How much is too much money to spend on pet care?

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I love my pet and truly believed that I would do ANYTHING for him, but was faced with the dilemma with doing what's best for him or me! After watching my cat lick his genital area for what seemed to be hours, he was "caught" trying to use the bathroom in a room other than the one that contained his litter box! I was frustrated but as I was just about to scold him, I picked him up and noticed that for the amount of time he had squatted, their was merely a teaspoon of urine. Well, it alarmed me enough to search it out on the net. Boy, that was alarming! There were many things that could be happening to my dear Dobby, and all of them sounded scary. I was in hopes that it was more like an infection that an antibiotic would fix! Turns out my dear little friend is suffering from a disease!!!!:-( Instead of infection, he has what is similar to kidney stones! Very serious in male, neutered, overweight kitties like my four-year-old roommate. The vet was kind enough to thoroughly explain to me that it is quite common in the above-described feline, and that his own cat suffers from the same thing. While it can be maintained with a special diet and distilled water, the initial cost for me for today's visit, which included the exam fee, sedation, antibiotics, pain medication, and a catherization can be as high as $455!!! I left y cat there in their care while I traveled to the bank, to get the $200 down payment for services rendered. My kitty has to stay overnight so the rest is due tomorrow. The conflict for me is I don't even have enough money in the bank to cover the rest of the fees, and will forgo paying a utility bill in order to bring the cat home. Have I went too far? I don't think I have, but am not sure how my parents will feel once they learn of my actions. Dobby has been the best cat I have ever owned. While a dog person at heart, this cat found my daughter 4 years ago at a yard sale and wouldn't leave her alone. This little guy's persistence finally won my daughter's heart after a half-hour of waiting on me to stop browsing and socializing. I overheard/witnessed a group of the yard sale neighbors pointing and whispering about my daughter. Turns out each one of them had tried to interact with this baby whose mother had abandoned. While they believed the mama had been hit by a car, they just knew she was no longer around, and his siblings were also gone. OMG! Rip my heart out and pour salt on it! My daughter walks up to me and the ladies, and asks he if can have it as one of the little ladies had already sneaked over to my daughter and told her she could have him it was okay with me. Whew. He has lived inside since he was approximately 5 or six weeks old and prefers it that way as he is extremely disinterested in touching the grass outside the front door. Two years ago he was my emotional pillow when I suffered the death of my oldest daughter. He refused to eat unless I walked into the kitchen. If I walked out of the kitchen, he would run like mad to get back by my side. He helped me keep my sanity, by pulling new antics on me that would surprise and entertain me during that hard time. So is $455 too much to pay for his well-being? Being behind in bills, while scary, can't it be dealt with? I would love to hear your opinions!!!!