This is a blog entry that I’ve had in my pocket for a while, but I hadn’t decided on the right time to post it. Having seen a number of posts online regarding pet insurance and veterinary bills, and with many people finding money tight in the approach to the festive season, that time could very well be now. And I really feel that it’s worthy of its own page; people NEED to see this and understand it.

If you’ve never had to pay a huge vet bill because your cat hasn’t needed treatment, or if your insurer has happily paid up without argument, then you are one of the extremely lucky few; most of us will, at some stage, end up having to pay for something, possibly several times. Pets cost money, folks. And, whilst you don’t need to be a millionaire to have a cat, nor do you even have to have insurance if you don’t want it, you do need a way of getting a large amount of money very quickly, just in case.

When we adopted Luther, Cat Daddy and I started a savings account for him and paid in a small amount each month. Obviously this method isn’t foolproof – there is a risk that your cat could fall ill frequently, or could require a costly one-off treatment before the fund has a chance to build up – but we decided to take the risk, knowing that we could get a loan from family members or the bank if we were desperate. When dear Luther left us, his little brother Louis Catorze inherited his sick fund … and were unbelievably grateful to have it, as nobody will insure the little sod for his condition.

Whereas Luther didn’t touch a penny of his sick fund during his short life, Catorze has halved the contents of the fund already and, no doubt, he will continue to sap cash from it on a regular basis. But, luckily, we’re in a position where we can keep adding to it, and we’re just about managing to stay afloat. We’re also keeping in the good books of our families and our bank managers, because you just never know.

It’s not very nice to think that our furry overlords could fall ill or meet with an accident, especially at this time of year. And I realise that it’s not my place to judge those who don’t have pet insurance (after all, I don’t), nor to dictate that others must have it. But in the event of an illness, a traffic accident or a freak encounter with an escaped cobra, do you have a plan?