. I do believe he only wanted to save my cat, but he made some bad choices thats for sure. This is going to be a tough call for me to make. I consider myself to be an extremely compassionate person, and I am always willing to give others the benefit of the doubt, but this was just beyond cruel. My eyes are puffy and red from crying so much for days, and all I can do is stare at the walls and go through the motions during the day. I am completely numb.....I am trying to feel grateful that I have Abby back, but am scared to get my hopes up for fear of having to face her death again. I cant help but wonder how many others he has done this too. Amy Well right now you have to have the courage to go after this this guy legally. If you don't do anything now this vet will most likely do this to other people and their cats. What he did was cruel. A good vet would have told you there was hope of recovery and would have set things in motion for that. Now get a lawyer and take Abby to a new vet for a diagnosis. You might also consider a holistic vet. SignaturePanther TEK: Staying On Top Of All Your Computer Needs! www.members.cox.net/catprotector/panthertek Cat Galaxy: All Cats, All The Time! www.catgalaxymedia.com > Darnit, I read some of these messages after I returned from the vet. I > did'nt have anyone there with me. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Amy > Well right now you have to have the courage to go after this this guy > legally. If you don't do anything now this vet will most likely do this to > other people and their cats. What he did was cruel. A good vet would have > told you there was hope of recovery and would have set things in motion for > that. Now get a lawyer and take Abby to a new vet for a diagnosis. You might > also consider a holistic vet. Abby went to a new vet today. All the tests wont be in until Monday, she offered to keep her there but I decided against it! It all felt so surreal, like I was watching a movie. She is eating well, and hopefully will start putting on some weight. Amy You should contact the humane society and ask them if that person (the tech) that brought your cat in comes in there a lot to drop off animals. That would be interesting to know. I would take the vet up on his offer to have your cat seen by a specialist for free - then I would never go back to your vet again and never recommend him to ANYBODY. He should be reported. His story is ridiculous - why didn't he leave a message? If he thought your cat would have been in good hands going home w/a tech for the weekend then he should have left you a message telling you that your kitty seems to be getting better, but he's sending her home w/the tech to nurse it over the weekend. He wouldn't have wanted to leave the cat alone in the office if it were that ill, so he trusted the tech to take it home and watch it. (well, that's the story anyway). Or, he may have screwed up and put the WRONG cat to sleep and sent your cat to a shelter by accident. If they had a stray in the office that needed to go to the shelter, maybe it looked like Abby? Maybe they put that one down by mistake and shipped yours off? Don't feel sorry for him no matter what - he's only pissed because he got caught doing something very wrong. LeeAnne > Darnit, I read some of these messages after I returned from the vet. I > did'nt have anyone there with me. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Amy Hello everyone, just wanted to update all thoose who were following the thread about my kitty Abby AKA The Lazarus cat LOL. I am thrilled to report that my new vet phoned today, she received all blood work back on Abby, and everything is NORMAL!!!!!!! WOOOOOHOOOOO! She is our little miracle cat! She is going for an ultrasound in two weeks just to check her kidneys again, last vet said her kidneys were abnormal. Anyway the new vet gave me the go ahead to tell the kids that our Abby is fine and at this point there is no reason to believe otherwise. We will cherish every day we have with our Abby girl. Just wanted to update. Thank you all for your support. We are still undecided about how we will deal with our original vet, but right now we are just feeling grateful! Amy Yeahhhhhh!!!!!!!! AWESOME > Hello everyone, just wanted to update all thoose who were following > the thread about my kitty Abby AKA The Lazarus cat LOL. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Amy SignatureIn Memory of Biggles www.1cooperfamily.com
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