Sick pet.. Cancel trip?

[chartle]

One think not posted is are there any penalties to you cancelling your trip?

Even if you have trip insurance I'm not sure it covers caring for a sick pet.

 

[km24]

I couldn't leave my babies home sick while I went on vacation...with anyone. They mean so much to me. To all the people who say they wouldn't cancel or postpone for a pet, do you have one? The love people have for their animals is unreal!

Follow your heart, you know you have that gut feeling about what you feel like you need to do.

 

[cheer25mom]

Most vets have go-to people they can call for this type of things. Most vet techs don't make a lot and many do this kind of thing on the side for extra money. I am sure they can find someone to take the cat that you would be comfortable with so you can enjoy your vacation.

 

[kittyninja]

I just have to say if it were my Phoenix (I got her motherless at 4 hours old and bottle raised her to the healthy 2 year old she is now!) I would cancel the trip!! But I also have people who could stay with her so they would probably try to convince me otherwise!! She is my baby though and I would want to be there in case anything happened!!

It's your decision but with no repercussions against cancelling I would postpone if you can!!

 

[FigmentChick]

I agree with the other posters who suggest asking the vet or a vet tech at the office if they are willing to house the cat. I had to put my Siamese, Kate, down after just a few brief years with her. I understand that your cat is young, but there might be a significantly larger issue.

 

[AuroraRora]

I couldn't go away while my fur-child was seriously sick without involving a vet- I left my kitty once before while he was on medicine for a cold but it was nothing major and it just meant that my friend put a pill in his food each morning when she went to refill his bowls. If it wasn't life-threatening I would be happy to leave him in the care of a vet though. If you think worrying will just ruin your vacation anyway then stay home, but otherwise I would find someone to care for him and enjoy the trip. If finances for boarding are an issue, is there a cut you could make to your trip - perhaps cancel a booked tour or a signature ADR? Alternatively, ask your vet about foster partners. I foster for the ASPCA for cats/kittens that can't stay at a shelter, but we sometimes get animals from vets and rescues too for temporary stays. Generally the owner is asked to pay for any medical issues that require a vet trip, and to provide food if they can. While it might cost a lot to board your cat, you might also lose out on money for things that can't be refunded if you don't go.

I hope your kitty gets well soon!

 

[ols386]

I would either do the medical boarding, as some pp mentioned, or I would cancel my trip. To be honest, even if I did the medical boarding, I would feel bad during the trip, worring about my pet. This is just me personally. Not everyone feels as strongly about their pets as I do.

 

[LilyWDW]

If you could postpone or delay the trip, then I might do that as Disney will usually work with you. If you actually canceled you might be out a bit of money as this is most likely not covered by trip insurance. Can you afford to lose that money?

 

[fridayfun]

This past January we were 3 hours into the drive from Michigan to Orlando when our boarding kennels called telling us my retired service dog was sick. After listening to the symptoms and knowing his previous medical history, we u-turned and went to get him. Turned out it was a good idea for him and his medical problem. We did this because we don't know the kennels vet and I stop a nothing to care for my baby who worked hard for me. But I would do it for our little girl too and my kitties.

Got an awesome Disney CM who contacted our travel agent and got everything canceled no money lost on our room only reservation! And Ben is happy and healthy and ready for the "doggy spa vacation" when we try for a do over in July!

 

[disneycat321]

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. I hope your kitty recovers soon.

 

[OklahomaTourist]

Aren't the animal = no answers on topic? The question was "has anyone ever had to cancel a trip due to a sick pet?"

On that note, I'd have to agree with some of the others. Would not cancel trip due to sick pet.

Obviously this is just my opinion, but I have to agree. I wouldn't be able to disappoint the kids or the balance of the family, all of whom are geared up for a Disney trip, telling them their vacation was cancelled because the cat (dog, whatever) was sick. There has to be a priority established at some point - pets versus people. Obviously, you want to do what is reasonable/practical/possible for the pet, but I can't get past the notion that canceling the entire trip necessarily implies the pet is trumping the rest of the family. No disrespect to those who enjoy/appreciate animals/pets, but I just can't reconcile that.

What if you were mid-week at Disney and got a call that the cat (dog, pet, whichever) was sick...would you expect everyone to willingly pack up and ditch the balance of the vacation and rush home?

Sorry, but for me, I couldn't spoil a family vacation on that basis. Realize everyone is different, but if the OP is soliciting opinions, that's what I have to offer.

