Help! Injured cat and no pet insurance!

marshallka

MrsTine wrote: »

Vets aren't in it for the money now either... They have very large overheads to cover including liability insurance, premises, equipment, staff, business rates and so on. One of my friends is a vet and I can assure you she's not earning a small fortune and their profit margins aren't are lush as people think. Yes their prices have gone up - but then so has the cost of the equipment they need and the staff they employ...
Unfortunately they have also seen a sharp increase in clients not paying their bills and it's often costly to try and pursue them for payment so unless you are a regular client and known to them they won't do "payment plans" - they have no way of enforcing a payment plan if the customer decides not to pay after all as they can't set up a legally binding credit agreement as they are not regulated. That means often if someone doesn't pay say a £650 bill it comes out of the VETS pocket... not some nameless organisation.
Whilst it may not be the owners fault they can't afford pet insurance it isn't the vets fault either...

Ok point taken but its so unfair sometimes. Some cannot afford kids and go on to have more and they do not have to give them up but with our pets we often do. I am sorry if i sounded abrupt but its such a shame as our pets are part of our family too.

I think the pdsa should have low cost help for people like us too who are not on benefits but we are struggling on the money side. We did not have our animals when in financial difficulties but ended up this way. Perhaps a pet charity type thing for people on low incomes or with huge mortgages too would help. Not a free service but something that helps us keep our pets. Afterall, we are better off than people claiming benefits so in the eyes of the animal welfare people we are better owners (more responsible as we are working) but we only have the option of getting rid of ours. I really feel for the OP.

marshallka

What about Blue cross (don't know where you live though!!)

http://www.bluecross.org.uk/web/site/AboutUs/About_Us.asp


and also these here


http://www.petloversonline.co.uk/financial.htm


http://www.tailwaggersclubtrust.com/aboutus.html

MrsTinks

marshallka wrote: »

Ok point taken but its so unfair sometimes. Some cannot afford kids and go on to have more and they do not have to give them up but with our pets we often do. I am sorry if i sounded abrupt but its such a shame as our pets are part of our family too.

I'm not disagreeing My 2 cats and my dog are as much part of my family as any human person.
Unfortunately owning pets is a luxury and not a right - I'm not saying that makes them any less important to us pet owners btw I also know I couldn't afford to pay a £1000 bill so all 3 of mine are insured and now the cats are over 8 that's increasing each year...
My views on people having more and more kids which they can't afford to pay for btw are probably best not gone into on here I'm very politically incorrect on that particular subject :cool:

Anyway - just wanted to defend the vets... it's not their fault and they often get accused of being money grabbing - knowing the hours and heart my friend puts in to her job I just get a little upset when people attack them for not agreeing to payment plans etc when infact it's more often than not a case of 50 times bitten, 51st time shy... they can't afford to continue to swallow the costs without potentially loosing their business...

marshallka

MrsTine wrote: »

I'm not disagreeing My 2 cats and my dog are as much part of my family as any human person.
Unfortunately owning pets is a luxury and not a right - I'm not saying that makes them any less important to us pet owners btw I also know I couldn't afford to pay a £1000 bill so all 3 of mine are insured and now the cats are over 8 that's increasing each year...
My views on people having more and more kids which they can't afford to pay for btw are probably best not gone into on here I'm very politically incorrect on that particular subject :cool:

Anyway - just wanted to defend the vets... it's not their fault and they often get accused of being money grabbing - knowing the hours and heart my friend puts in to her job I just get a little upset when people attack them for not agreeing to payment plans etc when infact it's more often than not a case of 50 times bitten, 51st time shy... they can't afford to continue to swallow the costs without potentially loosing their business...

Would it not be best for the PDSA (or something similar) to also help (not free, but reduced) "working" people who have huge mortgages through the credit crunch too. If we gave up our home and let it get repossessed and our jobs too then ask the council to rehouse us then we could get the lot but we are penalised for trying to help ourselves here and our pets too. The whole system is confusing. Why is it the worker that is struggling gets no help and yet if you don't work then you are helped. I am confused here.

Thanks for that Mrs Tine.;)

MrsTinks

marshallka wrote: »

Would it not be best for the PDSA (or something similar) to also help (not free, but reduced) "working" people who have huge mortgages through the credit crunch too. If we gave up our home and let it get repossessed and our jobs too then ask the council to rehouse us then we could get the lot but we are penalised for trying to help ourselves here and our pets too.

