This week, we're going to answer two letters at once, because both of these letters involve a common theme.

Dear Sinéad, Siouxsie and Thomas:
My kitten is about 9 months old. She got her eyeball scratched by a stray. I can see the spot that was torn from her eyeball. I haven't had the money to take her to the vet but should have some before the week is up. She got the injury a week ago. Could she really lose her eye sight in the injured eye? How bad could the damage be from taking her immediately to waiting a week or two?
~ Concerned Mom of Chloe Belle

I have a 3 month old kitten that has a claw protruding from its paw. It is infected. I washed it out with peroxide and gave her a part of an aspirin. Is there something else I could do for the kitten?
~ Eve

Sinéad: Okay, there's something that both of you need to know. Both of you have cats with potentially serious injuries, and for one reason or another they haven't gotten veterinary attention. This is a problem.

Siouxsie: We don't like to be mean or "guilt trip" people, as Mama sometimes calls it, but we think it's time for some Tough Love. It seems that a lot of people who have cats somehow seem to think an injury that would warrant a trip to the emergency room for a person is okay to either treat at home or let go "until you have the money" if it happens to an animal. That's just not cool!

Thomas: Think about it for a minute. Chloe Belle's Mom, if you had an injury to your eye that caused your cornea to be torn, would you waste any time getting to the ER or to an eye doctor to see what's going on? Of course not! Or if this happened to your human child, would you put off a trip to the doctor until you had the money? Somehow, we doubt it.

Sinéad: Eve, if you had something protruding from your hand that caused a serious infection, do you think it might hurt? Of course it would! The same thing is true for cats. We feel pain from injuries and infections, too. And cats, like humans, can suffer from permanent visual damage due to untreated eye injuries.

Siouxsie: We do appreciate that you've tried to treat your kitten's infection, Eve. Peroxide is okay to use with cats, as long as you wash the paw off really well afterwards. And remember, peroxide hurts! So don't be surprised if we squirm and squeal when you use it. But you should never give aspirin or Tylenol, Ibuprofen or Naproxen to cats. These drugs can cause damage to the liver. Your vet has special pain relievers that are safe for cats.

Thomas: You should take your kitty to the vet anyway, Eve, because there may be something else going on that's causing the infection, and your vet may need to do some sort of surgical procedure on the paw or trim the offending claw. If she doesn't have a vet yet, find one. Your kitten will also need to have a checkup, probably some shots, and be spayed when she gets a little older.

Sinéad: Chloe Belle's Mom should have taken her cat to the vet as soon as she noticed the injury. At this point it may be too late to save her kitty's vision, particularly if the injury is severe enough to be visible to the naked eye.

Siouxsie: But the core issue here is that all people who take care of animals have a moral and ethical obligation to get their animals all the veterinary care they need. In some states and towns, failing to get your animal necessary medical care can get you arrested for animal cruelty!

Thomas: Vet care is part of the commitment you humans make when you adopt animals. You agree to make sure your cat gets all the food, love, social and intellectual stimulation, and vet care he or she needs to live a long, healthy life.

Sinéad: That includes having your cat spayed or neutered, too. We can't tell you how many times we've heard the excuse "I can't afford to get my cat spayed or neutered" as people complain about their spraying tomcat or the litter of unwanted kittens that's now crawling around their house.

Siouxsie: We know there are a lot of people who don't have much money. And it might surprise you to find out that our Mama is one of those people, too. She doesn't sit preaching about how you need to take care of your cat from the comfort of middle-class life. She lives from paycheck to paycheck, just like many of you reading this column. But when one of us needs vet care, she finds a way to pay for it.

Thomas: That's right. She did it last September when Siouxsie got an eye injury. She did it when Sinéad came limping up to her on a swollen paw last October. She did it again last week when she took Sinéad and Siouxsie for FIV tests (they'd been bitten by an FIV-positive cat and she wanted to find out whether or not they'd been infected). And she'll do it again, too.

Sinéad: And the reason that the cat who bit us was FIV-positive was because his human "couldn't afford" to get him fixed, so he became a very aggressive adult tomcat who was probably infected while fighting with another cat.

Siouxsie: There are thousands of people who live on fixed incomes -- such as Social Security or disability benefit checks -- who manage to take very good care of their animals' health. And of course, if you're on a fixed income, vets will be especially willing to work with you, because vets understand how important animals are to the health of people living with disabilities (and the health of all humans, for that matter).

Thomas: You humans need to remember that cats feel pain and suffer just like you do when we're injured. You also need to understand that we rely on you to help us when we're sick. We can't take ourselves to the vet, and we can't give ourselves medicine. All we can do when we're hurting is hide and sleep and hope the pain goes away.

Sinéad: You also need to be aware that a lot of vets will work with people who have injured animals and want to take good care of them, but can't afford to pay for all the treatment right away. All you need to do is ask. Veterinarians do what they do because they love animals. The vast majority of them don't get rich doing so, either.

Siouxsie: You can also check with your local animal shelter, ASPCA or humane society. Sometimes these organizations can help you find assistance in paying for an injured animal's treatment. In larger cities, humane organizations may operate low-cost clinics where you can get your cat treated for a fraction of the price of a private veterinary hospital.

Thomas: Three states, including the state of Maine, offer low-cost spay/neuter vouchers to low-income pet owners. This has come about because some state governments realize that unwanted kittens and puppies cause a lot of problems for people and wildlife, and that population control is much more cost-effective than trapping and/or killing adult strays. Check your state's website to see if your state offers low-income spay/neuter assistance.

Sinéad: What it comes down to is that although you humans live in a world where money is the grease that lubricates everything, and sometimes there never seems to be enough of it, you still need to put the needs of your dependents above anything else. If you have cats, remember that they are your dependents, too. Please don't neglect your cat's health just because of money issues.

Siouxsie: Oh, by the way, you might want to know the results of our FIV tests that Thomas mentioned earlier: Sinéad and I are both negative! Yippee! Now, the vet did say that even though it's been at least 8 weeks since Sinéad was bitten by the FIV-positive cat, Mama should still keep an eye out for symptoms of FIV, and if either one of us have any of those symptoms, she should bring us in to be retested.

Thomas: I'm supposed to get my FIV test in a couple of weeks when I have my annual checkup. I'm sure I'll be just fine, too.

Sinéad: I hope so, Thomas. You're my snuggle-buddy!

Siouxsie: Ew! Don't make me come over there and cuff you guys!

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail us at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the material in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.