Reluctant Giver...when it comes to a cat of course...

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Dear Prudence,
The manager of our department at work has a cat that got sick and is now being treated at a veterinary hospital. The cost is quite high—my boss estimates that it will be more than $2,000. All of us in the department feel sympathy for our boss. Somebody suggested we get a "get well soon" card for the cat and all sign it. Somebody else suggested we all chip in $10 or $20 to help with the vet bills. I'm OK with the card, but I balk at giving money. There's an implied obligation—nobody wants to be seen as the person who will not contribute (especially when it's for the boss). And there are some in the department who do not think this is a worthy cause—they would rather give their charity dollars to causes that benefit people, not animals (or pricey vets). But because we are doing this as a department, they are afraid not to contribute. What is the best way to handle a situation like this?

—Reluctant Giver

Dear Prudence,
Your boss is entitled to spend whatever she wants (I'm going to make a wild leap that your boss is a she) to save her darling puddy cat. However, if the entire department is speaking with the hushed tones of concern you use around someone whose loved one is gravely ill, then your boss is injecting way too much feline drama into the workplace. If we're lucky, our pets' kidneys give out before ours do, and while an owner can decide it's worth it to pay for dialysis for her cat, surely no one else should be expected to help with the tab for the tabby. This is the not what the presidential candidates were referring to when they talked about the health care crisis of the uninsured, or when they said America needs to do more to ensure the well-being of our vets. And it just seems silly to make everyone sign a "get well soon, Sugar Paws" card. Your boss is in distress, so politely inquire occasionally about the prospects for her cat, then move on to more appropriate topics, such as work.

—Prudie

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And there are some in the department who do not think this is a worthy cause—they would rather give their charity dollars to causes that benefit people, not animals (or pricey vets).