Thanks for that Mrs Tine.;)

PDSA is a charity though... limited funds like all charities sadly. As a working couple I do sympathise - if either of us lost our jobs we'd be snookered as each of us brings in just above the limit for getting ANY help - it would mean loosing our home without fail... so instead everything is insured - mortgage protection, income protection, pet insurance, house & contents - you name it. Especially as we have a little one on the way... I've been saving like mad to be able to stay at home with her because we will get nothing (other than £20 a week which everyone is entitled to regardless of income). Anyway - I'm going to stop replying now because you're getting me on to one of my hobby horse subjects and I start ranting if I'm not careful LOL

OP let us know how you get on!

tori.k

the credit union do low cost loans you can get one without saving before hand at a higher rate than a saver's loan...being really sneaky do you know anyone thats claiming benefits? get them to take your cat to the pdsa, i know it wrong (before people start to scream at me) but its the cat that matters as far as im concerned....if a woman down the street with 7 kids and a dog thats never worked get help,so should everyone that needs the help during this credit crunch....

foreign_correspondent

marshallka wrote: »

Would it not be best for the PDSA (or something similar) to also help (not free, but reduced) "working" people who have huge mortgages through the credit crunch too.

Personally, I live carefully on a tight budget due to sporadic income - I work in pretty much a freelance capacity, and my OH was a student for the last three years. As a result of this, I have made the decision to make sure my dog is insured, as my income is not as reliable as it was when I was salaried.

I have never had pet insurance before this dog, and have always made sure I was in a position to pay any big vets bills. I would still be able to cover these, however, I am also aware that my financial future is not as secure as it was, so have planned to make sure that my dog will not suffer as a result, and have taken out insurance.

I occassionally chuck a few quid of my hard-earned and hard saved cash into the PDSA collecting tins, to help them treat the pets of people who are on housing benefit, living in rented accomodation and on low income. I do not want my donation to be subsidising the vet's bills of people who may be earning more than me, and paying into a bigger (low interest!) mortgage!

foreign_correspondent

tori.k wrote: »

the credit union do low cost loans you can get one without saving before hand at a higher rate than a saver's loan...being really sneaky do you know anyone thats claiming benefits? get them to take your cat to the pdsa, i know it wrong (before people start to scream at me) but its the cat that matters as far as im concerned....if a woman down the street with 7 kids and a dog thats never worked get help,so should everyone that needs the help during this credit crunch....

the credit union is a great idea

However, defrauding the PDSA is not only wrong, it is illegal! I think is is very unwise to advise people to break the law on here.

If she wants a charity to sort out her cat for her, I suggest she acts with some decency and signs it over to the local cats protection or rspca, after all, if its 'the cat that matters' surely it would be better off rehomed with someone who could afford to look after it?

tori.k

As i said FC i know its wrong, but my heart goes out to the cat and their is no guarantee that the RSPCA wont just put the cat down...us like you got insurance done the day i inherited my girl,even tho we couldnt really afford it at the time as better be safe then sorry,
but the horse already bolted in the OP case.
the PDSA needs to be means tested better as all on a low income not just those that get benefits, if you dont have children and own property your pretty much screwed.
im sorry if i offended you but will have to agree to disagree i wouldnt care how wrong it was if mine needed treatment they would get it....
i will go sit in the naughty corner now....

marshallka

MrsTine wrote: »

PDSA is a charity though... limited funds like all charities sadly. As a working couple I do sympathise - if either of us lost our jobs we'd be snookered as each of us brings in just above the limit for getting ANY help - it would mean loosing our home without fail... so instead everything is insured - mortgage protection, income protection, pet insurance, house & contents - you name it. Especially as we have a little one on the way... I've been saving like mad to be able to stay at home with her because we will get nothing (other than £20 a week which everyone is entitled to regardless of income). Anyway - I'm going to stop replying now because you're getting me on to one of my hobby horse subjects and I start ranting if I'm not careful LOL

OP let us know how you get on!

I am glad that everything is insured for you. What i was meaning is when peoples circumstances change, it does happen and has to many of this site.