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I grew up with pets. Never my own but family pets including dogs, cats, tropical fish, parrots and loved them all. My daughter loves pets so we did have dogs and cats in the pub but they were always hers. I have never 'bought' a pet of my own. When my daughter left home to live in London she left me in charge of her cat. So I always felt as if I was fostering him and if she moved back here I'd hand him back over.

In the mid-nineties we were going on a two week trip to California so booked Cat into a very reputable local Cattery six miles away. Got back home and phoned Cattery to tell Cat-Lady I'd collect Cat in the morning.

'Oh no' she said 'you can't do that. Cat's been very ill and we've had to have the vet in every day!'

Alarm bells ringing as these were the days before Pet Insurance was a must.

'How ill?' I ask.

'Very poorly. Vet's giving him daily injections but he's too ill to travel. Pop in tomorrow morning and see him'

I had left a very glossy, healthy, animated Cat in the Cattery. I didn't recognise this rag and bones of an animal when I walked into the isolation cages! His eyes were weeping and rheumy, his fur was sparse, his nose was a scab, ears flopped. He couldn't even stand up. He squeaked a hello at me. I knew I couldn't take that home with me.

I rang Cat Lady every day for another week. Cat Lady suggested I paid the vetinary bill up to date. She was still charging me the fiver a day which she mentioned including extra heating as Cat was shivering. The vet's bill was already horrendously high and no sign of Cat improving.

I wrote a letter to Cat Lady suggesting that as Cat was so very ill I was giving her permission to ask the vet 'put him out of his misery'. Cat Lady went mad! Wrote me a very strong letter telling me off for even considering 'putting down' a faithful pet.

I phoned the vet. He was the same. Scolded me. Told me Cat was on the mend and should be able to travel and come home at the end of the week and meanwhile vet was popping in to see him every day.

So, three weeks Cattery charges were £105.00 (remember this was the nineties) and the vet's bill for injections, visits and tonic things was several hundred pounds. In fact, the cost of sick Cat was more than the cost of a two week trip to California!!

Cat did get better, he did come home and survived another six years. I have never had a pet since.

That is quite shocking Fugi. Did you ever find out what was the matter with your cat? But reading your description when you saw him I strongly suspect the cattery didn't have the right measures in place to prevent a cross infection of cat flu and that's what your cat picked up - quite badly. I cannot believe she charged you extra for heating - that should be standard!

Would you ever consider getting yourself a furry companion? I don't think I could ever imagine not having a pet

meriad wrote:That is quite shocking Fugi. Did you ever find out what was the matter with your cat? But reading your description when you saw him I strongly suspect the cattery didn't have the right measures in place to prevent a cross infection of cat flu and that's what your cat picked up - quite badly. I cannot believe she charged you extra for heating - that should be standard!

Would you ever consider getting yourself a furry companion? I don't think I could ever imagine not having a pet

I don't think vaccinations for cat flu were required then Meriad so Cat hadn't had one and Cat Lady didn't ask. The extra for heating was because this was in the summer months and she charged more in the winter for heating so she charged heating as an extra. I know this would never happen now.

Pet Insurance wasn't the norm then either. I'd never heard of it being a neccessary until daughter told me she has it for her dog. That's why many pet owners then had no choice but to end their pets' lives unless they had enough money to pay the vet bills. The saying used to be 'Have you ever seen a poor bookie?' Now it must be 'Have you ever seen a poor vet?'

The only pet I've ever thought of getting is a parrot as my Grand-Dad and Dad had parrots and I love them but there's no Parrottery round here and I do go away a lot.