 

[TDC Nala]

How many people going on the trip? Is it just you? If it isn't, how do they feel about cancelling? If it's just you and you think you'd like to stay with your cat, or you have a talk with the rest of the family and they agree or understand about staying with the cat, have a talk with the vet. See if they can board the cat, or if the vet thinks the animal may be in crisis. Or find out if you would prefer to stay with the animal and the rest of the party go on the trip. If none of this works out for you and your party, then you have an idea about whether you should cancel the whole trip.

If you decide to cancel, call Disney and explain and see what they will do for you. Maybe you can move the trip. Not sure airlines would be so flexible, but you could ask the airline if there are any involved.

 

[Arielle22]

Obviously this is just my opinion, but I have to agree. I wouldn't be able to disappoint the kids or the balance of the family, all of whom are geared up for a Disney trip, telling them their vacation was cancelled because the cat (dog, whatever) was sick. There has to be a priority established at some point - pets versus people. Obviously, you want to do what is reasonable/practical/possible for the pet, but I can't get past the notion that canceling the entire trip necessarily implies the pet is trumping the rest of the family. No disrespect to those who enjoy/appreciate animals/pets, but I just can't reconcile that.

What if you were mid-week at Disney and got a call that the cat (dog, pet, whichever) was sick...would you expect everyone to willingly pack up and ditch the balance of the vacation and rush home?

Sorry, but for me, I couldn't spoil a family vacation on that basis. Realize everyone is different, but if the OP is soliciting opinions, that's what I have to offer.

I agree with this post. I wouldn't cancel my vacation for a pet. I would make sure the pet was being cared for before I left.

 

[luvgoing2disney]

I would go on the trip, but I certainly understand your situation. We love our our little furry friends, and we just had our little Shih Tzu put to sleep after him being a part of our family for 14 years. I would try by all means to have the kitty boarded at the vets as they would be able to provide better care than you could. You could still check in from time to time with them to see the status.

 

[1coolnini]

I haven't had to cancel a trip because of a sick pet BUT I have had to come home early from a trip (not WDW, but Nashville). It will be 3 years ago this July 4th that we got the call from our pet sitter that our dog (age 5) was ill. Thankfully they got her to the vet in time and with transfusions and a week in the hospital she was saved. We immediately got online and were able to get a flight home the next day. I am so glad we did. I had many decisions I had to make during that week (life and death type decisions). It would've been impossible to make these decisions miles and miles away. Our dog is now healthy and brings us joy and makes us laugh everyday. Bottom line, I would do it again.

 

[cfw213]

I am so sorry to hear about you cat...

I know if one of my boys was sick (by "boys" I mean my dogs), I would worry the whole trip and would be devastated if the worst happened. Therefore, I would postpone my trip.
With that being said, I have other animals and if one of them got really sick, I would do my best to make sure they were cared for, but wouldn't freak out so much. Therefore, I would still go.

I guess it just depends on whether or not you will worry and that will ruin your vacation... If you would worry, anyway you can postpone it?

Regardless, I hope your cat gets better soon!!!

Agree with this. If my dog was *gravely* ill, there is no way I would leave him (I don't know just how sick your cat is). I would just be worried the entire time...if it were me, I would postpone. In any case, I hope your cat feels better soon! Good luck with your decision.

 

[BluesTravlr00]

Ugh. How miserable. I really feel for you, even with my dislike of cats. My dog comes before everything else except human children. I would just be sick to my stomach if he got sick when I had a trip coming up.

 

[trina830]

...I will give you this advise: Follow your heart. If you are seriously doubting that you should go on your vacation, you probably should postpone. If you are more worried about how to do your vacation while the cat is sick, find a solution for someone to watch the cat.

Either way, don't beat yourself up (like I do) over the decisions you make. We all do the best that we can given the information we have.

This is really good advice. Only you know what is right for you and your family.

 

[BuzzNwoodY0824]

If you can afford to have the kitty taken care of while you are gone, and be in the hands of a vet, I'd say still go.
If its between you taking car of the cat or going on vacation, Id stay home.

But if you can afford medical boarding, is say still go. The kitty would be in good hands.

 

[JillyBean]

Update: Turns out there is a wonderful vet-tech at our vet's office who does pet sitting on the side. She is going to take care of kitty next week, come over 2x a day, feed her, administer meds, whatever is needed. If kitty takes a turn for the worse she will take her in to work at the vet's office and take care of her there. I am so relieved and I can't think of anyone more qualified to care for her.... and she is only charging us $30 per day.

Thanks everybody for your advice and good wishes.