A friend on FB has had to take her cat to the vet New Years eve. He has had on operation, and the vet is charging £800 roughly. She (like most other people) has very little money this time of year, and so is appealing for donations, however large or small.

Obviously I know you don't know this woman, but if I were to post the link, would anyone be willing to donate? Even if only a few pence, every little will help.

She has had a very rough year, and this has just topped it off really. There are only so many people you can invite on FB, so I thought I would appeal to the wider audience of DS on her behalf (not that she knows this yet, am not mentioning anything until I know how people will feel about this...)

What was the operation he had ?

Ideally, should people keep animals if they can't afford the vets fees?

Some vets have payment plans. It would have been better to have found a vet who operates such a scheme.

She could also have looked for a budget vet who operates a practice at a much lower cost.

Another point to make is; how do we know it is not a con?

Unfortunately this could be a scam. If you want us to take this seriously, more information is needed. The operation the cat had would be a good start, as would the person's ID on Facebook.

Ah, I do see your points. I didn't want to post a link until I knew whether other people would be willing.
It cost so much because it was out of hours on NYE.

It was an operation to remove string from the cats intestines. (carpet string, he had been eating it, and it had gotten tangle in his gut, causing a blockage)
In my tired state last night, I felt this might be a good idea, and help, now I'm not so sure.

I am sorry for you friends cat. It does sound about right for that type of opperation though. You can send me a pm with more details please.

A quote from My Friends FB:

they had to put him under sedation to put him on a drip and x-ray him, then the vet said he'd made two inscissions, then there's the antibiotics and painkillers, and the fact that it's all had to be done out-of-hours...

I've explained my circumstances, and they're kind enough to not expect it all in one go.

Being indoor cats, I've allowed myself to become complacent - they're not going to be hit by cars, shot at, or get into any fights... I don't have any houseplants, as I know some can be poisonous (my sisters cat died after chewing on a lily) and I'm always alert to the temptation of trailing wires... I never thought for one minute I'd end up having to pay that much for one illness/operation.

Still, he's my big boy, and he's worth every penny for the amount of lauhs he's given me. He's a little legend!

I can assure you it's not a scam, but as none of you actually know me or her, I don't actually expect people just to take my word for it....

For anyone who thinks they may be interested I shall PM a link to them, BUT please remember it is still up to you if you donate or not. Nobody expects you to. In fact my friend doesn't even know I have posted here.

Thankyou in advance on behalf of my friend to anyone who does decide they'd like to donate....

Go on then, send me a PM.

I must be crazy, but I love cats so I'm prepared to take the risk of a donation, on this occasion. I hope you are genuine.

you could ask the vet if people can donate straight off the bill then its fairly risk free

Final bill was £901
She has her cat back now, and it's got a lot to do with the fact she could pay a chunk of the money upfront, which she wouldn't have been able to do without the generosity of her friends, and those of you who donated who don't even know her.
So on behalf of her and her cat, THANKYOU!

It's touching to see such kindness, especially straight after Xmas, when everyone is a bit skint.
You are lovely people x

I love your friends cat. This is 100% genunie. I wish i could donate something myself but am i having problems with my kittens. I cant wait for updates as he gets better.

And how do we know this is genuine? This could just be someone who has made up a story just to scam people. Anyone who donates to this is stupid.

No offence OP but like someone has already pointed out, unless you can afford to pay the vets bills or have some contigency plan for extreme circumstances (ie borrowing from a loved one - planned/agreed in advance) then having a pet is very risky.

Your friend has my every sympathy but how can people be sure it isn't a con unless donating directly to the vets?

Don't get me wrong, I would love to donate to a good cause but having to pay for a vet bill of £800 for my baby being attacked by a fox and then another £500 for one with a severe UUTI, I have learned to plan ahead.

I hope the cat makes a full recovery.