My husband, two kids and I are supposed to leave tomorrow to stay in a mountain cabin with my in-laws for a week. I'm a planner, so I had already planned out what we would do each day and purchased tickets to things like the local theme park and a dinner show. I was looking forward to getting away for a week and spending time with family.

Last night, I noticed blood in the urine of my cat, so I took him to the emergency vet thinking it could be something serious. They said he has a UTI, and he's in a lot of pain, so they gave me pain meds to administer to him every 12 hours as well as a liquid antibiotic to give him every 12 hours for two weeks. He's a large cat, and he can be feisty, so squirting a syringe of liquid medication down his throat is no easy task. Plus, I'm supposed to watch him to make sure his condition doesn't get worse. While we went on the trip, we planned for a pet sitter to come to the house to care for my cat and other pets, but I don't feel comfortable asking her to medicate my cat (who could bite or scratch her). I would also worry about him while I was away, especially since he would be alone most of the day.

We decided the best thing to do would be for me to stay home with my youngest son who is two, and my husband and oldest son can go to the cabin with my in-laws. That way the whole vacation isn't ruined, and my husband and older son can spend some quality time together. However, I'm still feeling sad and disappointed that I'll be missing out on the trip. It's such bad timing for my cat to get sick! I wish I could go on the trip, and I worry I'll be lonely, especially being by myself on 4th of July. I know my younger son will be with me, but it's not the same as having the whole family together. Has anyone else had to cancel a trip for a sick pet? Any advice for me to make it not suck so bad?