Skipper The Cat 2

$500 was always the limit for the cat. That was 14 years ago, so maybe inflation dollars will allow my rule to spread to $1500. House values tripled, gas prices doubled, food costs increased by how much? When I booked the appointment, I asked if I could spread out the payments, but I knew the answer. So, I'll get points on the credit card.
Is it the money that bugs me? Hubby at dinner last night said he'd have no problem spending $1500 on me for a health issue. I'm so grateful. The vet who will enucleate her eye says, she's not not worth it. She's a very healthy 14 1/2 year old cat. Will we get our money's worth of kitty waking us in the morning scratching at the bedroom furniture, having us open the dining room door to let her in, then moments later, opening the garage door to let her out? Will we see her black kitty fur spread across the white carpet for another 5 years? Will her solid purr comfort us while we lay on the bed reading? We, her staff, have no legal commitment to keep her alive, but our kitty hearts can't take the pressure to put her down just because she's got a tumor growing in her eye.
We were so close to it 4 months ago. We figured it was a done deal. Now, I've booked the appointment for the eye removal. I checked it out on the Internet. Enucleation means just the eyeball, and not the surrounding tissues, is removed. Then the lid is stitched closed permanently. Then she has to wear one of those Elizabethan collars for 10 to 14 days. We've all seen them. It can get caught on things, so she'll need supervising in her daily activities. I asked if she can go outside to use the universal cat box. He suggested I get one for the house. She's never used one. She'll give me that look like, What the hell is this? I've seen that look before when she expects something good to eat, and I give her something that she thinks smells like poop. First it's the look, then it's the scratch, scratch, scratch of her paw to symbolically cover it up. It certainly isn't the worst of things that can happen. I will count my kitty blessings and worldly blessings and our emptynest will be cool calm and collected like any respectable cat household should be.