Crazy Cat Lady Chapter 4 - The Aftermath

crazy_cat_lady

Hello all :wave:
Well I've had a lovely, quiet couple of days getting in maximum relaxation before we all go back to work and school again next week. Christmas is gone away and back in the loft again for another year, the house is (almost) decluttered and the bare minimum of housework has been done. I have watched an entire series of RuPaul's Drag Race and done a lot of crochet. I really can't keep ignoring school stuff though, I'll need to do an hour or so on it tomorrow.
Operation get-thinner is ongoing. Off to a good start and managing to resist temptation. Although I don't like feeling hungry - which has happened a few times today. It's hard to separate out being hungry with the emotional comfort I get from eating. I don't want to be stick thin, just slimmer than I am, and not worrying about being too fat for plane seats, office chairs, theatre seats etc. It has to be different this year for sure.
Money wise - no leaving the house means no spending - just being taxi for dd.

natsplatnat

Reach for a glass of water when you feel hungry, doesn't need to be big! Not only will it add to your liquid intake for the day but the act of hand to mouth and swallowing + something in your stomach should help with the hunger feeling

crazy_cat_lady

Just checking in for the day - not that I have a lot to say. I have really enjoyed having time off to myself, with the kids and not doing anything much other than relaxing.
Kind of went back into 'normal' mode today though - like a normal weekend between school weeks. Me and ds had a hair appointment first thing this morning in preparation for going back to school next week. My hairdresser is lovely, and she made a comment that she thought I'd lost weight around my face. It feels like early days, but I'll take that I'm still not (very) hungry and feeling well motivated so I'll keep going while I'm in the right headspace for it.
Finally gave in to the wailing of the kids and went to Mr S for the weekly shop. That should keep them happy for a couple of days, but probably not much more if I'm honest. While I was there I picked up some painkillers and throat sweets for bestie as she's not feeling very well at the moment. Popped in to deliver them on our way home and stayed for a quick cuppa and catch up. She has a bit of a cold, so not feeling great but not beyond seeing people. We stayed for an hour then headed back home.
DD came downstairs with her homework after lunch, which guilted me into picking up my own schoolwork and getting something done. It'll still be difficult to get going once I'm back but at least I feel a little bit prepared, and less stressed about going back now that I've done something.
I have a couple of frogs that I need to swallow - nothing much but I do keep putting them off. Now that I've written them down I will just get them done because it's just a couple of text messages. Ridiculous really...
Then I will get on with Saturday night tv and a bit more crochet. I have a lot of that to be getting on with.

crazy_cat_lady

Just been looking at my pet insurance documents online as renewal is coming up. My cats are getting older, but insurance for 6 of them is now approaching £800 a year. I can't even get insurance for the naughty tortie because she's so old and so sickly. My vet has always encouraged me to have insurance, but surely £800 a year would be better off being put into a savings account - particularly as the one cat that costs me the most at the vet is the naughty tortie. I've had big vet bills before and found the money for them - and I know it's a risk but I think that money would be better off in my pocket, paying off debt shorter term.
It feels like a no brainer, particularly as there's a £99 excess on the policy, plus a 10% reduction in payout because the cats are over 6 years old.
I'm probably overthinking it because I'm tired, and skint, but it is a no brainer to cancel isn't it?

DawnW

I don't know CCL. I have never had pet insurance, even when I had lots of pets, but always just covered the vets bills as they arose (somehow, I was skint as well back then). However, vets bills are a lot higher now than they were then, due I (cynically) think to the pet insurance culture. The first thing the vet asks is whether you have insurance these days. I only have a small dog now, and still no insurance, though we do belong to their pet club, where I pay £12.50 per month and this covers routine injections, wormers, flea treatments, and also covered his neuter operation. This seems a good deal to me, given the prices of these things individually.

Insurers seem to try to wriggle out of paying claims (not just pet insurance, see also travel insurance, boiler cover, domestic appliance insurance etc). I don't even trust my house insurance - though I do have it. The reams of small print and tricksy exclusions put me off.
But you have lots of cats, and they all get older. Cats are also more prone to potentially expensive accidents imho, because they roam free whereas dogs are more contained / controlled. So it is a decision only you can make - yes, you could self insure by saving the premium instead, but how would you feel of you were faced with a £3k bill for surgery due to a road accident, for example, the week after you decided not to renew the insurance? It is a difficult one, as you have always had insurance. For me, when offered it when we got a new puppy it was much easier just to say no, having have never had it. If he needs treatment (he only has once so far) I will pay for it, same as I am just about to pay for having the boiler fixed just before Christmas

ditty1234

Hi CCL just subscribed to your diary, happy new year.

beanielou

I cancelled my cat insurance years ago as it got so expensive.
As my best boy is now 19 3/4’s hate I think what it would cost now!!

jwil

I've never had insurance for my pets. I've been lucky and never had any huge bills so far, and I've always found the money when it's been needed. It's a risk, but quite frankly I don't trust the insurance companies to pay up.

blue_eyed_girl123

Have you tried looking at T0pC4shb4ck? We usually get a pet insurance policy for about £2.50 after cash back although that's for one cat who is 4 rather than 6 older cats . Hope you find a way forward .

SusieT

When I had cat insurance and it went up a lot was when I started to put money away and self insured from the next year when I had a bit saved in a cat savings account. I took the decision that as the cat was getting old I would not put him through an operation even if there was insurance to pay it and would have pts instead (luckily that did not happen), and I ended up with a reasonable "profit" in the account. The main thing is that you think through what would happen IF a cat had a problem that was not treatable with drugs which is realistically what you would be looking at this year if you stopped insuring. Its also worth considering if your vet could find a less costly way of treating something if there is no insurance, and if you could just stop insuring 1 or 2 and keep the others including the accident prone one covered?