I'm busy all the time posting about cats that need to be rehomed and others that need funds for serious illnesses but what you don't see are the general fund kitties that I don't post about, the ones in the DCIN assistance program. The straight forward financial help kitty, maybe a vet bill here, some help with supplies there, a little help getting insulin. Whatever the need we want to help you keep your kitty, the last thing we want is to try to rehome a super sweet kitty because someone had to make a decision between buying groceries or insulin.
But the problem comes when the help we give is not given back. What the heck does that mean? Why given back? Help is a two way street with DCIN.
I'm not saying John Doe has to pay us to help him, but he does have to follow the very simple guidelines we set forth. It's basic, you treat, we help.But treatment means treat the way that is healthiest and safest for the diabetic kitty. How do I know what's healthiest and safest? I'm no vet. I'm not even working in the medical field in any capacity, but guess what, I do know. It's not even a secret. Go to FDMB, DCC or the yahoo groups that are around for diabetic cats. You're going to find out there are a few things you can do to safely treat your cat. I don't know what's most important for my own diabetic cats, to me they are equal - good diet and home test the blood sugar.
If it's so easy to get help why is it so hard on me and sometimes breaks my heart? Just outside of my reach are those cats that the owner says "sure I can do that, I'll start testing immediately." So I send a test kit, pay for the kitty to be vetted and get their insulin and what happens? A few days go by, a few weeks and then months with no reply, not a single post anywhere and then they return looking for help again.
What do I do? They write back telling me how bad it is, Fluffy is still not well, she's walking on her hocks, she's hungry all the time, you must send me supplies right away. What?!? Seriously? How can I in good conscious do that. You took supplies and money that is not easy to come by in charity work, in good faith you told us you were going to test your kitty and get advice on one of the boards but you didn't. Fluffy might as well have been shot up with whiskey since you weren't even attempting to make sure she was safe. You had the tools, if you couldn't do it we would have found a way to help you through it, we would have gotten you to where you need to be. But now I have to say, I'm sorry I cannot help. The hardest thing thing I ever have to write is "I'm sorry but DCIN cannot help you."
I tell myself all the time I am not going to take anyone's guilt for them. If someone threatens to put down a cat because I can't find a home in one day, I'm not taking their guilt. But this is different. My words can cause this kitty to be put down. Either way, if I give the money and supplies or don't I am causing harm to Fluffy. If I give the supplies Fluffy continues to get treated at will with no one monitoring her. If I don't give supplies who knows what will happen to Fluffy. Either way it's slow and painful for Fluffy, unregulated diabetes is as bad as untreated diabetes.
I can't take the money that so many good people donate to DCIN to help diabetic cats and give it to a cat that is not getting help. So now what? How do I live with this guilt?
I don't have any advice to give, but I'm sorry you're faced with this situation. It's really sad that cats with full access to assistance aren't getting the help they need because the "owner" isn't cooperative.
ReplyDeleteThere's really only so much you can do. You have led the horse to water, all you can do is hope that they use the gifts you sent to do good for their animal. Sure, you could call vet references and require personal references and a lengthy application process before supplies are sent out, but your time and effort are expensive too. For me personally, I understand that not all people will follow through with treatment. I'm content supporting an organization that makes an effort in good faith to help cats whose owners SEEM genuinely concerned. I'm personally glad that more help is not given to "uncooperative" owners who have shown themselves untrustworthy. There is really no help for that cat, and you should not feel guilty that the owner doesn't love the cat as much as you do. You did all you could do. You cannot save every cat, but you do extraordinary things for many diabetic cats whose owners do love them and care for them. For that, I'm happy to support you in my small way.
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