Manhattan is expensive. We know that! Several years ago, I remember reading that a family living in Manhattan had to make at least $175, 000 a year to have the same standard of living as a family making $50,000 a year in Houston. I wasn’t surprised by this. We have some (if not the) highest cost of real estate, rent, and services in the country. For those of us living here, we know it, and it is the trade-off of living in this magnificent little island that is the corner stone of the world!
Having a rescue cat that is prone to urinary blockages, I have been able to experience some of the city’s emergency veterinary facilities. An experience at Animal Medical a few years ago left me with a desire to never go back again. They needed to see your platinum card before they saw your pet. I was told that he needed to have a variety of tests, which made absolutely no sense. I refused and according to my regular vet, the ones I refused weren’t necessary, and certainly not needed. The bill which would have been more than a year’s rent, and my cat being made into a science experiment was something I did not need to relive.
A blockage this weekend left me with a chance to try NYC Veterinary Specialists. While the vets there were fabulous, the sticker shock wasn’t. Again, it would have amounted to several months’ rent. Having a friend upstate who is a vet, I ran the prices by her. She practically needed smelling salts……..some of the charges were 10X the costs. Even the vets admitted that their costs were astronomical!
Yes, prices in Manhattan are high. Rents are high. There is a mark-up. I get it. But 10x costs? We’ve got protests downtown against corporate greed. Well, corporate greed isn’t just reserved for the Wall Street crowd and companies traded on the exchanges. It is rampant everywhere! In all deference to the protestors and their valiant effort, I think that unless a company’s bottom line is affected, we won’t have change! We need to boycott the companies and places that have these and practices and publicize, patronize and support those companies and places that are fair. If there was an XYZ company that everyone boycotted, the results in their bottom line will be noticed by executives and shareholders much quicker than the Wall Street protestors will be.
I found myself faced with having to put a relatively young, amazingly healthy (with the exception of the blockage) cat down because the costs were exorbitant! Thankfully a friend recommended Feline Health (www.felinehealthnyc.com). On a Sunday, in the middle of a long weekend and the holiest of Jewish holidays, I was able to miraculous find a solution. The staff was amazing. Dina spent more time with me over the phone before I was a client than I have had people spend where I was a client. She explained an $11 charge in more detail than a $3,000 charge I have had elsewhere. Michael is amazing! I am told there is nothing he can’t do. Dr. Kepner explained everything in layman’s speak and certainly did not hurry through any of it. I have heard nothing but the best of the vet who will be performing the surgery. I left with a peace of mind that I hadn’t experienced anywhere else!
I know that my boy isn’t out of the woods. I also know that I am extremely grateful that I had an alternative to putting down a beloved pet because of the outrageous costs. With all of the animals in shelter looking for homes and killed needlessly, perhaps making affordable pet care a priority, not only in Manhattan, but throughout the country, will help allow other people to adopt and care for these animals. The joy a pet brings to one‘s life is immeasurable.
“I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter…the cast-offs of human society. I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness and betrayal. And I was angry. “God,” I said, “this is terrible! Why don’t you do something?” God was silent for a moment and then He spoke softly. I have done something,” He replied. “I created you.” ~The Animals’ Savior Copyright Jim Willis 1999. And thankfully he’s given us Feline Health!
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