At what cost is health?

It's all very well those of you who say "those of you who can't afford treatment shouldn't keep animals" - but it isn't always that simple. People's circumstances can change and giving up a much-loved pet can be hard (fortunately I've never been put in the situation).

I agree emergency vet charges can be disgusting. One of my cats fell ill over the bank holiday weekend, and being just before pay day I was very short of cash. I tried the PDSA - I would have been happy to give a very generous donation as soon as my wages came through - but as I am not on benefits they couldn't help.

I called the emergency vet clinic, and they wouldn't see her unless I paid the £81.00 emergency fee (plus any treatment charges on top of that) on the day. I didn't have that kind of money at the time and they wouldn't offer a payment plan. They wouldn't take into account the fact that I'd be able to pay a week later.

Eventually, as I was so worried about my cat, I managed to beg, borrow and steal enough money to take her, by which time she was very poorly.

I think the charges emergency vets ask for are ridiculous - in a similar emergency, someone else may not have been in a position to borrow the money like I was, resulting in unnecessary suffering and even death of a much loved pet.

Several weeks and nearly £700 later (thank heavens for pet insurance!), my cat is on the road to recovery and almost back to her old self thanks to the excellent care she's received from my own vet. If not for the kindness of the people who lent me the money (now all paid back) it could have been a very different story.

I think that people who do not have the money to vaccinate and neuter their Animal Companions should not have them. They do more harm than good to the Animals. Unfortunately humans believe they are the top of the evolutionary chain and know better. If that were true this world would not have over 7 billion people it can not feed, provide housing or good medical attention to. Grow up having an Animal Companion is a PRIVILEGE not a RIGHT.

i had a problem a couple of years ago i paid for all of my cats to get castrated and whilst there they were microchipped fully vaccinated. i collected my cats and something wasnt right with 1 of them but my vets is now closed and i have not got any money to pay for an emergency vet so call pdsa as they help people who cant afford treatment only to be told that as i have a job i would have to pay private fees for my cat to be seen. so call emergency vet from my practice to find that my £70 call out fee for the vet is of corse to pay the same pdsa vet as i would have seen for free as my surgery did not have our of hours. to be told that my cat had a blocked bladder and urgently needed to be treated by a vet so if i hadnt have paid the £70 because i couldnt afford it and waited the cat prob could have died overnight so i too thought that if you couldnt afford treatment but your cat was sick you could get emergency help so dont be fooled you can only get it if you fit the criteria even if your animal is on deaths door

If someone cant afford to pay a private vet they can go to their local RSPCA vet. I think you need to prove that you are unemployed etc, but there is no need for an animal to suffer.

You shouldnt have got a cat in the first place if you cant afford it. Anyone can borrow money

owners should not be allowed to keep the animals, if they can't afford treatments.

the clinics should treat the animals, I think it would be abuse or neglect if they didn't. most places will take a payment plan especially for established clients.

PDSA is there for people who can't afford vet treatment

if you cant afford pets, you should not keep them