Sorry, I didn't explain properly. We are all going to the CAB!

Ah, I see. Just be careful.

Well, I for one think your doing the right and honourable thing, it may well be that your dogs didn't do any harm directly, but if the dogs hadn't chased the cat in the first place, it presumably, wouldn't have injured itself in it's panic.

I guess the vets being so inflexible due to the cat owner not being a known client, for all the vet knows, she could well do a runner.

The cat owner should really have gone to the PDSA in.the first place surely?

We don't actually have a PDSA hospital here in Glastonbury, but we do have a couple of vet practices (the one concerned here and another two miles away) who are PDSA aid registered, which means that anybody who is on benefits can get a form from them and send it off (for a small fee of a £7.50 postal order) and they can either get some money off some current treatment that they cannot afford, or use the PDSA membership to receive future treatment for any animals registered. I think they only register one animal per household.

Ah I see

Really hope you get something sorted. What an awful situation to be in x

I'm not really sure what the CAB can do, TBH.

They will only advise on how you stand legally - and legally, the cat's owner is in it up to her neck as she shouldn't have authorised treatment without the means to pay. IF she cannot pay, then the vets will take her to Small Claims Court to chase the bill.

Legally, you are not liable for those fees, although I understand why you feel you want to contribute.

It might be possible for someone from the CAB to negotiate with the vets re instalments, but I feel that's probably more a job for a solicitor.

I don't know how the cat owner stands if the vet is refusing further treatment until paid - you might want to check on the ethics of that with the RCVS.

I do know the vets concerned and yes, they are fairly expensive but have a very large and modern cutting edge practice, and my sister has been a client of theirs for many years [as was my mother when her old dog was still with us]. In fact going back about 30 years when they were still a traditional vet 'partnership' and not a group, I used to work for them!

But would they have paid out...?

I was thinking about this today - if the vet wasn't positive the injuries were caused by the dogs, and there were no witnesses, then I'm sure the insurance company would happily squirm out of that one. We already know they don't like paying up if they can avoid it.

Plus of course there would probably have been an excess to pay.

Well they could have refused to pay out on the grounds that the dogs were not properly secured/controlled (a bit like no insurance company is going to pay out if someone steals your car if you left the keys in it).

The excess on most insurance policies is below £100, which is VASTLY different to the current suggested payout.

For £25 per annum it seems a small price to pay.

Of COURSE insurance companies are not going to pay out willy nilly, nothing to do with squirming (if you use a reputable company) as that is good business sense.

I have to say that (with one notable exception with one company) none of my claims have been challenged by my insurance company.

Well to be honest if I was you I would NOT be paying any one any money yet, until you know exactly what caused the cats injuries.

A broken jaw sounds like it could very well have come from a car accident , rather than an attack by a dog or dogs, I would expect if a dog got hold of a cat it would get a ragging round the neck or body, and if the cat had been hit by a car it would explain why it was slow to get away OR hiding in a corner.

First I would explain to the owners you need to see the vets bill, and report.

Then if it transpires the injuries are a result of the dogs , then I would speak to the cats owner and offer what you can afford ( if you want to ) in payment , may be offer half , at £5/ £10 a week / month.

I would also point out that the responsibility lays 3 ways, the person who left the gate open, the dogs owners, and lets not forget the owner of the cat, if one allows your cat to wander , one has to take the responsibility of any consequences .

You need to know. What happened to the cat first, before you do anything .........